Have you ever seen a car that could run on perfume? In 1963, Chrysler built exactly that – a turbine-powered marvel that sipped everything from diesel to Chanel No. 5. These revolutionary test cars logged thousands of miles on American roads, amazing drivers with their jet-age technology. Engineers spent 670 hours assembling each one, crafting special materials just to handle the 1,200-degree exhaust temperatures.
Today, one of these rare machines still roars to life in Jay Leno’s garage, proving that sometimes the future arrives ahead of schedule. From the nuclear-powered Ford Nucleon to the aircraft-inspired GM Firebird series, here are 15 groundbreaking concept cars that dared to reshape the American automotive landscape.
14. 1956 Chrysler Norseman (Exterior)
Breaking new ground in automotive lighting, quad headlights appeared on the Norseman 24 months before federal approval for production vehicles. Dramatic fins stretched rearward, housing integrated brake lights within their 6-foot wingspan. Aircraft engineering influenced the flush-mounted door handles and a continuous windshield that wrapped seamlessly into the roofline. Fresh air entered through 12 separate intake ports hidden behind the massive chrome grille.
1956 Chrysler Norseman (Interior)
Among the first of its kind, a centralized “Control Center” consolidated major functions into 8 illuminated push-buttons. Quick-release mechanisms triggered the swivel seats outward at a 45-degree angle. Metallic vinyl covered all four bucket seats, while the dashboard pioneered electroluminescent lighting technology operating at 200 volts – a system Chrysler would later patent in 1958.
13. 1956 Mercury XM Turnpike Cruiser (Exterior)
Advanced aerodynamic testing shaped the XM’s distinctive profile, achieving a drag coefficient of just 0.32. Retractable headlights nestled behind a horizontal grille spanning 72 inches. Most notably, power actuators controlled the reverse-slant “Breezeway” rear window, providing ventilation while maintaining occupant privacy. Chrome accents extended 196 inches from nose to tail, emphasizing the car’s dramatic proportions.
1956 Mercury XM Turnpike Cruiser (Interior)
Behind the twin transparent roof panels, instrumentation included a “Monitor Control Panel” displaying 12 separate vehicle functions. The floating center console housed 8 power-assist controls for windows and seats. A transparent steering wheel rim contained 4 radio presets and climate control buttons – technology that wouldn’t reach production until the 1967 Mercury lineup. Leather bucket seats featured 6-way power adjustments, while ambient lighting used 24-volt electroluminescent panels across the dash. If you’re also a fan of pick up trucks, then perhaps this list of the 13 worst pickup trucks nobody wants back from the 1950s may be worth a look.
12. 1954 Packard Panther (Exterior)
When other manufacturers were still pushing steel bodies, Packard’s hand-laid fiberglass construction achieved a jaw-dropping height of just 52 inches. You could almost leap over this car – if security would let you near it. Special molds created seamless side panels that made conventional door lines look primitive, while the horizontal grille stretched an impressive 61 inches. Those custom-designed Kelsey-Hayes wire wheels measured 15 inches, requiring tires so special that Packard had to convince manufacturers to make them just for this car.
1954 Packard Panther (Interior)
Ever seen a roof that dances? Four electric motors orchestrated a sliding roof panel that moved in perfect harmony with the doors. Pilots would feel at home with the 24 separate aviation-grade toggle switches controlling vehicle functions. The racing-inspired bucket seats featured 3-inch side bolsters that hugged you like a long-lost friend. Those custom Stewart Warner gauges didn’t just look pretty – they helped Packard test high-speed capabilities that wouldn’t be legal on public roads for decades.
11. 1956 Buick Centurion (Exterior)
Before Star Wars made bubble canopies cool, Buick crafted a 360-degree visibility cockpit from high-strength plexiglass. Wind tunnel testing achieved a coefficient of drag measuring just 0.35 – impressive even by today’s standards. While the 186-inch length might sound massive, those chrome-plated wheel covers hiding 15-inch wheels made the car look like it was floating. The jet-age styling wasn’t just for show – it fundamentally changed how Buick would approach aerodynamics for the next twenty years.
1956 Buick Centurion (Interior)
Think backup cameras are new? This beauty pioneered the world’s first automotive closed-circuit television system for rear visibility. A single-spoke steering column rose at a 45-degree angle, putting 12 separate controls within thumb’s reach. The red leather seats sat 2 inches lower than anything else on the road, creating a cockpit experience that would influence sports car design for decades. Buick had to fight its own engineering department to keep these innovations – they thought the public wasn’t ready for technology this advanced.
