Prototype/showcars

Sometimes you get awesome show cars and everyone bitches and moans about how it'll never make it into production with all the good show car looks.

Then other times you go the other direction. Weird awkward show cars that become beautiful production cars.

I was looking at AMXs after Javelins thread and found this 1966 AMX prototype. And this became the production car.

In this case I'm glad the production car didn't keep the show cars looks.

To be fair, it was a lot cleaner in it's original guise:

Javelin wrote:

That rumble seat is so awesome and unsafe! love it!

Also, I'll never find a picture of it, but I recall being at the Philadelphia Auto Show sometime around 1986 or 1987. On the turntable was a concept car of a crazy new company called "Saturn". I remember saying to my father how crazy it was that it had plastic body panels everywhere. It looked very much like what the production model was.

Sometimes you get a prototype that gets sold as a weird limited-edition ultra-rare car. They made what, 4 Series 1s, 1 series 2 and a couple of roller styling bucks?

Klayfish wrote: Also, I'll never find a picture of it, but I recall being at the Philadelphia Auto Show sometime around 1986 or 1987. On the turntable was a concept car of a crazy new company called "Saturn". I remember saying to my father how crazy it was that it had plastic body panels everywhere. It looked very much like what the production model was.

You mean this one?

The Silverado SS was a case where it got worse. The original Silverado SS prototype was a stripped down (Crank windows, rubber floor mats, cloth interior) standard-cab, short-bed, 2WD pickup with an LS6 and a 6-speed manual that was by all accounts a real firecracker.

After an overly long gestation period, in which most prospective customers lost interest, we got a bloated luxury barge of a truck. Extended cab, short bed, AWD only for the first year, 4-speed automatic, regular 345hp 6.0L LQ9 instead of the 405hp LS6. I drove one and honestly couldn't point out any differences in driving manners over a regular Silverado. And it was weak compared to the SVT Lightning and the loony SRT-10 Ram

The first one I ever remember was the Duster show car that I saw when I received this Motor Trend. Am I the only one that sees a (very) little Viper in that second pic?

In reply to NickD:

Hey, I own one of those! Well, an AMX/2 anyway.

maschinenbau wrote:

Klayfish wrote: Also, I'll never find a picture of it, but I recall being at the Philadelphia Auto Show sometime around 1986 or 1987. On the turntable was a concept car of a crazy new company called "Saturn". I remember saying to my father how crazy it was that it had plastic body panels everywhere. It looked very much like what the production model was.

You mean this one?

Nope, not quite. The one they had on display was what would eventually become the SC.

always thought 60's production Riviera's and Toronado's came closest to looking like show cars from GM. Trofeo too, still like to have that one.

In reply to fasted58:

I remember being on vacation in California in the early 70's. We were at an overlook on Rt1, and a truck pulls in followed by a camera van. They pull this really cool looking car out of the back and start to set up to do a photo shoot. It was the then new '71 boat tail Riv. I thought that was about the coolest car I had ever seen. Later I saw the ad in many car magazines. That's my story, even if it is boring and even if it isn't about the 60's Rivs.

I love concept cars

I got to see this one being made....

I think it turned out pretty close in production form

edizzle89 wrote:

Javelin wrote:

That rumble seat is so awesome and unsafe! love it!

racecar ... think of the downforce that rear spoiler would provide

One show car/prototype I lusted after/wished had been put into production, was the Suzuki C2.

For ridiculousness, it was powered by a 1.6L V8. With a pair of little turbos.

Suzuki, why didn't you make this bonkers little thing, and give it to us?!

Concept:

Reality:

WHY AUDI!!! Just use the S5 or SR5 underneath and you'd have an EPIC car!

Nailed it:

Closer:

Mike wrote: Closer:

I am going out on a limb here to say the production neon was -much- better looking than the prototype

I'd take the production version...

^I still prefer the concept FRS. You can make a production model look a lot like the concept with the right body kit, wheels & lights, lookalikes are all available on the aftermarket. FIVEAD makes the body kit & wheels.

Concept

Reality

Concept

Reality

mad_machine wrote:

Mike wrote: Closer:

I am going out on a limb here to say the production neon was -much- better looking than the prototype

Yeah, but those doors.

maschinenbau wrote:

Klayfish wrote: Also, I'll never find a picture of it, but I recall being at the Philadelphia Auto Show sometime around 1986 or 1987. On the turntable was a concept car of a crazy new company called "Saturn". I remember saying to my father how crazy it was that it had plastic body panels everywhere. It looked very much like what the production model was.

You mean this one?

That is the worst thing ever done to a corsica.