The craziest concept cars ever made
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The whole point of the concept car is to push the boundaries of design and technology.
But sometimes a car maker or design house doesn’t know when to stop. These are the concept cars that were so over the top that they were never going to reach the road in any form.
Some have gone on to become legends but most were quickly forgotten – which is the best thing that could have happened to them. Let's take a look:
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Bertone BAT3/5/7 (1953)
Bertone created not one but three separate BAT concepts between 1953 and 1955. Designed to explore the possibilities of aerodynamic design, the clue was in the name – BAT stood for Berlinetta Aerodinamica Tecnica. At a time when roads were full of designs dating from before the Second World War, these machines must have looked like spacecraft from Mars. PICTURE: BAT 3
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Ghia Selene (1960)
Ghia claimed this was the type of car that we’d all be driving within a decade. Thankfully that never came to pass. Designed by Tom Tjaarda (1934-2017), in this picture the rear-engined Selene is facing to the left.
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Ghia Selene Seconda (1962)
Despite its weirdness, the first Selene made a big impression, and not for just the wrong reasons. As a result Tjaarda was let loose to come up with a sequel. Looking like something out of The Jetsons, the Selene Seconda was also rear-engined and like its predecessor it featured rear-facing back seats.
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Bertone Carabo (1968)
One of the all-time great concepts, the Carabo was based on the Alfa Romeo 33 racer, which meant it packed a V8 in the middle. It also featured coloured glass and butterfly doors, while also being seriously aerodynamic.
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Chevrolet Astro III (1969)
If you’re starting with a clean sheet to design a car, the obvious thing to do is to get the wheel layout spot on, not just close. Nobody told GM's designers though; they put the Astro III's two front wheels next to each other so it looked like a three-wheeler, massively compromising stability. But just look at it!
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Bertone Stratos Zero (1970)
Another turning point in car design, this wasn't the last word in practicality but it pushed the
