1953 Buick Wildcat I Concept

This car was built for the 1953 General Motors Motorama and is one of Buick's first fiberglass cars. Innovations for the time include concave grill, 'buffer bombs' integrated with a massive wrap around front bumper. Also featuring 'Roto Static' front hub caps that remain stationary while the wheels spin. At the time of restoration only one hub cap remained, the second one was made from the top of a 'mini' Weber grill. On one of the rear fenders above the skirts are a row of 15 vertical slats. The tail is set off by large dual exhausts protruding through the fascia and integrated taillamps wrapping over the rear fender tops. An innovative feature is the 'Roto Static' front wheel hub camps whose weighted centers remain stationary as the wheels turn around them.

When the original Wildcat Motorama Car was succeeded by the smaller and sportier (Corvette-based) 1954 Wildcat II, the original example became the 'Wildcat I.' The Wildcat II was succeeded by a full-size Wildcat III convertible concept and eventually the performance-oriented production Wildcat for 1963.