Slideshow: Milestones of Car Conception

Today, it is virtually impossible to imagine any major event of the automobile industry without the presence of a show-stopping concept car. Used by the industry to present the latest technological innovations, new styling ideas and future visions, they have become an important tool to measure the public reaction to development ideas thought up behind closed doors. This measure then provides the basis to make the production decisions.

The concept car itself is not built to be mass-produced and some might never get past scale models or drawings. In order to meet the practical demands of customers in terms of usability, safety and cost, a concept car will be subject to significant modifications before entering mass production.

Some prototypes hence vanish after just on public appearance, while others may leave their imprint on whole generations of cars. This week we will introduce to you some of the most famous concept cars ever conceived:

The 1938 Buick Y-Job - First concept car

The Buick Y-Job is widely recognized as the automotive industry's first concept car. At the time, GM wanted to test consumer reaction to innovative design ideas, as Buick models of the late 1920s had received some criticism and consequently suffered a drop in sales. Hence, Harley Earl, Vice Chief Designer at Buick, conceived the concept car as perfect testing ground.

BMW GINA Light Visionary Model - Fabric skinned concept car by Chris Bangle

All ideas that the GINA Light Visionary Model presents are derived from the needs and demands of customers concerning the aesthetic and functional characteristics of their car and their desire to express individuality and lifestyle. The GINA Light Visionary Model has an almost seamless outer skin, a flexible textile cover that stretches across a moveable substructure. Individual functions are only revealed if and when they are needed. With this model, BMW Group Design initiated a discourse about the characteristics that will affect the development of cars in the future. It is therefore different from concept cars, which reflect what is expected of them by implementing as many elements as possible in a future production model.

Volvo YCC (Your Concept Car) - The first car entirely developed by women

The YCC is the first car entirely designed by women. At the time, Volvo was targeting explicitly the independent, professional female customer, which makes up a large share of the company’s customer base. Hence, the team was faced with a number of design challenges particular to female customers: smart storage solutions, easy access, good visibility, personalisation options, minimal maintenance and easy parking. But not only smart marketing was behind the YCC project, but also the fact that female customers in the premium segment are considered the most demanding customers of all. Designing a concept under these terms meant recognizing the increasing market power and particularity of female customers as well as giving credit to their professional achievements in an industry so far dominated by men.

Chevrolet Volt Concept Car - Pioneering the plug-in hybrid vehicles

The Chevrolet Volt concept car presented in 2007, was remarkable for being one of the first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle concept cars. The move into electric vehicles by General Motors meant a significant step for the American car industry away from their typical gasoline guzzlers. The 2007 Volt Concept became also example for a concept car being translated into a production vehicle, which is reaching the markets at this time.

The Alfa Romeo BAT (Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica) - Aerodynamic Experiments

In the 1950s Alfa Romeo, in cooperation with the Italian design studio Bertone, presented three concept cars which were purely dedicated to the optimization of aerodynamics. The first car - BAT 5 - was presented in 1953, the two others BAT 7 and BAT 9 in the following years. All made their first appearance at the Turin Auto Show. With the cars, Alfa Romeo intended to research the effects of drag on a vehicle and to create vehicles with the lowest possible drag coefficient. The result was three cars of extraordinary design and light weight which achieved an outstanding drag coefficient of 0.19 - even by today’s standard. The four-cylinder engines produced more then 90hp (67 kW) and a top speed of 201 Km/h (125 mph). In 2008 Alfa Romeo built a concept car named BAT 11, which is a contemporary interpretation of its three iconic ancestors.

The Cadillac Sixteen - The right concept at the wrong time

The Cadillac Sixteen was greeted with applause when presented to the public in 2003. Designers inspired themselves in the famous Cadillac V-16 from the 1930s and the 1967 Eldorado, and combined it with the contemporary Cadillac design language called "Art and Science". Despite the positive public response, the Sixteen never went into production due to the unfavourable economic climate. However, the traces of the concept are to be found all over the following generation of Cadillac’s models.

Lamborghini Sexto Elemento - Th Carbon Fiber Generation

The Sesto Elemento is a concept car that was unveiled at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. With this study vehicle Lamborghini seems to be redefining the future of the super sports car with a unique technology demonstrator. The extremely light Sesto Elemento benefits from the advanced carbon-fiber technology to have an overall curb weight of just 999 kilograms, including V10 power unit and permanent all-wheel drive. In a unique demonstration of the technological expertise of Automobili Lamborghini, the brand is using for the first time in an automotive application some innovative carbon-fiber technologies. The Sesto Elemento receives its name from the periodic table, where carbon is classified as the sixth element. The car demonstrates the worldwide leading expertise of Lamborghini in carbon-fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) technology.