Some Of The Strangest Auto Designs

Some Of The Strangest Auto Designs

Once in a while we see a car driving around Fort Pierce here in FL that really stands out. It reminds us here at Bev Smith Toyota Auto Repair Service that there was once a time in automotive history that manufacturers were willing to take real chances with the form and function of cars. For better or worse, some were really, really interesting! Some became objects of ridicule, but others became the inspiration for future generations of vehicles for years to come.

In 1942 the French created an electric car called the Oeuf electrique. It had three wheels, didn't go very fast, and looked like an egg. Needless to say it wasn't too popular, but it did pioneer some innovative technologies for the time. The use of aluminum for the frame and Plexiglas for windows were two.

In 1953 GM made a car that looked a lot like a jet. I mean wings, cockpit, and a tail fin. Add four wheels and take away a jet engine and it probably would have been one. The Firebird 1 XP-21 was actually a pretty powerful machine, with a turbine engine capable of producing 370 HP.

I love the look of the 1970 Ferrari 512 S Modulo. It looks a lot like the monorail at a Disney theme park to me. It certainly was aerodynamic, but also not very visually pleasing for a car. 

With two large cones jutting out where most cars have headlights, the 1959 Cadillac Cyclone was way ahead of its time. The cones were actually radar systems for its crash avoidance system, which is called adaptive cruise control today. It was a massive leap toward self-driving technology, but unfortunately it wasn't popular enough to follow up with. Imagine where we might be if the technology had been pursued more aggressively starting in the 50's!

This may seem like an age in which originality is prized. Individuality is all over social media and differences are held in high esteem. Why is it then that auto designs are so similar? Is it the natural way of things that as they progress, they become more similar? Hopefully not, as we love looking through the lens of the past and hope that some day we'll see something as strange!

Written By: Todd Hendrickson
Source: Business Insider