It's a long time ago now, but 1970s era car builders were designing some bold lines as
they worked to develop those crazy concept vehicles which now seem rather commonplace
in cars of today.
Here are some of the best and the worst.
I'm Glenn, come along for the ride!
Number Fifteen
This wildly streamlined, one of a kind concept vehicle is actually street legal and features
power from a 310 horsepower, 4.7 liter V-8.
The body is a sharply designed wedge with lots of glass and a relaxed seating position.
It also featured a unique steering wheel with a gauge cluster inside.
Number Fourteen
This delightful little Toyota concept car featured some very quirky features such as
an asymmetric gullwing luggage door in the rear and a pointed snub nose on the front.
It had a 2 liter, 4 cylinder engine with 97 horsepower.
Ahead of its time, it also had four-wheel disc brakes and a fully independent suspension.
Number Thirteen
The Kar-a-Sutra was built in 1972 by Mario Bellini in collaboration with Citroen and
Pirelli.
Other designers say Bellini always had the cultural dimension of design and architecture
clear and saw himself as a designer interested in the new organization of the world as a
whole, someone who designs "like an architect."
Number Twelve
With no thought of putting this car into production, the Rainbow was for Bertone and Ferrari an
experiment in unconventional styling.
First shown in the 1976 Turin Motor Show, its advanced features included a retractable
hardtop that is stored behind the seats.
Thirty-five years later, Ferrari included a retractable top in its model 458 Spider.
Number Eleven
The Hai 450, shown at the 1970 Geneva Motorshow, featured a 450 horsepower Chrysler Hemi engine.
This mid-engined supercar was rather compact and had a short wheelbase and wide footprint.
It also inspired a similar Monteverdi model, the GTS in 1973, which had a longer wheelbase
and was powered by a Chrysler 440 engine.
Number Ten
This car, designed and built by Michelotti in 1971, was housed over the chassis of the
French-made mid-engine sports car Matra M530.
Looking similar to the prevalent wedge-shaped concept cars of the '70s, this French designed
and built concept had the wedge but had smoother outlines that previewed the look of many vehicles
of today.
Number Nine
This concept car, debuting at the 1972 Brussels Motor Show, featured a forward tilting roof
and windows instead of doors.
The vehicle, powered by a 1147cc engine, had a top speed of 130 miles per hour.
I'm Allie, and it's Minds Eye Trivia time.
By looking at just these images, do you know what this is and where it's from?
Leave the correct answer or your best guess in the comment section below.
Number Eight
This one-of-a-kind Aston Martin Bulldog was initially designed to achieve the distinction
as the fastest production car in the world.
Its low profile angular wedge shape had five center-mounted, hidden headlights as well
as gullwing doors.
It features a 5.3 liter V8 with twin turbochargers that produce 600 horsepower.
It’s fastest speed was verified at 192 miles per hour.
Number Seven
Another concept vehicle with an aerodynamic style and sharp lines was the 1978 Lancia
Sibilo.
Its polycarbonate windows didn't roll down, but it had circular holes that slid open,
and had one large windshield wiper.
Smoothly shaped from hand-beaten steel with the windows blending into the overall shape,
the car had a mid-mounted 2.4 liter Dino V6 and a 5-speed manual transmission.
Number Six
This ground-hugging concept car by Alfa-Romeo, and designed by Bertone exchanged smoothed
out edges for striking sharp ones.
The body had a distinct wedge shape.
Using aerodynamics, it also had active spoilers and an adjustable wing.
The car featured a 2-liter, V8 engine with 227 horsepower mounted in the middle of the
vehicle.
It also featured hidden headlights and was rear-wheel drive.
Number Five
Mercedes Benz also had their concept car of the '70s.
This third version of the C111, built to break world records, first had a Wankel engine.
The later version had a turbo diesel engine, which helped it to win nine absolute world
records in the late 1970s with the five-cylinder diesel under the hood.
It had 230 horsepower and had a top speed of more than 186 miles per hour.
Number Four
This handsome BMW Turbo was the company’s first-ever concept car.
Its sleek lines are wrapped around a mid-mounted turbocharged four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine
with 200 horsepower.
It featured a rear-wheel drive with a top speed of 155 miles per hour.
Most interesting is that it featured an old version of today's active cruise control,
as it had radar and warned the driver of close vehicles ahead.
Number Three
This vehicle may look mighty powerful, but this concept featured an 86 horsepower four-cylinder
engine.
The driver likely got very hot because of its large glass canopy windshield, which incorporates
the doors.
The rising pillars formed a roll bar in the rear of the car and also acted as a spoiler.
Two small windows on the doors provided ventilation inside the vehicle.
It also had hidden pop-up headlights, and a dashboard designed similar to today's vehicles.
Number Two
The company attempting to sell this "Dale" was the Twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation,
a company started by con-artist Geraldine Elizabeth Carmichael.
The company preyed on potential customers as they claimed the car would get 70 miles
per gallon, and it would sell for $2,000.
It was supposed to be powered by a BMW two-cylinder motorcycle engine with 40 horsepower and would
travel up to 85 miles per hour.
There were only two prototypes built, and only one could run on its own.
Looking like KITT from the 80's TV show Knight Rider, this Nissan concept car debuted in
1970.
Featuring a rear-mounted 6-cylinder, 3-liter engine with 4-wheel drive, it could seat four
persons in a relaxed position and had a forward-tilting cockpit canopy.
Colored lights were along the middle of the hood.
Number One
This sleek 1970 Ferrari 512S Modulo body was a futuristic styling exercise, attached to
a chassis, housing a rear mid-Ferrari 5-liter, V12 engine.
The vehicle threw out traditional styling and construction techniques in favor of futuristic
ideas.
Ferrari said it produced 550 horsepower at 8,500 rpm and claimed a maximum speed of 223
miles per hour.