1955 Concept Cars
Alfa Romeo B.A.T. 9
In 1955 Bertone turned in the final design for the B.A.T. project, a series of prototypes that represented the peak of styling creativity at the time. The B.A.T. 9 did away with the marked wing lines of the previous models in favour of a cleaner, more......
Astra Coupe
For some, the ordinary is never enough. Custom cars have existed throughout the history of the automobile to provide unique transportation to people seeking relief from the mass-produced, often boring four-wheeled forms of the worlds motorways. Whether......
Cadillac Elegant Special
In the early 1950s, when the streamlined shapes of jet airplanes first became part of the publics consciousness, two friends decided to conceive %26 build a unique American sports car. Harry Birdsall, a commercial artist %26 Joe Mascari, a New York contractor,......
Chrysler Falcon Concept
Virgil Exner left Studebaker in 1949 to head up Chryslers Advanced Design Studio. While there, he combined his design excellence with the craftsmanship of Italys Ghia Coachworks. This combination yielded some of the most beautiful and outrageous concept......
Chrysler Imperial Prototype
This Imperial is the sole Imperial convertible built between 1951 and 1957. This custom-made car was specially built by Chrysler Central Engineering for the Chairman of the Board, K.T. Keller at his request (Keller was President of Chrysler from 1935......
Chrysler ST Ghia Special
Between 1953 and 1955, Ghia produced a small number of special Chrysler show cars that were designed to be shown and driven. They were exclusive and very luxurious, and certainly showcased the talent and potential of the Ghia firm. The Italian coachbuilder......
Dodge Firebomb Concept
Four successive Dodge Firearrows with hand-crafted coachwork by Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin, Italy were followed by the Dodge Firearrow Concept, an immediate predecessor to the Dual-Ghia. Virgil Exner was an automotive designer who worked for numerous......
Flajole Forerunner Prototype
When Bill Flajole was in high school, he began his path as an independent designer by working at Chrysler in 1933. Other influential automakers where Flajole worked at during his career included Ford, General Motors, and the Murray Corporation. While......
Ghia Gilda Concept
The 1955 Ghia Gilda Coupe Concept was built for the 1955 Turin Motor Show in Italy. It was a styling exercise designed by Giovanni Savonuzzi (an individual formerly with Cisitalia) and was commissioned by Chrysler design chief Virgil Exner, who wished......
GMC LaSalle II Roadster Concept
GM flirted with reviving the LaSalle nameplate. A natty little roadster, (called a sports coupe), and a six-passenger four-door pillarless hardtop sedan teased Motorama-goers, but the bold idea went no further. Both LaSalle show cars were powered......
GMC LaSalle II Sedan Concept
In the 1950s, GM created a pair of Motorama Show Cars which they named after Cadillacs companion marque, last produced in 1940. These vehicles were dubbed the LaSalle II. One was a six-passenger, four-door pillars hardtop codenamed XP-32 and given shop......
Lancia Aurelia Nardi Blue Ray 1
Blue Ray 1, completed in September 1955, is perhaps the most fantastic creation of Enrico Nardi. It was first shown at the Turin Auto Show and subsequently shown at the Paris and New York Auto Shows. Power is provided by a Lancia Aurelia B20 V6 engine......
Lincoln Indianapolis Exclusive Study
The coachbuilding craft was in desperation after World War II. Many of the marques had brought the styling, designing and building of the vehicles in-house. The availability of suitable chassis also dwindled. At this time, many prominent coachbuilders......
Packard Request Concept
Displaying Packards new style for 1955, Dick Teague convinced Packard president James Nance that their newest show car should pay tribute to the classic vertical grille. Creative Industries did the modification on the third 1955 Four Hundred to come......
Studebaker Starliner
This was a proposal for the 1955 Studebaker Starliner, designed by Bob Bourke. It was basically a facelift of the 53-4 style with a fine mesh grille, wire wheels, and small cast aluminum fins that resembled those of the 1956 Hawk. This beautiful design,......
Volkswagen EA47-12
Number 12 of 15 prototypes produced between 1953 and the end of 1956, the EA-47-12 was VWs first attempt at creating a modern successor to the Beetle. It was the first of many Beetle replacements designed by Italian automobile designer Ghia, which is......
Volkswagen EA48
Volkswagen began toying with the idea of developing a car positioned below the Beetle in terms of size, performance, and price in 1953. The result was the boxy EA48. Some call it the first City Car, an accolade bestowed upon the British Motor Corporation......