Year:2005
Debut at Tokyo Motor Show
Production cost: $200,000*
The Nissan Pivo was a lithium-ion battery-powered vehicle designed with environmental conservation in mind. It made its public appearance in 2005 at the Tokyo Motor Show. The vehicle sported large doors, windows, windscreens, and A-pillars on either side of its windshield. The Pivo came with the Around View Monitor System, a project developed by Nissan that helps reduce blind spots.
The Pivo’s most remarkable feature was that it could rotate 360 degrees. The three-seater cabin had a chassis with four wheels, so there would be no need for reversing, as you could just spin around. Parking would also be a breeze with the Pivo, as it had three iterations.
Alfa Romeo BAT 5
Year:1953
Debut at Turin Auto Show
Production cost: $5 million*
Italian-made cars are known to make a statement both on the race track and on the city streets. Bertone-Alfa Romeo launched a series of aerodynamic vehicles called the BAT project. Manufacturers studied and applied aerodynamic principles in the design in order to create the BAT 5.
The front shape of the BAT 5 was designed to eliminate wind resistance and airflow disruption. Taking the laws of physics into mind in the BAT 5’s design allowed it to reach speeds of 120 miles per hour! Bertone designed the BAT 5 to be very light, weighing just 2,400 pounds while the engine was mounted as a standard, getting 100 horsepower. The windscreen and body of the car blended into the roof, which was almost flat, giving it the shape of a bullet.
Chevrolet Astro III
Year:1969
Debut at Chicago Motor Show
Production cost: $4,000*
The Chevrolet Astro III first turned heads at the Chicago Motor Show in 1969. The design was a sort of hybrid between a plane and automobile. It held a Type 250-C18 gas engine, which was manufactured by General Motors’ Allison Division. The gas turbine engine weighed just 139 pounds and got 317 horsepower. An interesting fact about the gas turbine engine is that it was produced to propel military and civilian helicopters!
The two-passenger, three-wheeled vehicle would have been unlike anything else on the road as it was designed to be a high-performance car that would only travel on restricted-access highways. Though it was an eye-popping design, the Chevy Astro III was just an experiment.
Tata AirPod
Year:2012
Debut at MDJ in Luxembourg
Production cost: $10,000*
Another environmentally-friendly design was created by Tata Motors. The AirPod concept car was designed to be a zero-pollution car. Although the air compression design wasn’t very new, the vehicle used compressed air to power it.
The air compression theory first became a concept in 1840, when two French designers experimented with it in vehicle design. Now, nearly two centuries later, air compression cars are still in development, and they even have their own political lobby, called the Air Car Lobby!
Buick Y-Job
Year:1938
Debut at: Henry Ford Museum
Production cost: $109,000*
The Buick Y-Job is unique in that it is considered to be the very first concept car. The Y-Job was a convertible with two-doors and a 5.2-liter Buick straight-eight engine. It also had a wheelbase of 126 inches and was designed by Harley Earl. In addition, it had sleek, discrete features like hidden, power-operated hood lamps and electric windows (which were quite avant-garde at the time).
The Y-Job displayed a gunsight hood ornament, flush door handles, and wrap-around bumpers. Though it sadly wasn’t mass-produced the Y-Job had design features that are still used by car manufacturers today, such as the vertical waterfall grille.