What is it they say; close enough only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades? So many cars and trucks have come within a beancounter’s pen stroke of production that perhaps that adage could apply to the auto industry too.
This past month was the 51st anniversary of the introduction of Ford’s Mustang, and while that car has proved immensely popular and category defining, imagine if instead its original namesake – the two-seat, mid-engine Mustang 1 – had reached production. What would the world be like today in that instance?
Ford has a number of almost-was models, as does GM and Chrysler. Foreign makes have similar histories of coming close to pulling the trigger- do you remember Volkswagen’s Bluesport Roadster? Shizzle! But which golden ring dangled in front of auto buyers’ faces and then cruelly pulled away at the last minute is most lamentable? What do you think was the most awesome car to almost reach production?
Image: Flickr
Hooniverse Asks: What's the Most Awesome Car to Almost Make it to Production?
By Robert Emslie
May 1, 2015
Jeff Glucker
How about the Cosworth Vega? Sure they made it to production, but the prototypes had 170HP engines, the production versions only made 110HP. 60HP is huge in something that small.
Twin Cam! Not the only two-fer selling point.
Quite like the idea of a Cosworth Chevette with the same 110 hp 2.0 engine possibly uprated to 140 hp.
King Cobra
http://bestride.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/King-Cobra-Prototype-Bestride.jpg
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–EjYwTTwN–/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_320/196czuwlwzqtpjpg.jpg
Both iterations of the Nissan MID4. It was a little too polished to just be a prototype, but the cost would have sunk it.
Aerovette. Wither in V-8 or 4-rotor configuration.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Aerovette#/media/File:1977_Aero-Vette.jpg
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-1970-1979/1973-Chevrolet-Aerovette-Concept-SA-1280×960.jpg
Didn’t know this one yet, thanks! Another car that was partly powered by John DeL’s personality..
http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-2004/2004-Ford-SVT-F-150-Lightning-FA-1024×768.jpg
On a more personal note… So close…
Chrysler Turbine!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysler_Turbine_Car#/media/File:Chrysler_027.jpg
Pamela Anderson halted it.
http://www.wired.com/2009/11/dartz/
There is a great chase scene in the Pierce Brosnan movie November Man, where KGB type guys in a Dartz are chasing a Lada Niva through crowed city streets.
Jaguar C-X75 was to be the spiritual descendant of the XJ220. The show car was an all wheel drive series hybrid with two diesel turbines to recharge the batteries. Jag later said they would produce it in limited numbers with a more conventional gas engine as the range extender.
It would have beat the Porsche 918 to market.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Silver_jaguar_c-x75.jpg/640px-Silver_jaguar_c-x75.jpg?download
Stumbled across the Josse Car Indigo 3000 in the late ’90s. At one time, I really really really wanted one.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/27/c7/ac/27c7ac75f84541a8021b9cc3e2afa129.jpg
Panoz Abruzzi
http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Panoz/2011-Panoz-Abruzzi-Image-013-1600.jpg
I love this car. I always imagine they watched Batman then designed it.
So in pj134’s fantasy world, if they made it run it almost got to production. Really, after that point it’s just seeing if there’s demand.
If only there would have been demand.
http://image.trucktrend.com/f/roadtests/pickup/163_1204_jeep_mighty_fc_concept_first_drive/41487954/jeep-mighty-fc-concept-passenger-front-view.jpg
The issue wasn’t lack of demand. The issue was front impact crash safety.
In order to make it compliant with the rules in place today would have required a completely new structure, and even then it would be iffy.
When was this made? if it was from the Daimler-Chrysler era then Unimog frame could have been suitable, modern short nose ‘mog probably fills requirements….
Nope. It’s from 2012.
My 14 year old inner-child is jumping up and down and squealing and clapping and saying “FORD GT90!!!!” over and over. So that’s my answer.
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–IMT1-k9a–/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1926ozhvpdgzpjpg.jpg
[redacted] apparently did a post back in 2013 wherefrom I cheerfully linked these lovely images where it was declared that “But few — if any — concept cars have remained in our collective consciousness like the 1995 Ford GT90.” So maybe I am not the only one.
http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s–h1aD8Dfh–/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1926uwn6xucn4jpg.jpg
The Volkswagen GX3. 0-60 in 5 seconds, 40mpg, and perfect for commuting into work in the morning then blowing off steam in the canyons in the evening. I remember seeing this at the L.A. Auto Show back in about the 2005 timeframe and thinking that it looked like immense fun that would be killed off by lawyers. Unfortunately, I was right.