10. 1953 GM Firebird I (Exterior)
While most concept cars played with fancy trim, Harley Earl’s team built America’s first gas turbine-powered road vehicle. The Whirlwind engine screamed out 370 horsepower – enough to frighten nearby birds into early migration. With ground clearance of just 7.5 inches and a delta-wing body spanning 100 inches, you’d swear it could take flight. Though engineers claimed stability at 200 mph, not a single test driver volunteered to verify that figure. This wasn’t just a car; it was GM’s statement that the future would run on jet power.
1953 GM Firebird I (Interior)
Forget everything you know about driving – this cockpit replaced the steering wheel with a side-stick controlling 4 axes of movement. The cabin needed materials rated for 500 degrees Fahrenheit just to keep the driver from cooking. 17 separate gauges monitored the turbine’s vital signs, making airline pilots feel right at home. The Firebird I’s cockpit layout would influence aircraft-inspired automotive design for the next thirty years.
9. 1951 GM LeSabre (Exterior)
This beauty combined 5052 aluminum and AZ31 magnesium alloys when most cars were still rolling steel mills. Dual fuel tanks carried 15 gallons of gas and 5 gallons of methanol – just in case you couldn’t decide which cocktail your supercharged V8 preferred. Rain sensors could deploy the power top in 8 seconds flat, while hidden headlamps and electric jacks made contemporary luxury cars look like horse-drawn carriages. The LeSabre didn’t just predict the future – it forced other manufacturers to completely rethink what was possible.
1951 GM LeSabre (Interior)
Ever sit in a cold car? The LeSabre solved that with the industry’s first heated seats, warming to a cozy 90 degrees. All controls lived within a 12-inch radius of the wheel hub, while 22 separate illuminated displays glowed through a 24-volt electrical system that wouldn’t appear in production cars for another decade. That oval steering wheel wasn’t just for looks – it launched a design revolution that would influence sports cars well into the 1970s.
8. 1953 Chevrolet Corvette EX52 (Exterior)
While competitors obsessed over steel, Chevrolet crafted a featherweight body weighing just 1,900 pounds. The 47-inch height made this prototype so low that engineers had to redesign their testing equipment. 102 mounting points secured six separate body sections to a reinforced frame – a modular design approach decades ahead of its time. Those 3 functional hood scoops weren’t just for show; they fed cold air to an engine that would evolve into the heart of America’s first true sports car.
1953 Chevrolet Corvette EX52 (Interior)
Picture yourself scanning 16 gauges arranged in a fighter plane-inspired cockpit, while the industry’s first telescoping steering column offered 4 inches of travel. Think convertibles and rain don’t mix? Special waterproof vinyl and integrated drainage channels meant you could leave the top down during a downpour. This wasn’t just a prototype – it was the blueprint that would transform Chevrolet from family cars to performance legends.
7. 1954 Lincoln Futura (Exterior)
BuiWhen $250,000 bought you a decent neighborhood, Lincoln spent that much building just one car. Those iconic double-bubble canopies added 9 inches of headroom while making conventional rooflines look positively prehistoric. 14 coats of pearlescent white paint created depth that still amazes today. Hooded headlights jutted 8 inches forward while tail fins soared 36 inches high – dimensions that would inspire the most famous custom car in television history: the 1966 Batmobile.
1954 Lincoln Futura (Interior)
Imagine entering your car like a spaceship – the steering wheel folded away creating 24 inches of entry space. 4 temperature zones let you climate-control your personal space when most cars still used hand-crank windows. 32 separate fiber-optic light guides eliminated traditional bulbs, creating a dashboard that looked more like a jet cockpit than a car interior. George Barris saw so much potential in this design that he transformed it into the Batmobile for just one dollar – perhaps the best automotive investment in history.
6. 1955 Ford La Tosca (Exterior)
While other manufacturers struggled with fixed roofs, Ford’s engineers crafted a retractable hardtop that disappeared in just 12 seconds. The sleek body achieved a wind-cheating 0.31 drag coefficient – numbers that would make modern aerodynamicists jealous. A panoramic windshield wrapped through 180 degrees, while the 198-inch length housed a four-stage headlamp deployment system that looked pure science fiction. This wasn’t just clever engineering – it was the testbed for Ford’s revolutionary Skyliner convertible that would stun the public just two years later.
1955 Ford La Tosca (Interior)
Try imagining seats that pirouette through 120 degrees on ball bearings, while 14 separate electronic displays used transistors instead of vacuum tubes. The half-moon steering wheel provided 8 inches of clearance, and 4 separate climate zones pampered passengers when most cars still used hand-crank windows. Those electronic controls would later inspire Ford’s first experiments with computerized engine management – a decade before such systems became reality.
