The 10 Most Unique Car Models You’ve Ever Seen
Cars with an original, singular style, which surprise as much by their design as refined as it is sober, are several. There is no shortage of words when it comes to evoking these cars, born from the incredible imagination of a few inventors. But even in the crowd of impressive models that you can discover, are there any that stand out above the rest? Here is a selection of absolutely unique models that will leave you speechless.
1938 Phantom Corsair
Still called The Flying Wombat, and nicknamed “Car of Tomorrow”, the Phantom Corsair is a concept car produced in 1938. Born from the collaboration between designer Rust Heinz and coachbuilder Bohman & Schwartz, it has a Lycoming V8 engine, with a maximum speed of 185 km/h and runs on petrol.
This surprising car has a dashboard inspired by aeronautical designs, a soundproof interior made by padding with a dense layer of cork and rubber. The shape of the bodywork, which was very futuristic at the time, was designed by Heinz after observing the amphibian aquatic space, and being inspired by the Paquebot style.
An anecdote to know about this car is that it is present in the cinema, especially in the film The carefree family (The Young in Heart) released in 1938.
Toyota Fine Comfort Ride
A real six-seater family vehicle, the Toyota Fine Comfort Ride nevertheless has the silhouette of a minivan car. The Japanese brand, known for its goal of 90% 100% electric vehicles by 2050, unveiled this unique model in 2017. The Fine Comfort Ride uses a propulsion with fuel cells which promises a range of 1000 km from a hydrogen recharge of 3 to 5 minutes.
This vehicle that many parents dream of has seats that swivel to facilitate communication between passengers. However, it will only remain at the concept stage, because with this model the manufacturer demonstrates above all that it can reduce the space occupied by its battery-powered technology. This obviously benefits the space reserved for passengers.
Colim Caravan Concept car
This concept car, which is intended to be a combination of a classic car and a motorhome, offers the advantage of being able to be used both as a motorhome and as a personal automobile. It is indeed possible to detach the front part of the car, and to use it as an everyday vehicle for shopping in town.
Imagined by Christian Susana, this caravan car concept offers an unusual design that is revolutionary, because the vehicle fits quite easily into our urban environment, while being unique. This car, designed to be inhabited by a maximum of four people, allows its owner to personalize it according to his taste thanks to a varied range of choices.
Ford FX-Atmos
The Ford FX-Atmos is a car with a very futuristic design from the American car manufacturer Ford, presented at the Chicago Auto Show in 1954. Inspired by cinema and more precisely by science fiction of the 1950s, it has a design that evokes the aeronautics and spaceships. Designed with a mixture of materials such as plastic or fiberglass, this imaginary-looking car uses a nuclear-powered engine.
Still called a rocket engine, these (fictional) engines placed at the rear, and used by the first American fighter planes of the time, suggest a flying car. This detail gives an absolutely unique and unusual charm to this car. With its unique nuclear propulsion engine, it aroused during its creation, a collective euphoria which generated significant publicity for the American brand.
Ford Nucleon
The Ford Nucleon, whose model is exhibited at the Henry Ford Museum, is a concept car proposed by the American manufacturer Ford in 1958. The nuclear energy required to operate this model was relatively new at the time and aroused a lot of enthusiasm from the public, but also from scientists. Unfortunately, the car did not go beyond the prototype stage, and only the model exhibited at the Henry Ford Museum was created on a 1:33 scale.
However, the idea of designing this vehicle with nuclear technology showed America and the world that this technology could become an alternative to gasoline. The design of the very famous DeLorean DMC-12 from the movie Back to the future would have been partly inspired by the nuclear reactor on the back of the Nucleon.
Alfa Romeo 33 Bertone Navajo
The Alfa Roméo 33 Bertone Navajo created in 1976 by the car manufacturer Alfa Roméo, and the Carrozeria Bertone is a concept car produced in a single copy. 3.8m long and 1.05m high, it was shown to the general public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1976.
Its body made of fiberglass, its very low height, and its wheelbase of 2.430 m give it a unique look of its kind for the time. For the driving part of the vehicle, the Italian manufacturer used an Alfa Romeo V8 engine with a double overhead cane shaft, which can produce up to 233 horsepower for 8800 rpm with SPICA injection.
Fiat Abarth OT 2000
The Fiat Abarth OT 2000 is a car reserved specifically for motor racing, and produced by the Abarth manufacturer in 1966, based on the Fiat 850 Coupé model. It has a top speed of 240 km/h, acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.1 s, and a curb weight of 710 kg. This unusual-looking racing car was presented at the Turin Competition Car Show in February 1966.
At the front of the car, you can see two huge Dunlop racing tyres, 6.00 x 13, and at the rear, two other Dunlop 5.00 x 13 tyres. This model has a manual 5-speed gearbox. reports, a mixed consumption engine of 11 L/100 km and was only designed in 5 copies.
Ford Seattle-ite XXI
The Ford Seattle-ite XXI famous for its new concepts, some of which have since become realities, is a concept car produced by Alex Tremulis in 1962. It was presented on the Ford stand on April 20, 1962, during the International Exhibition of Seattle. This car presented for the time of the innovative concepts such as the computer of navigation, cartography, or information, which are since then commonly present in the automobiles.
The initial design project also called for a nuclear-powered engine and six steered wheels, four at the rear and two at the front. These aspects that would have given the Seattle-ite a revolutionary and avant-garde style, could not be added to the automobile.
Phoenix Bamboo
Inspired by the idea of creating a harmony between technology and nature, the Phoenix Bamboo offers us a stunning design. The product of cooperation between designers Kenneth Cobonpue and Albercht Birkner, this concept car was completed in just 10 days.
Without much effort, it is possible to notice that the shape of the outer shell imitates the structure of a leaf, and that it is made with a material that evokes wood. This material, as you may have guessed, is none other than bamboo. The outer shell wraps around the interior of the vehicle to form the dashboard and seats while continuing to the rear.
Peugeot Egochina
Have you ever wondered if a car could represent a mix between an F1 car and a razor? If so, know that the Egochine in addition to meeting these criteria, offers you a futuristic design all on board on three wheels. Imagined by designer Paolo De Giusti for a Peugeot design competition on the theme of “retrofuturism”, this astonishing motor vehicle is 100% electric. It is in fact equipped at the front with two electric motors equipped with hydrogen fuel cells.
