What cars will look like in the future
06/21/2025
In 1979, Toyota presented a prototype at the Tokyo Motor Show that aimed to be nothing less than "The Shape of Cars to Come", i.e. an anticipation of future body shapes.
The car was to be aerodynamic, compact, economical and chic all at the same time. According to Toyota, this is what city cars of the future should look like. This also included a fully digital cockpit, an automatic transmission and optimum use of space.
Well, what we can say today is that the design didn't catch on, but some aspects of the prototype may have made it into series production a long time ago.
At 353 cm long, 155 cm wide and 124.5 cm high, the FCX 80 was both compact and relatively flat - even a Fiat 500 is much higher today.
In the press release, Toyota wrote at the time:
"The panoramic windshield, side and rear windows provide an almost uninterrupted view, with additional glass areas on the sides below shoulder height.The headlights are mounted in a wide "console" above the hood, but below the driver's line of sight, collision-proof behind the front of the car. Deep front and rear bumpers protect the car from low-speed impacts.In the city, drivers need to be able to get in and out easily when there is limited space next to the car. That's why the FCX 80 has doors that tilt when opened, leaving more room at the top where people are widest.The widest driver and passenger can make themselves comfortable on seats suspended in large-diameter tubular frames with independently adjustable backrests and headrests."
Yes, Toyota had already thought about a lot of things and some of them would still be welcome today, it wouldn't have to look so "bulky".
The final remark in the press release from 1980 is also interesting:
"When the production vehicles will look like the FCX 80 is a question that the Toyota planners don't want to answer. But it's a safe bet that Toyota, with the world's most congested roads on its doorstep, will be at the forefront of production when city cars become a reality."
P.S. Photos of this car and the brochure can of course be found in the Zwischengas archive.
