Curbside Classic Archives
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American Brands: GM 
American Brands: Ford 
American Brands: Chrysler 
American Brands: AMC, Jeep and All Others 
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UK Brands 
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Cars Of A Lifetime & Auto-Biography 
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Trucks, Pickups and Vans 
Design 
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Motorcycles, Trikes, Bicycles 
Engines, Transmissions and other Tech 
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RVs, Motorhomes, Trailers, Campers Privacy
Concept Car Archive
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1956 Buick Centurion – Motorama’s Vision Of A Future Without Rearview Mirrors
Posted on August 26, 2025 | 24 CommentsWhen did our conceptions of the future become terrifying? Dystopian fiction had been warning us about the dangers of technology for decades by the time General Motors introduced the fantastic […] -
Concept Classic: 1960 Plymouth XNR – Exner’s Hot Slant-Six Corvette Fighter That Almost Got Built
Posted on March 11, 2024 | 51 Comments(first posted 8/3/2013) Virgil Exner’s disappointment over his 1955 Chrysler Falcon two-seater not being green-lighted for production was deep and lasting. He loved sports cars, and was an enthusiastic and […] -
Concept Classic: 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne (XP-37)- Chuck Jordan’s Motorama-mobile Had A Better Rear End Than Front End
Posted on October 21, 2023 | 85 Comments(first posted 10/21/2017) GM’s 1950s Motorama-mobiles were mostly pretty out-there, with flamboyant fins, rocket-inspired skegs and cockpits, and other flights of wild imagination. Frankly, many of them […] -
Concept Classic: Studebaker Sceptre – The Thunderbird From South Bend
Posted on October 16, 2023 | 90 Comments(First posted 4/16/2013. This post includes some excellent commentary and insight into the situation at Studebaker regarding the Sceptre and other plans during these final years from Studebaker historian Rob […] -
CC Museum Visit: Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles – Detroit Dream Cars and Automotive Icons
Posted on September 1, 2023 | 17 CommentsIf there’s a city meant to have a large temple devoted to automotive history, that is car-crazy Los Angeles. And that obligatory shrine is none other than the Petersen Automotive […] -
Vintage What If? 1954 Packard Panther – No, It’s Real, Not AI-Generated, And Powered By A Supercharged Flathead Straight Eight
Posted on May 17, 2023 | 24 CommentsI would not blame you for thinking this was an AI-generated image, as it’s a bit hard to imagine that front end being “real”. But real it is; all too […] -
Concept Classic (And Video): Datsun 240Z Design Proposal: Just One Milestone Of A Long Process
Posted on September 17, 2022 | 20 Comments(first posted 4/12/2013) The revolutionary Datsun 240Z (CC here) had a long and somewhat tortuous development process. Albrecht Goertz was a consultant to Nissan, and the results of his early […] -
Design Milestone: Raymond Loewy’s 1957 BMW 507 Coupe – Ahead Of Its Time In At Least One Key Way
Posted on August 28, 2021 | 46 CommentsI’ve seen pictures before of Loewy’s BMW 507 Coupe that he designed and had built for himself, but they were invariably in profile or from the rear. When I came […] -
GM’s 1949 Corsair – A Tatra-Style Rear Engine Streamliner Ten Years Before The Corvair
Posted on April 26, 2021 | 8 CommentsThe rear engine Corvair wasn’t exactly GM’s first foray into the mysteries of rear engine cars. There were a number of experiments, and the 1949 Corsair concept, although only a […] -
Concept Classic: The 1961 Chevy Impala Coupe That Wasn’t
Posted on May 31, 2020 | 24 CommentsI hadn’t seen this ’61 Chevy Impala clay before, and it’s quite intriguing. The front end is just like how it ended up, but from the middle back, it’s a […] -
craigslist Find: 1989 Mercury Sable Two Door Convertible Concept – A Fantasy That Would Never Become A Reality, Thanks To The Mustang
Posted on March 21, 2018 | 44 CommentsWill we ever see a modern two door car in Ford’s lineup not named Mustang? Probably not, especially considering the current sales plight of the four door sedan. Thirty years […] -
The Mystery Concept Is More Mysterious Than Ever – We May Never Know Exactly What It Is
Posted on October 17, 2017 | 93 CommentsWe’re such suckers! Here we thought we had this 1976 GM Mystery Concept all figured out. I accepted Jim Cavanaugh’s rational deduction/guess of a design concept for the upcoming gen2 […] -
Concept QOTD: Is It A Big Golf Cart or Something To Drive To The Golf Course?
