Obsolete Car Ideas That Didn’t Last: From Electric to Turbine Cars and Transparent Roof Panels

At first I thought it was a good idea, but…

Both the auto industry and consumers are capricious.

Models, body styles, new features and technologies can quickly become obsolete as soon as they emerge. Also, an idea that seemed great when it was announced can become obsolete a few years later.

Introducing cars, brands, and technologies whose ideas were not bad but were not accepted.

From Mercedes-Benz pickup trucks to Toyota’s youth sub-brand, here are some seemingly “good ideas” that have disappeared.

Electric car (1900s)

Since the turn of the 20th century, electric vehicles have seen exceptional sales both in the United States and abroad. It was smoother than a petrol car in its class and much easier to operate. Henry Ford’s wife, Clara, did not drive the Model T, but drove the Detroit Electric Model 47 (pictured) on a daily basis.

In the 1910s, internal combustion engine technology advanced rapidly, and the spread of electric starters and other devices greatly improved the usability of gasoline vehicles. As fuel prices fall, the share of battery-powered electric vehicles will decline. It completely disappeared in the 1920s, and it was only in the late 1990s that it began to attract a great deal of attention again.

Electric car (1900s)

Turbine car (1940s-1960s)

In the 1950s, automobiles powered by turbines emerged as a promising alternative to conventional piston engines. Intrepid test drivers achieved a top speed of 240km/h on a prototype Rover Jet 1, and the lessons learned were those of British Racing Motors’ turbine-powered car for the 1963 24 Hours of Le Mans. Helped in development. Since it was an experimental racing car, it did not officially participate in the race, but if it had participated, it would have finished 8th.

In the United States, Chrysler famously handed over 50 coupes (pictured), called Turbine, to customers to evaluate the performance of its turbine technology. He ran into many of the same problems that the Rover experienced, but after quietly tweaking the turbines into the 1970s, he threw a spoonful.

Turbine car (1940s-1960s)

Transparent roof panel (1950s)

In the 1950s, when aerospace design and automotive design merged, many American cars had fins. Similarly, the semi-spherical transparent roof panel attracted a lot of attention at the auto show. The design is reminiscent of a fighter canopy.

It was often used in bold futuristic concept cars, such as General Motors’ Firebird I (pictured), introduced in 1953, but concerns over manufacturing, safety and cost prevented it from being introduced into production models. was not easy. Designers had fallen out of love with the canopy in the 1960s, but Pininfarina had plans to bring it back to life in modern times.

Transparent roof panels (1950s) Amphikar (1961-1968)

Image Why?Unexpected model of luxury car brand[Mercedes-Benz X-Class, Aston See his Martin Signet in the picture]All 53 photos

2023-08-20 09:05:00
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