Concept Cars and Protorypes

1938 Buick Y-Job

The Phantom Corsair is a custom-built concept car designed by Rust Heinz, a member of the H. J. Heinz family. Distinguished by its unusual provisions for safety and comfort at high speeds, the six-passenger aluminum coupe was built by Bohman & Schwartz coachbuilding company in 1937. Originally intended as a pilot model for a limited production, the Phantom Corsair plans were terminated when Rust was killed in an accident.

1940 Chrysler Thunderbolt

1941 Chrysler Newport

1948 Tasco

1949 Studebaker Land Cruiser

1951 Buick XP-300

1951 Chrylser K-310

1951 GM LeSabre

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The Pontiac Jubilee was a concept car proposed for the 1951 GM Motorama show. The car didn't make it beyond a full size air brush rendering. Photo courtesy of GMPhotoStore.

1953 Buick Wildcat I

1953 Cadillac LeMans

1953 Chrysler D'Elegance

Styled by Ghia in Italy, Motor Trend's Bob D'Olivio described the 1953 Dodge Firearrow I concept car as "the most successful meeting of European and U.S. designs." Featuring dual headlights mounted underneath the front bumper, the sporty roadster made its debut at the Turin Auto Show in April of 1953. The sporty roadster was introduced to the American public at Chrysler's New York showroom later that year, and an estimated 38,000 people came to check it out. The response was massive, and in January of 1954, Chrysler president L.L. Colbert announced in Motor Trend that the Firearrow could now be purchased on a special order. Unfortunately, that never happened, but the desire for the car was there, and in 1956 people who had drooled over the Firearrow could buy a Dual Ghia instead. Photo courtesy of Chrysler Corporation.

1953 Ford X-100

1953 GM Futureliner

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1953 Pontiac Parisienne

1954 Cadillac El Camino

1954 Dodge Firearrow III

1954 Plymouth Belmont

1954 Pontiac Bonneville Special

in April of 1954, the Storm Z-250 made its debut at the Turin Auto Show in Italy. Winning the first prize for style and design, the Storm Z-250 concept car was built by Sports Car Development Corp., a company founded by Fred M. Zeder Jr., and Gene Casaroll. Fred was the son of well-known Chrysler profile Frederick M. Zeder, and the car incorporated as many Chrysler components as possible, including a Dodge Hemi engine. A complete chassis was shipped to Italy, where Bertone fabricated a body for the car. The Storm Z-250 introduced dual headlights that were stacked on top of each other. Photo courtesy of Michael Lamm.

1955 Buick Wildcat II

1955 Chevrolet Biscayne

1955 Ford La Tosca

1955 GMC L'Universelle

1955 Ford Mystere

1955 Lincoln Futura

1956 Buick Centurion

1956 Chrysler Norseman

1956 Chrysler Plainsman

1956 Pontiac Club de Mer

1959 Cadillac Cyclone

1959 Ford Mach I

1961 Chevrolet Corvette Mako Shark

A 1961 Chevrolet Impala Coupe concept car that never made it into production. Photo courtesy of GMPhotoStore.

1961 Ford Gyron

1962 Ford Cougar 406

1965 Chevrolet Corvette Manta Ray

The Ford Ranger II was a concept car that Ron Gerstner constructed for Ford Motor Company in 1966. The Ford Ranger II was designed by Syd Mead, who worked for Ford's Advanced Styling Studio in the 1960s. They commissioned Ron to build this striking vehicle, a testament to his reputation as a master builder. "Ron built the Ford Ranger II for Ford Motor Company in 1966," Charles Anzalone told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in August of 2023. Charles, who had known Ron for over six decades, began hanging out in his shop when he was 11. "He was always kind to me as a kid and let me hang around his garage to see all the cool cars he was building." Charles watched Ron build the Ranger II, and he recalled that Ron wanted to buy it and show it with some changes, "but Ford crushed it!" Photo courtesy of Core77.