Posted on October 14, 2017 | 29 CommentsThe setting is GM’s Design Center, almost certainly. The Chevy concept is a clay (or possibly fiberglass), based on the rigid supports visible under the body. Its rear quarter evokes […] -
Concept Outtake: 1979 Chevrolet Nomad II – GM Shoulda Woulda Coulda Been the FWD Minivan Pioneer
Posted on October 13, 2017 | 91 CommentsIf GM could redo its history, here’s one of very many decisions they’d undoubtedly do differently: to not put this FWD X Car-based minivan concept into production in 1980, a […] -
Concept Outake: How The ’61 Continental Influenced the 1964 Mustang’s Styling
Posted on October 12, 2017 | 15 CommentsSince we’re on the subject of Mustangs, and their design influence, let’s go back to 1962 or so, and see how the design development program for it changed rather abruptly […]
![1956 Buick Centurion – Motorama’s Vision Of A Future Without Rearview Mirrors When did our conceptions of the future become terrifying? Dystopian fiction had been warning us about the dangers of technology for decades by the time General Motors introduced the fantastic […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/PXL_20240622_172938718.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Concept Classic: 1960 Plymouth XNR – Exner’s Hot Slant-Six Corvette Fighter That Almost Got Built (first posted 8/3/2013) Virgil Exner’s disappointment over his 1955 Chrysler Falcon two-seater not being green-lighted for production was deep and lasting. He loved sports cars, and was an enthusiastic and […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Exner-XNR-concept-profile-1024x640.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Concept Classic: 1955 Chevrolet Biscayne (XP-37)- Chuck Jordan’s Motorama-mobile Had A Better Rear End Than Front End (first posted 10/21/2017) GM’s 1950s Motorama-mobiles were mostly pretty out-there, with flamboyant fins, rocket-inspired skegs and cockpits, and other flights of wild imagination. Frankly, many of them […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Chevrolet-1955-Biscayne-.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Concept Classic: Studebaker Sceptre – The Thunderbird From South Bend (First posted 4/16/2013. This post includes some excellent commentary and insight into the situation at Studebaker regarding the Sceptre and other plans during these final years from Studebaker historian Rob […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Studebaker-Sceptre-fq.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![CC Museum Visit: Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles – Detroit Dream Cars and Automotive Icons If there’s a city meant to have a large temple devoted to automotive history, that is car-crazy Los Angeles. And that obligatory shrine is none other than the Petersen Automotive […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/IMG_1934.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Vintage What If? 1954 Packard Panther – No, It’s Real, Not AI-Generated, And Powered By A Supercharged Flathead Straight Eight I would not blame you for thinking this was an AI-generated image, as it’s a bit hard to imagine that front end being “real”. But real it is; all too […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1954_Packard_PantherDaytonaRoadster2.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Concept Classic (And Video): Datsun 240Z Design Proposal: Just One Milestone Of A Long Process (first posted 4/12/2013) The revolutionary Datsun 240Z (CC here) had a long and somewhat tortuous development process. Albrecht Goertz was a consultant to Nissan, and the results of his early […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Datsun-240Z-proposal-1.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Design Milestone: Raymond Loewy’s 1957 BMW 507 Coupe – Ahead Of Its Time In At Least One Key Way I’ve seen pictures before of Loewy’s BMW 507 Coupe that he designed and had built for himself, but they were invariably in profile or from the rear. When I came […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Loewy-507-f.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![GM’s 1949 Corsair – A Tatra-Style Rear Engine Streamliner Ten Years Before The Corvair The rear engine Corvair wasn’t exactly GM’s first foray into the mysteries of rear engine cars. There were a number of experiments, and the 1949 Corsair concept, although only a […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GM-Corsair-top.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Concept Classic: The 1961 Chevy Impala Coupe That Wasn’t I hadn’t seen this ’61 Chevy Impala clay before, and it’s quite intriguing. The front end is just like how it ended up, but from the middle back, it’s a […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/chevrolet-1961-impala-concept.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![craigslist Find: 1989 Mercury Sable Two Door Convertible Concept – A Fantasy That Would Never Become A Reality, Thanks To The Mustang Will we ever see a modern two door car in Ford’s lineup not named Mustang? Probably not, especially considering the current sales plight of the four door sedan. Thirty years […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/00E0E_go1HOZLLCBm_1200x900.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![The Mystery Concept Is More Mysterious Than Ever – We May Never Know Exactly What It Is We’re such suckers! Here we thought we had this 1976 GM Mystery Concept all figured out. I accepted Jim Cavanaugh’s rational deduction/guess of a design concept for the upcoming gen2 […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/GM3.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Concept QOTD: Is It A Big Golf Cart or Something To Drive To The Golf Course? The setting is GM’s Design Center, almost certainly. The Chevy concept is a clay (or possibly fiberglass), based on the rigid supports visible under the body. Its rear quarter evokes […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Chevy-II-concept-1962-perhaps.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Concept Outtake: 1979 Chevrolet Nomad II – GM Shoulda Woulda Coulda Been the FWD Minivan Pioneer If GM could redo its history, here’s one of very many decisions they’d undoubtedly do differently: to not put this FWD X Car-based minivan concept into production in 1980, a […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Chevrolet-1979-Nomad-_II_Concept_Minivan.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)
![Concept Outake: How The ’61 Continental Influenced the 1964 Mustang’s Styling Since we’re on the subject of Mustangs, and their design influence, let’s go back to 1962 or so, and see how the design development program for it changed rather abruptly […]](https://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Mustang-1962-Allegro-Design-Study-17-Ford-Mustang-Concepts.jpg?resize=115%2C115&quality=75&ssl=1)


