From the P.T. Barnum like excesses of the Motoramas in the fifties, to today’s flights of fancy presented in Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York, the American Show Car has for decades provided fodder for car enthusiasts and common folk alike. Unhindered by the boundaries of either bean counter or government regulation, show cars let auto companies stretch their skills and imaginations. Some, like Dodge’s Viper or Ford’s GT are so viscerally compelling that they make the leap from dais to dealer, but those are the rare exceptions.

Many a car show queen has thrilled show goers, only to then be ignominiously relegated to a dank warehouse, or worse, the scarp heap. It’s remarkable how many Motorama cars are today lost because of poor forethought by their creators. But perhaps that makes them all the more desirable, as they are now completely out of reach, instead of just separated by a velvet rope from those who fantasize about driving them.

Considering the panoply of concept and flat-out show cars built and displayed by American car makers, which do you think is the greatest? Do you lean toward classics like the Buick Y-job? Or, does your heart lie with something a little more modern, like the above AMX-3? What do you think was America’s greatest show car?

Image source: eevac