Thankfully, Morgan and Elio decided to run with the idea. Either one (assuming the Elio makes it into full-scale production) would be an acceptable substitute.
Everything named “Rocket” is auto-enrolled, right?
http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x256/CityofShred/DSC00394.jpg
The final production Volvo ES was even nicer though.
I remember the magazines at the time acting like this had a real chance, and who doesn’t want more mid-engined convertibles to choose from?
http://files.conceptcarz.com/img/Plymouth/chrysler_pronto_Spyder_Concept_BY_05_MDB_02.jpg
Pontiac Banshee
http://www.corvettes.nl/gm_prototypes/banshee/files/page36_4.jpg
Italdesign/Lamborghini Cala. Would have slotted in nicely below the Diablo. I think it would have aged well.
Even though it was just a concept car, I’d go for the Peugeot 907
The AMC AMX/3. AMC spent like 2 million dollars developing this mid engined V8 sports car, to be assembled at Bizzarrini in Italy. Only five (with enough parts to make a sixth) were built before the program was cancelled.
http://www.supercars.net/gallery/119513/1877/786315.jpg
The second-gen Pontiac Fiero coulda been a contenda! Suspension design based on the much-improved ’88 model and power from either the high-output Quad 4 or the Olds-developed quad-cam version of the Chevy 60-degree 3.4L V6.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_4WC7TWn0_oM/Sj-OyoGQmBI/AAAAAAAAAMk/TaIyh4lX2qU/s1600/1990%2BFiero%2BGT%2Bprototype%2Bdesign.jpg
“high output Quad4” is still less than 100 horsey powers?
Look at how high up that front lip is. I call major lift above 70 mph. #benchracing
Quad4 HO is 180 hp! From an n/a 4 cyl in 1989!
Split between two choices: Chrysler’s show-stopping ME Four-Twelve, and the Pontiac G8 ST. I know the Maloo exists, but I was ready to sell every car I had for one.
http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims3/GLOB/legacy_thumbnail/800×450/format/jpg/quality/85/http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/pontiacg8st_red_630.jpg
So close!
Take a look at my avatar. Now guess my answer.
I don’t know how close it was, but I’d do horrible things to get one.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/LanciaFulvia%282003%29.JPG/800px-LanciaFulvia%282003%29.JPG
Holy sh*t!! Never know about this!
That red Ford above looks a bit like some street version or homologation special of the Ford RS200.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/Ford_RS200.jpg
Sunbeam Asp. A Midget/Spitfire competitor with an overhead cam engine mounted behind the driver and pop-up lights. http://tardis.dl.ac.uk/Mercia/killeen_book/pictures/asp_a.jpg
I’d have to say the manual-transmission Ecoboost Mustang Convertible. What’s that, you say? It *did* make it to production? Ford Australia didn’t get the memo…
The Rover P8.The car had been designed, prototyped and tested extensively during development. Tooling had also been developed and paid for at a cost of over £3m to the company. but in an announcement in ‘The Times’ on the 10 March 1971, it was announced that the program was cancelled. Too much competition for Jaguar and it’s XJ sedan which had just become part of the Leyland Group .Also cancelled was the P9 mid-engined V8 sportscar, perceived as a threat to Jaguar’s sportscar, the by then dated E-Type/XKE. The XJS went ahead.
The only car not cancelled was the ‘without competition’ Range Rover fitted with the same ex-Buick alloy V8 and that the P8 and P9 would have had, had they made it through to production. By 1973, Rover would
have been in possession of an innovative and desirable range of cars,
incorporating a Premium off-roader, an exciting sports car and muscular
large saloon. What actually happened was somewhat different and a sad
reflection of the extraordinary bad luck that the company put up with in
the early years of the BMH/Leyland merger.
After this Rover products were deliberately cheapened to be not as good as Jaguar, as in the SD1 with it’s live rear axle.
It was the beginning of a long and tortuous end for the proud marque, unless you count the continuing success of Land Rover/Range Rover, the profits from which had subsidised the rest of Leyland for so long.
Rover P8, clay and remaining damaged prototype.
http://www.aronline.co.uk/images/p8_04.jpg
http://autoshite.com/uploads/monthly_08_2014/post-17414-0-46777000-1407779529.jpg
Rover P9, sketch, clay, and prototype as tested by Motor magazine.
http://www.aronline.co.uk/images/p9_01.jpg
http://www.aronline.co.uk/blogs/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/p9_05.jpg
http://www.aronline.co.uk/images/p8_10.jpg
http://www.britishv8.org/Articles/Images-V15-3/RoverPR-X-B.jpg
The name lives on as part of one of Britain’s few manufacturing success stories