Features HAMB ERA PROTOTYPES

1963 Mustang


1957 Chrysler Diablo

1962 Ford Cougar


Ford Brazil

 

1954 Mercury


1948 Cadillac


1963 Ford Thunderbird


1955 Lincoln


1954 Packard

 

How about Was The 1957 Aurora The Ugliest Prototype Car Ever Built?
Father Alfred Juliano, a Catholic priest with a lifelong interest in automotive design, created his dream vehicle with the intent of having American automobile manufacturers build it. Juliano had won a scholarship from General Motors to train and study under Harley Earl, but the offer came after he was ordained.

His passion to make automobiles safer thrived however, and the Father pushed forward with his purpose-built design.The car was intended to be the first car that placed a priority on occupant safety rather than profit. It was expected to be offered with Chrysler, Cadillac, or a Lincoln engine as the customer desired. A prototype car was built, partially funded by Father Juliano’s congregation. Later the engine choices were defined as four different GM engine options as Juliano sought to partner with GM.

The Aurora prototype car cost $30,000 to build and the company projected to sell the production cars at $12,000. Considering the most expensive domestic car at the time was the Cadillac Eldorado Brougham at $13,000, it was going to be an expensive car.

Built on 1953 Buick frame, the body was mostly fiberglass over plywood structure, which Juliano claimed was corrosion proof and dent proof. He also used shatterproof plastic windows, a built in roll cage, seat belts, padded instrument panel and a collapsible steering wheel. Many of these features are used in cars today making these safety features ahead of their time in 1957.

The car was among the first to have onboard hydraulic jacks, activated by dashboard control, that lifted the car off the ground for servicing. The driver’s seat was placed toward the center of the car to protect against side impact.

The car also included side impact bars, a spare tire that was mounted under the front to help absorb impacts with a front bumper that was designed with a lip to catch pedestrians and not drive over them. The bulging windshield was designed to reduce head injures and the distance between driver and passengers was increased to prevent injuries. The oddest feature was the high back and reinforced pivoting seats that were designed to swivel to face the rear in an imminent collision.
The prototype car was built and Father Juliano drove the car on a 120 city tour to help generate interest and find a company willing to help manufacture the car. The car’s lack of performance, along with it’s appearance and high price did not inspire the public and Father Juliano failed to get any advance orders for the production vehicles. The company fell into debt that it was not able to overcome and Father Juliano left the order in disgrace. He returned to Philadelphia to care for his ill mother.

When the company declared bankruptcy the car was relinquished to a Connecticut body shop for unpaid bills.

 

FUGLY!!! Looks like a cartoon concept




http://www.chromesflammes.com/main.aspx?page=text&id=870&cat=auto

 

Good find now I wish I knew how to read french.

 

I think this is about the "oddest" example yet of a prototype!!!...it's hard for me to grasp the 'reason' why anyone would even design this, and expect people to actually buy it???...let alone, drive it? Very unique, and never seen it before....thanks for posting!

 

The more I look at this...the more I like it! A few more nice pics of the 1963 Thunderbird "Italien"....very slick looking in my opinion!!!

 

I want one of those!

 

Larger sized photo of the Ford 1958 La Galaxie

 

Rebuilt by Andy Saunders in the UK.

 

1939 Porsche



1940 Chrysler Newport

Cadillac posted earlier

 

1948 Tasco

 

Edsel Raven. Man, I dig that!

 

Ford Nucleon 1958 design trial with NUKE power Luckily Detroit's designers had different ideas. In 1958 the Ford Motor Company cooked up a concept which was so modern it would still turn heads today. Ford thought the world was ready for a nuke in the trunk.

 

This porsche looks more like the prototype for the wiener mobile.

Ive noticed lots of designers wanted to put skirts on the front or at least kind of cover the front wheels back then but only a few like nash went ahead with that look.

 

some newer concepts:






can any of you offer better clues than myself on how the doors open? I'm guessing each half-windshield rotates inward with the movement of the doors. reminds me of the markII continentals I've been eyeing so much recently.

 

1955 chev HHR prototype.LOL

 

The '55 Packard "Request" was owned for many years by a man in Portland. It was wrecked several times because of the poor brakes and how heavy it was. After the last wreck it sat for years in the owners backyard. It was finally purchased and, I believe, restored. But I don't know where it is now. I believe Dee Wescott fixed it once. I saw the remains of the original hood (fiberglass) in his storage shed.
Norm

 

1936 "Triphibian"......might have had a few wires crossed on the test drive in Washington D.C.....they did not make a 2nd car!!!

 

1938 Phantom Corsair..... very sleek!!!

 

Interesting....better roll those pant's legs up!

 

Not sure why this one didn't catch on!!!

 

The real fun starts when you slam on the brakes.

 

my favorite concept. perfect meld of 50s and 60s.



and then some artist somewhere made it better. if only the dagmars were chrome, and on second thought the chop/extension of the canopy is unnecessary but now i'm getting into opinion of course.

 

the Orleans is very hamb appropriate I'd say

 

buddy holly in a 1953 lemans here. even though that eldb in the background really shows the roadster's age.

 

and my longterm project is to get my own rivi a little closer to the silver arrow I

 

subtle differences from stock on this 1960 electra

 

Not the best photo, but this is the 1934 Bendix at the old Studebaker Museum in South Bend.

 

Dynamite Thread!! Thanks