In this installment of Dreams and Nightmares, we explore the hits and misses in Chrysler experimental design. Which are the hits and which are the misses? As always, we leave that for you to decide.
After getting off to a bit of a slow start, one might argue, Chrysler produced a number of memorable dream cars and prototypes through the years. Two Chrysler experimentals from 1941, the Briggs/LeBaron-designed Newport and Thunderbolt, were among the auto industry’s earliest purpose-built dream cars, and they were energetically promoted to the car-buying public.
In the 1950s, Chrysler’s partnership with the Ghia design house of Italy generated a whole series of successful concept vehicles, culminating in one of the most recognizable prototype cars ever, the fabulous Chrysler Turbine Ghia. The company’s in-house efforts, led by vice president of design Virgil Exner, produced plenty of idea cars as well. In this collection, we’ve tried to provide a mix of both the familiar and the obscure in Chrysler concepts, and we’ve included a few more modern examples just for flavor. Gallery below.
There are plenty of good ones, personally I like the Firearrow, the ME412, and the Newport.
The stinkers start with that Dart Ghia, but there’s also not much good to say about the Cabana Station Wagon nor the 4MS PPG pacecar.
While the 4MS might be a bit “odd” looking it wasn’t that far out from what Lamborghini, and others, were offering at the time. And it had some actual teeth in the drive train, plus minor fame as a movie vehicle.
Check the link here for some specs and interesting info on the car;
http://www.allpar.com/cars/concepts/wraith-M4S.html
Thanks for the link. There is some interesting story there, I was just commenting on the terrible proportions (IMHO). True, it wasn’t far off the Lambo’s of the time, but those also did not look very good in retrospect.
It was a Wolfgang Bernard wet dream made possible by Lou Rhodes, who said he could trust anyone in advanced design in Chrysler Design Office except 3 guys. Who designed it didn’t break any ground. The high command in Stuttgart even told WB to NOT show it in Detroit, but he did, to his detriment. The car essentially disappeared after that.
This little summary missed the entire golden age of Chrysler Design under Tom Gale, except for the Bob Hubbach Atlantic. This was when Chrysler raised the bar on concepts from customized production cars or pushmobiles to running concepts. After the Viper, all concepts had to have a foundation in being actually producible. The amount & quality of concepts has not been equaled since!
It should have been “COULDN’T TRUST”!
I like the Ghias because they were complete, running cars and many of them are still around. Just way out of my price range!
The Ghia Dart still exists & was on display at the Concours at the Inn at St. Johns last August. The car was mildly modified in ’57 by cutting down the fins and replacing the retractable hardtop with a soft top. Cass Technical HS in Detroit, had a painted plaster 1/4 scale model of it that was used by their auto design curriculum as least as late as 1965. It was probably destroyed by the City when the demolished the 9 story school built in 1918 a couple of years ago. This car also inspired a small run of Ghia built, similar design, production cars..
The examples from the fifties and sixties are my absolute favorites, especially those from Ghia as mentioned by Mark. I even like the Plainsman which, judging by how often it has come to auction the past several years, is not universally appreciated.
Someday we’ll all be able to order a car and print it with our 3D printer. Then maybe we’ll have access to some of the daring concept cars that are too radical to merit general production.
I am going with the Newport and Adventurer–I really enjoyed these. I never thought of Chrysler having a design studio.
Do a Google or Bing search on Chrysler concept cars. Look on Amazon, there at least half a dozen books on the subject.