Concept Cars You've Never Seen

black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
edited May 5, 2011 in Other Cool Shots
Chrysler Corporation, along with Ford and GM, began in the early 50's to respond to public demand for exciting automobiles. To that end, they began to develop concept cars for the show circuits....giving a peek at what was to come a few years down the road, both in styling and mechanical features. These early concept cars were more for "show" than "go". Outside of Oldsmobile, the advent of the "go" part didn't really take hold until a couple of years later.....when the emphasis on performance began in earnest.



This first car is a 1954 Plymouth Explorer. It was designed and built by the famous Italian design house, Ghia. It was powered by a 110 HP, 230 CI straight 6 engine connected to an automatic transmission. A little short on the "go" but strong on the "show".



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This one is a 1954 Plymouth Belmont Roadster. This one was an in-house design by Chrysler and featured a fiberglass body built by Briggs Manufacturing. It was created specifically for the 1954 Chicago Auto Show. Aside from its flashy good looks, it also got a little more in the "go" department.....a 150 HP, 241 CI V8, again connected to an automatic transmission.



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I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.

Comments

  • DJTDJT Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
    edited May 4, 2011
    Our these cars from the Joe Bortz collection? It's been years, however when I worked part-time at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum they did a display of Joe's cars in the showroom. It was aweSOME!

    Thanks for sharing these photos!
    David

    Photos | Blog | Youtube
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited May 4, 2011
    DJT wrote: »
    Our these cars from the Joe Bortz collection? It's been years, however when I worked part-time at the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum they did a display of Joe's cars in the showroom. It was aweSOME!

    Thanks for sharing these photos!

    Good to hear from you, David.

    The red roadster belongs to a private owner in New Jersey. The green coupe is a part of the famous Petersen Museum collection in California.

    Look for some shots I'll post soon featuring the Duesenberg " Mormon Meteor ". It's been to the Amelia show twice before but this year's show was the first public exposure of the car since its just-finished complete restoration. It won one of the two top awards at this year's show.

    If I get up your way, I'll be asking to go cruising with you in that beautiful Galaxie you have.

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • DJTDJT Registered Users Posts: 353 Major grins
    edited May 4, 2011
    black mamba wrote: »
    If I get up your way, I'll be asking to go cruising with you in that beautiful Galaxie you have.

    Tom

    Sounds good thumb.gif

    We can cruise to the ACD Museum, NATMUS, History Museum (WWII), Kruse Carriage Museum, Ford V8 Club Museum, Andy Granitelli Hall of Fame and whatever other museum opens up in the mean time.... eek7.gif

    And we can cruise around and I'll show you E.L. Cord's estate, Roy Faulkner's home, Gordon Buerhig's home, Eckhert's homes, etc....

    Bring lots of SD or CF Cards....
    David

    Photos | Blog | Youtube
  • DogdotsDogdots Registered Users Posts: 8,795 Major grins
    edited May 4, 2011
    These are all wonderful looking cars, but the Plymouth Belmont Roadster won me over.

    How did they ever get into it without scratching up the car headscratch.gif The door looks like 1/2 of a door.
    Mary
    www.Dogdotsphotography.com
  • black mambablack mamba Registered Users Posts: 8,323 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    Dogdots wrote: »
    These are all wonderful looking cars, but the Plymouth Belmont Roadster won me over.

    How did they ever get into it without scratching up the car headscratch.gif The door looks like 1/2 of a door.

    I kinda figured that the red one would grab your eye, Mary.

    Seeing as these concept cars very seldom saw the real road, they could get away with all kinds of design features that wouldn't do too well in the real world....like half doors, etc. This car did, however, have a really nicely finished-out interior and I suspect that it did see some actual road time.



    amelia%202011%201%20115-X2.jpg

    Tom
    I always wanted to lie naked on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace. Cracker Barrel didn't take kindly to it.
  • DogdotsDogdots Registered Users Posts: 8,795 Major grins
    edited May 5, 2011
    black mamba wrote: »
    I kinda figured that the red one would grab your eye, Mary.

    Seeing as these concept cars very seldom saw the real road, they could get away with all kinds of design features that wouldn't do too well in the real world....like half doors, etc. This car did, however, have a really nicely finished-out interior and I suspect that it did see some actual road time.



    amelia%202011%201%20115-X2.jpg

    Tom

    It's even pretty on the inside too :D No cup holders tho rolleyes1.gif
    Mary
    www.Dogdotsphotography.com
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