1969 Concept Cars
Alfa Romeo Iguana Concept
In the late-1960s, Alfa Romeo commissioned Giorgetto Giugiaro to pen a design for a concept car that would be previewed at the Sports Car Show in Monza and presented officially at the Turin Auto Show in 1969. Based on the Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale road-going......
AMC AMX III
Before the final AMX 3 was built, two prototypes were tested by AMC during 1968. AMCs in-house designer Richard Teague worked with Giotto Bizzarrini to develop the image-defining model into a road-going 160 mph sports car. All three prototypes were......
Autobianchi A112 Bertone Concept
Concept cars come in all shapes and sizes, serve many different purposes, and often act as a springboard to bounce ideas. As the 1960s were coming to a close, Italian coachbuilder Nuccio Bertone began work on a radical two-seater concept car to be displayed......
Chevrolet Astro III Concept
Mitchells breathtaking 1967 Astro I styling study enabled his designers to explore the boundaries between beauty and low-drag forms. At less than three feet high, it was the lowest concept model ever created by GM design, so low that passengers had......
Chevrolet Corvette Manta Ray
Mitchells Mako Shark II concept debuted in 1965 as an early preview of the flamboyant-fendered, Coke-bottle-waisted next-generation Corvette that would reach production for 1968. It continued the 1961 Makos shark-like paint scheme, with a dramatically......
Holden Hurricane Concept
Described as an experimental research vehicle ‘to study design trends, propulsion systems and other long range developments, the wedge-shaped, mid-engined Holden Hurricane was revealed in May 1969. Unlike modern show cars which tend to signpost directional......
Holden Torana GTR-X Concept
The Holden Torana GTR-X was developed in the late 1960s by General Motors Australian branch. They were tasked with developing a sports car that could be inexpensive to produce and use existing components of the available models. The resulting concept......
Lancia Fulvia HF Competizione
This prototype was presented by Carrozzeria Ghia, employing Lancia Fulvia HF mechanics and engine, at the Geneva and Turin Auto Show in 1969. The prototype was then modified and tested on the Le Mans Track. The modified version is called Evoluzione.......
Pontiac Farago CF 428
Paul Farago, a respected engineer and designer, had an impact on designs in both Europe and the United States. He had worked with Virgil Exner in developing the ChryslerGhia concept cars and was also the chief engineer for the Dual Ghia project. He......
Volkswagen EA266
One of the more innovative replacement candidates was the EA266. It was developed with assistance from Porsche and a team led by Ferdinand Piëch, the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who would later become Chairman of the Volkswagen group in 1993. The......
1968 Concept Cars
Alfa Romeo Carabo Concept
At the end of the 1960s Bertone focussed his creative energies on prototypes. The Turin designers creativity and daring reached its peak in 1968 with the Carabo, which was presented at the Paris Motor Show in October. Built on the Alfa Romeo 33 chassis......
Bizzarrini Manta
Bizzarini opened for business in 1962, and completed their first prototype work, the Iso AC3 Grifo, in 1965. After severing relations with Iso, Bizzarrini continued building a similar vehicle, the GT Strada 5300, mating exotic European coachwork with......
Chevrolet Astro II
As far back as the 1960s Arkus Duntov was convinced that mid-engine was the only way to go for Corvette to compete effectively in styling, image and performance against the top European sports cars. He relentlessly lobbied Chevrolet and GM management......
Chevrolet Astro-Vette
The Chevrolet Astro-Vette was part of an aerodynamic study to determine how slippery the Corvette could become. It was given an extended nose, roadster windshield, closed rear wheel openings and extended tail. The grille opening was kept to a minimum.......
Dodge Charger III Concept
The Dodge Charger III was an experimental two-seater that had no windows or doors that opened. Instead, there was a jet-aircraft-type canopy that opened, allowing entry and exit. Inside was a steering wheel and instrument cluster pod which could move......
Ferrari 250 P5 Speciale
This Ferrari 250 P5P6 was designed by Pininfarina and probably constructed using a P4 chassis. There is a rear-mounted V-12 engine displacing three-liters. It was shown at the Geneva Motor Show and showed the collaboration between the Ferrari marque......
Shadow Lowline CanAm Prototype
The Advanced Vehicle System (AVS) began in 1970 and was created by Don Nichols. The cars were called Shadows. The company was established with the purpose of creating racers that had limited aerodynamic drag through the minimal front area of the cars.......
Shelby Lonestar
The sole Shelby Lonestar was created in secrecy a half-century ago as a replacement for the legendary 427 Shelby Cobra. Based on the Ford GT40 chassis the Ford V-8-powered mid-engine coupe was assembled in England during 1968 and wore the name Cobra......