5. 1956 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket (Exterior)
Gold-tinted fiberglass sculpted this 2,200-pound missile on wheels. Twin hood sections lifted outward at 45-degree angles, powered by hydro-electric actuators that would later influence modern automated liftgates. At just 52 inches tall with a 48-inch glass roof panel, even the name “Golden Rocket” seemed understated. Those 12 separate chrome strips feeding into brake cooling ducts weren’t just decoration – they pioneered integrated aerodynamic brake cooling systems.
1956 Oldsmobile Golden Rocket (Interior)
Memory seats moved through 6 axes and retracted 10 inches automatically – technology that wouldn’t reach production until the 1980s. The steering column tilted 12 inches for entry, while 24 separate functions displayed on rotating drums behind 8 aircraft-style toggle switches. Olds engineers smuggled so many innovations into this concept that GM executives ordered some removed before public display – they were too advanced for their own good.
4. 1956 GM Firebird II (Exterior)
When steel was king, GM boldly shed 725 pounds using titanium body panels. That aggressive nose wasn’t just for looks – it gulped down 235 cubic feet of air per minute to feed the turbine engine. The four-piece canopy used 0.5-inch thick heat-resistant glass that cost more than most family cars of the era. Those guidance sensors could read metallic strips from 12 inches above the road – technology that would later inspire modern lane-keeping systems. This wasn’t just a show car; it was GM’s first attempt at creating a family-friendly turbine vehicle.
1956 GM Firebird II (Interior)
Try parallel parking with a joystick moving through 4 axes of movement. The navigation system’s 32 vacuum tubes generated enough heat to warm the cabin on cold days. Seats rotated 180 degrees while headrest vents blasted 400 cubic feet of air per minute – enough to blow your hat into next week. The Firebird II’s interior technology was so advanced that NASA engineers studied it while developing early spacecraft control systems.
3. 1961 Chrysler TurboFlite (Exterior)
Ever seen a car bow to its driver? The electrostatically-balanced canopy lifted at 60 degrees with just 5 pounds of finger pressure. Twin air intakes gulped 180 cubic feet of air per minute – enough to inflate a hot air balloon. That dramatic deceleration flap increased drag by 40 percent when deployed, pioneering active aerodynamics decades before supercars made it cool. At just 46 inches tall but stretching 204 inches long, the TurboFlite looked more like a jet taxiing down the runway than a car. Its influence on active aerodynamics would wait 30 years before reaching production vehicles.
1961 Chrysler TurboFlite (Interior)
The dashboard glowed with 200-volt electroluminescent panels illuminating 28 separate gauges – making contemporary car interiors look like cave paintings. That collapsible steering column could absorb 8 inches of impact force, while special upholstery laughed off 180-degree temperatures from the turbine engine. The tachometer’s 44,500 RPM redline made conventional engines seem lazy by comparison. Chrysler’s research into high-temperature materials would later revolutionize catalytic converter design. Still curious about cars in the 1950s & 1960s? Here are 13 forgotten 1950s cars that were actually disasters.
2. 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car (Exterior)
Unlike most concepts, Chrysler built 55 real-world test vehicles, each demanding 670 hours of assembly. Those sculptured side intakes processed 145 cubic feet of air per minute, while exhaust temperatures hit a blistering 1,200 degrees. That famous bronze paint? It took 35 separate ingredients to match the turbine wheel’s color perfectly. The public test program proved so successful that Jay Leno still drives his turbine car today – running on anything from perfume to Chanel No. 5.
1963 Chrysler Turbine Car (Interior)
Monitor your jet engine through 7 specialized gauges while toggling between 3 forward speeds. Those leather seats needed 6 separate cooling channels just to keep passengers from roasting, while 5 separate fuel mixture controls let you run on virtually any combustible liquid. This wasn’t just a publicity stunt – the 50,000 miles of public testing provided data that would influence turbine development for decades.
1. 1963 Ford Seattle-ite XXI (Exterior)
Six 15-inch wheels supported this 220-inch behemoth, while 4 different power packs could slip in and out like battery changes. Gyroscopes maintained stability through 15 degrees of banking when most cars would be kissing the guardrail. 24 separate sensors monitored road conditions – technology that wouldn’t appear until modern stability control systems. The Seattle-ite XXI didn’t just predict the future; it accidentally invented the modular electric vehicle platform 60 years too early.
1963 Ford Seattle-ite XXI (Interior)
That revolutionary control pod housed 42 transistors when most cars still used mechanical switches. The entire pod slid 24 inches sideways, making the car ambidextrous decades before McLaren tried it. Four adults enjoyed 6 inches more headroom than contemporary luxury cars, while 4 separate climate zones and a primitive 5-inch mapping screen predicted features we take for granted today. The Seattle-ite XXI’s modular design philosophy would wait half a century before autonomous vehicle developers rediscovered its brilliance.
