6-586: The Cadillac Cyclone is a concept car built in 1959 by Cadillac . The Cyclone was never mass-produced as a production model. It currently resides within the GM Heritage Collection . One of the last cars designed by Harley Earl , the Cyclone was a testbed for futuristic styling and technology. Built on a 104" wheelbase chassis , it featured a front-mounted 390in engine , rear-mounted automatic transaxle , and an all-wheel independent suspension. Uniquely,
12-422: A working drivetrain and accessories. The state of most concept cars lies somewhere in between and does not represent the final product. A very small proportion of concept cars are functional to any useful extent, and some cannot move safely at speeds above 10 miles per hour (16 km/h). Inoperative " mock-ups " are usually made of wax, clay, metal, fiberglass, plastic, or a combination thereof. If drivable,
18-400: The 1963–64 Cadillac range. Concept vehicle A concept car (also known as a concept vehicle or show vehicle ) is a car made to showcase new styling or new technology. Concept cars are often exhibited at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not be produced . General Motors designer Harley Earl is generally credited with inventing
24-453: The Cyclone's engine exhaust was ported out just ahead of the front wheels. It also featured a radar-operated collision avoidance system , with the radar sensors mounted in twin "nose-cones" on the front of the car. Of the Cyclone's stylistic features, the bubble top canopy was the most prominent. Silver coated for UV protection, the canopy automatically opened along with the sliding electrically operated doors. The canopy could also be stowed in
30-957: The concept car, and did much to popularize it through its traveling Motorama shows of the 1950s. Concept cars never go into production directly. In modern times, all would have to undergo many changes before the design is finalized for the sake of practicality, safety , regulatory compliance , and cost. A "production-intent" prototype , as opposed to a concept vehicle, serves this purpose. Concept cars are often radical in engine or design . Some use non-traditional, exotic, or expensive materials, ranging from paper to carbon fiber to refined alloys . Others have unique layouts , such as gullwing doors , three or five (or more) wheels , or special abilities not usually found on cars. Because of these often impractical or unprofitable leanings, many concept cars never get past scale models or even drawings in computer design . Other more traditional concepts can be developed into fully drivable (operational) vehicles with
36-556: The rear compartment, where it rested on a special air-bag base. The Cyclone's design was heavily inspired by the aviation and rocket designs of the 1950s. The original design of the Cyclone included larger tailfins (similar looking to the 1959 Cadillac lineup), adorned with the logo of the General Motors Air Transport Section (GMATS) . These fins were reduced in size in 1964 (and the GMATS logo removed) to look more like
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