We recently talked about how auto shows used to serve as the primary forum for launching new and refreshed vehicles. Nowadays, a lot of reveals are taking place online or at private events. The April 1992 issue of Car and Driver offered a glimpse at the Detroit Auto Show, where more than 40 production and concept cars were shown to the press and public. The following were some of the wacky concepts on display:
Buick Sceptre: This was developed as a rear-wheel-drive sedan that was said to preview the design language of the upcoming 1994 Regal. It was developed with front and rear air bags.
Chevrolet Sizigi: At its core, the Sizigi was a Lumina APV. It was engineered with captain’s chairs, dual sunroofs, and hidden running boards.
Chrysler Cirrus: The Cirrus did end up becoming a production car a few years after this debut (for model year 1995), but it didn’t have many elements, design-wise, from the concept. The concept was said to use a turbocharged two-stroke six-cylinder!
Dodge EPIC: The EPIC (Electric Power Inter-urban Commuter) served as a showcase of what the next-generation Voyager and Caravan might look like. It was said to use “nickel-iron” batteries and have a 120-mile range.
Ford Connecta: Designed at the Ghia studios in Turin, the Connecta had a single door on the driver side, two doors without a central pillar on the passenger side, a carbon fiber and Kevlar body, and a glass roof.
GM Ultralite: In line with its name, the Ultralite was designed with a carbon fiber shell that was said to weigh only 420 pounds. The car was powered by a 1.5-liter, two-stroke, three-cylinder with 111 horsepower.
Hyundai HCD-1: The HCD-1 had a retro-inspired design and was drawn at Hyundai’s then-new facility in Fountain Valley, California. It was powered by a DOHC 2.0-liter inline-four. It’s giving Dodge Viper vibes!
Lincoln Marque X: Futuristic for its time, the Marque X had some unique features like automatically dimming sun visors and side mirrors that would operate as brake lights from behind but traditional mirrors from the cockpit. It also had an adjustable air suspension.
Oldsmobile Anthem: The Anthem (which, to me, has similar lines to the later Aurora that debuted in 1994) used a supercharged Quad 4. The body had a drag coefficient of just 0.26, and engineering innovations included anti-lock brakes, traction control, and active noise cancellation.
Pontiac Salsa: This car shared some of its design language with the Nissan Pulsar NX, and it could be configured as a convertible, mini-truck, or hatchback.
It’s fun to look back a few decades and see some of the design and engineering features that were cutting-edge back then. That Lincoln looks pretty hot, even today!
