Topic channel
Historic Concept Cars
About this topic channel
The "Concept Cars" channel on Zwischengas showcases visionary studies, prototypes, and design icons that were often far ahead of their time. From spectacular one-offs to the origins of legendary production models, you will find in-depth vehicle portraits and exclusive archival footage here.
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Bugatti EB112 - slowed down too early?
The modern Bugatti has the engine in front of the rear axle. This has been the case since the early nineties and applies to series production vehicles. But as early as 1993, a four-door saloon with a front mid-engine was shown at the Geneva Motor Show, which almost went into production. But it was not to be. The successors, of which there were several, were also unsuccessful. This report tells the story of the Bugatti EB 112.
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Mercedes-Benz K-55 – The charmer that escaped Mercedes
Madness or a viable vision? Sixty years ago Daimler-Benz authorized brilliant engineer Béla Barényi to design and build the “everyday car of tomorrow.” Regrettably it was realized only as a beguiling prototype.
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A car like a speedboat - the design origins of the new Bertone Runabout
On January 29, the new Bertone Runabout was unveiled at the Rétromobile 2026. Let's take a look at the origins and heritage of Bertone's latest model.
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The Glas GT four-seater - Pietro Frua's lost study
At the 1965 Geneva Motor Show, Pietro Frua presented a one-off that would certainly have appealed to both social and sporty Glas drivers, but which never made it into series production. Frua took on the development of the presumably lost prototype at his own risk ...
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Vauxhall SRV (1970) - The concept car for the much-cited "15 Minutes of Fame"
Who knows the Vauxhall brand? On the European continent, the British offshoot of what was once the world's largest car manufacturer, General Motors, was not very well known. The car, which was presented in London in the fall of 1970 and in Geneva in the spring of 1971, looked like nothing else the British volume manufacturer had ever produced under the umbrella of General Motors - and caused a stir even where the brand was completely unknown.
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Audi Avus Quattro - All theory is silver
The Audi Avus Quattro was more sculpture than sports car, yet its name paid homage to a glorious motorsport past. At its presentation, it was the sensation of the Tokyo Motor Show. Who cared that the "Vorsprung durch Technik" only existed on paper?
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Bertone Kayak - Booted out
With the Kayak, Bertone wanted to return the Fiat subsidiary Lancia, which was slowly drifting into arbitrariness, to its former glory. The technology and design language were deliberately kept close to series production so that the coupé version of the Lancia Kappa could go into production. However, Lancia ultimately preferred its own design.
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Chevrolet Astro II - Ahead of its time and almost forgotten
When Ford hinted that it wanted to bring a mid-engined Corvette competitor onto the market, Chevrolet had to react. The XP-880 was then created in the research department under Frank Winchell, and in 1968, as the Chevrolet Astro II, it was to show the future of the Corvette. But only a short time later, the need for a mid-engined Chevrolet disappeared along with the competition.
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Jaguar XJ Spider Pininfarina (1978) - The alternative offer
The name is deceptive; it was not the XJ but the XJ-S grand tourer based on it that served the Turin-based company as the basis for a roadster designed for safety at the time. As an alternative to the underperforming XJ-S, the car might have had a chance, but Jaguar lacked the will - and the money.
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Opel GT 2 - Door wedge
As if its futuristic shape wasn't sensational enough, the Opel GT 2 was particularly astonishing at the end of 1975 because of its doors - they did not fold to the side, forwards or upwards. Although many longed for the successor to the Opel GT, the yellow wedge remained a one-off test vehicle.
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Lotus Etna - the Esprit successor that wasn't meant to be
In 1984, Lotus presented a possible successor to the Esprit called the Etna, which, with its newly developed V8 engine and aerodynamically optimized shape, was supposed to run at almost 300 km/h and give the super sports car elite a run for their money. But it remained a prototype. This article tells the story of the one-off from the beginning to the present day.
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Connaught Type-D GT - ahead of its time as a ten-cylinder hybrid
Around a decade and a half ago, a sports coupé was created in the UK that was clearly ahead of its time. With a very compact V10 engine and a lightweight hybrid drive, the Connaught Type-D GT was designed to be economical, comfortable and versatile. And affordable too. The ambitious project failed. This article goes in search of clues and provides driving impressions in one of the prototypes.
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Alfa Romeo Delfino - Bertone's alternative to the GTV6
In 1983, Zagato and Bertone each presented an Alfa Romeo coupé with a V6 engine at the Geneva Motor Show. The two designs could hardly have been more different. Despite close-to-production technology, neither prototype made it into series production and today they are long forgotten.
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Unique, the Monteverdi 375 L by Pietro Frua
In 1967, a Monteverdi made its first appearance at the IAA in Frankfurt: the 375 S coupé. Just a few months later, Peter Monteverdi and Pietro Frua presented an extended version called the 375 L in Geneva. However, a dispute soon arose between the two; the Frua 375 L remained a one-off. Albeit a very elegant one!
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Jaguar Pirana Bertone - the forgotten link between Marzal and Espada
There are concept cars that will be remembered forever. Others, however, are forgotten, even though they have an important place in the history of car design. One of these "show cars" is the Jaguar Pirana by Bertone. After its active time at the motor shows in London, Turin and New York, it disappeared and remained hidden from the public until 2012. This vehicle article tells the story of the Jaguar Pirana and shows it in historical and current pictures as well as in a film document.
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Bertone Bella - In the eye of the beholder
When do we consider something beautiful? In view of its name, the Bertone Bella virtually begs this question. You can no longer tell that an Alfa Romeo 166 is underneath the two-door car, which looks like it has been drawn with a knife. Our article introduces the one-off presented in 1999 and shows it in historical photos.
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Le Sabre - Who says Y...
Consistent lightweight construction, countless servomotors, an abundance of sensors and an unmanageable number of warning lights in the cockpit - the Le Sabre was ahead of its time in many ways in 1951. It shaped the design language of an entire decade and continues to shape automotive engineering to this day. This article is dedicated to the "experimental laboratory on wheels" and shows it in a wealth of historical images.
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Audi Quartz by Pininfarina - the Quattro with an Italo look
In March 1981, Pininfarina presented the Audi Quartz at the Geneva Motor Show, a reinterpretation of the Audi Quattro, which had been shown for the first time a year earlier. Created with the help of Automobil Revue to mark its 75th birthday, the elegant coupé thrilled visitors to the show at the time. The prototype was an exception in many respects, not least because it was drivable and even underwent a test drive. This report tells the story of the Audi Quartz and shows it together with its production counterpart, the Audi Quattro, in many pictures.
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Arrow instead of wedge - NSU Ro 80 in an Italian tailor-made suit
The NSU Ro 80 2 porte +2 Pininfarina offered a huge surprise at Rudi Klein's auction to empty his junkyard near Los Angeles on October 26, 2024. Instead of fetching between 50,000 and 80,000 dollars, the concept car, which in contrast to some of the badly dented heaps of misery from the Klein collection was in very good condition, fetched around 460,000 dollars - almost ten times the estimate. But what is the fascination of this unique piece?
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Bertone/Lancia Stratos Zero - the primus from the flat-bed school
The Lancia Stratos Zero is probably one of the most uncompromising concept cars of all time and yet it is fully functional and largely suitable for everyday use. Really? Of course, this had to be tested and at the same time the legends surrounding the flat wedge were dusted off. This driving report tells the story of the Stratos Zero, describes driving impressions and presents the concept car in over 50 photos.
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