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10 Concept Cars That Were Oddly Prophetic

Some concept cars are pretty unrealistic. Other concept models, though, are just a bit too ahead of their time.

By Ossiana TepfenhartPublished 6 years ago 5 min read
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When car companies decide to flex their muscles, they do it by creating unique cars that display the latest design and tech concepts of the time. These creations are called concept cars, and they are the pride and joy of an auto show.

Most of the time, these are one-off designs that are made specially for the Detroit Auto Show or to point out the efficacy of certain high performance parts. Despite the intentions, once in a while, you'll see a concept vehicle make it to production.

Though we often see many cars make it to production lines, the truth is that the ones that are really trailblazers almost never are the ones picked to hit dealership lots.

Over the years, there were some concept vehicles that were way ahead of their time, and actually predicted what cars of the future would be like. Here are some of the most realistic.

The Ford Comuta

When this car was debuted at auto shows in 1967, people laughed. Laugh as they may, this car was very unique. This funky, little car-box-thing that had one very big distinction: it ran on four 12-Volt batteries!

Though it only had a driving range of 37 miles before it needed a reload, the Ford Comuta was definitely prescient about the rise of electric cars in the 2010s. Its modern-day counterpart, the Nissan LEAF, gets way better stats.

The car itself didn't go past 40 miles per hour, and was definitely not viable as a commuter car. Even so, you have to admit that predicting electric vehicles 50 years before they happen is really impressive.

If there was ever a time when car enthusiasts could drool over concept cars, it was the 1970s. This era has some of the most visually stunning cars in existence, and truth be told, this car might be the best example of the "Disco Spaceship" aesthetic that took hold in the early 70s.

This concept came from the now-struggling brand known as Lancia, while they were trying to show how low to the ground they could make a car. This slick machine's unique wedge shape was considered to be overkill for the 70s sports car market.

The Lancia currently will never be made, despite it being a concept car many gearheads wish made it to production. Nowadays, its descendants carry incredibly similar designs. Don't believe it? Take a look at the Lamborghini Huracan.

The Buick Century Cruiser

As far as concept cars go, a lot of the models you'll see have a certain "futuristic" look to them. Such is the case with the 1969 Buick Century Cruiser concept model. That, in and of itself, isn't too unusual.

However, it takes a real gem of an engineer to be able to create a car that has enough foresight to predict technology that would only become common 50 years later. That's what makes the Century Cruiser a really rare find.

You're probably wondering what this unique prototype was able to predict. Shocking as it may be to hear, the 1969 Century Cruiser is the first car to include hands-free phone dialing as part of its package. Considering the cordless phone concept wasn't even initiated until 1963, we're pretty impressed.

The Ford La Galaxy

Another oddly prophetic concept model to hit car shows is the Ford La Galaxy. When it was revealed in 1958, the beautiful car didn't look too different from many of the other large-size cruisers that hit dealership lots.

However, this one had one feature that definitely shows some serious future vision. The Ford La Galaxy was the first car ever made to have a proximity warning system involved in it. Considering that most cars don't have proximity warning systems today, it's safe to say there was a lot of foresight here.

The Buick Centurion

Speaking of proximity warning systems, did you know that the idea of having cars with backup cameras is even older than the Ford La Galaxy? The 1956 Buick Centurion marked the start of concept cars that had fully functional backup cameras.

How they managed to do that with tech from the 50s, we honestly don't know. That's part of what makes the Centurion so impressive.

The Suzuki Constellation

Though it's really hard to imagine now, there was a time when crossover cars didn't exist. You either had a car or an SUV. The first crossover cars really started to show up on dealership lots in the mid-90s.

However, back in 1989, the Suzuki Constellation managed to be the first of a long line of crossover concept cars. Its body shape is undeniably a concept car. Unfortunately, it was way before its time and was promptly dismissed as "awkward."

We like to believe Suzuki had the last laugh here.

This is one of the very few concept cars to make it to production despite it being extremely advanced in technology. The exterior of the 1986 Buick Rivera isn't remarkable, nor is the seating or engine.

It was the Buick Rivera's touchscreen dashboard with LCD lighting that made heads turn and jaws drop. Even though the Rivera was known for having tech issues, the car was impressively ahead of its time.

The Stout Scarab

During the early days of mass-produced cars, small-scale car manufacturers had a lot of competition to discuss. Created by aviation engineer William Bushell Stout, the Stout Scarab was one of the first concept cars to involve more than four seats and aerodynamic design.

Though it's one of the weirdest concept cars of all time, the Stout Scarab is the precursor to the minivan. Considering that the Scarab was created in 1936, that's a pretty serious amount of prescience.

The GMC L'Universelle

Back during the 50s and 60s, General Motors would host their own showcase of concept cars called the Motorama. Each car that entered was called a "Dream Car" and had the chance to become a car that would hit dealership lots the next year.

Released as a concept in the 1950s, the GMC L'Universelle was the first Dream Car to really embody the classic 60s van style that would later become ubiquitous. Shockingly, it didn't get picked up by General Motors when it was debuted.

The L'Universelle ended up being an excellent example of how a great idea can happen at the wrong time and end up being too early to be fully appreciated.

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About the Creator

Ossiana Tepfenhart

Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer based out of New Jersey. This is her work account. She loves gifts and tips, so if you like something, tip her!

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