Why Concept Cars Almost Never Make It To Mass Production?

  • Sep 7, 2016
  • Views : 3938
  • 4 min read

  • bookmark

Several reasons account for this gimmick that nearly all the automakers make use of across the globe.

Mercedes-Benz G Force Concept

We come across some amazing designs with futuristic technology on almost all auto show platforms throughout the world but we never really see them become available to the masses. It isn’t even a part of any modern marketing technique either. The world has observed this over several decades, stretching back to the 1950s. To explain the point further, let’s look at some of the outrageous concept cars that were showcased to the world over the years but weren’t put into mass production.

Ford Nucleon Concept

In 1958, American automaker Ford conceptualised the future of automotive industry with its Nucleon concept car. Taking lead from an American submarine Ford’s engineers imagined that the car will be powered by a miniature version of an atomic reactor. Nerd moment: It would use uranium fission to heat a steam generator - a setup that would eventually heat up the stored water into high-pressure steam that would be used to power a turbine to get the car moving. This technology, Ford reckoned, would enable the car to run for 5,000 miles (8,067km) before it required any charging for the fission reaction taking place under the hood. Unfortunately, this technology was never put into production because of the obvious safety issues concerning the atomic reaction.

Toyota Century

Any guesses with what car did Toyota showcase the hybrid drivetrain technology? Nope, it wasn’t with the Prius. Toyota developed a concept car in 1975 during the Tokyo Motor Show and it was called the “Century Hybrid.” It was based on the Century sedan which was first released in 1967. Toyota never brought the hybrid technology to the market at that time but showcased the same setup in several other versions of concepts during auto shows in the following years. Launched in 1993, the Prius was the first car by Toyota that actually inherited the hybrid drivetrain setup.

General Motors Hy-Wire
Get latest updates on
the automobile community
Login Now

Then there was a hydrogen-powered concept car made by General Motors in 2002. It was called the Hy-Wire and was the first concept car that was powered by hydrogen fuel cells and was capable of generating its own electricity on-board. Moreover, it was the first car to showcase the advantages of a full-electric car setup wherein no mechanical linkages are required between the drivetrain and the controls. Although hydrogen powered cars do make the headlines every now and then, the Hy-Wire never made it to the production line.

So why do automotive brands spend millions of dollars in developing state-of-the-art technologies and extravagant designs just to show off? Well, there is a lot more to it than just showcasing how creative the engineers can be when left alone without any constraints.

Hyundai Carlino Concept

Image: Many carmakers launch new cars during auto shows around the world and usually a concept car of some sort. Since several manufacturers utilise the same platform to launch new cars, a concept car makes for a publicity stunt for some. Manufacturers hope that customers will see the concept and change the perception of the brand itself. For instance, an automotive brand who sees its future as a sports carmaker would showcase a futuristic take on how a sports car of the future will look like.

Showcasing Technology: Like the examples we ran through earlier, many carmakers show off the kind of technology that they are working on. Some even put up demonstrations for customers to show how the technology will help if integrated into our daily cars. For example, to showcase a hydrogen storage system on a car that increases the range multi-folds on a full tank is something that people will take notice of over a normal PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) on display.

Future Plans: A concept car is also designed to gauge whether the shoppers would want to buy one if it were put on sale. Although it doesn’t happen frequently but we’ve seen some concept cars getting through the initial stage onto the mass production line. A perfect example is the Dodge Viper, which was originally shown in a concept form in the late 1980s. Chrysler, Dodge’s parent company, didn’t plan to build the Viper but kept the possibility open if demand was strong enough. And that’s exactly what crept in as Dodge saw an exceptional demand for the Viper’s concept.

Mercedes-Benz Gran Turismo Concept

In truth, most of the concept cars that we’ve seen till date are either too impractical to fit in our daily lives or too futuristic to gel in with the current infrastructure setup. But no one at the show cares about the tedious aspects of practicality or feasibility of concepts on display. Ask any car enthusiast and that person might mess up the list of new cars launched during a motor show but will vividly remember the names of all the concept cars which were part of the same show.

The next time you visit a motor show, your soul will be prepared - do not fall in love with any of the concept cars on show as almost none of them will make it to the production line, at least not anytime soon. It is just a marketing gimmick that the automaker has used to quantify its craftsmanship.

See what our community has to say! NEW

India's largest automotive community

Explore Now
comminity image
×
Recently Visited
Select Category