GM LaSabre Concept Car of 1951
Concept Cars from the Detroit Automakers have always been my biggest car related weakness. When I was a kid I could not wait for the annual big show in Des Moines where I could actually see hot rods, customs and the occasional concept car that had already been to the big shows and publicized in Motortrend and the other car guy magazines. It was a big moment in my young adulthood when I drove my own Corvette show car into that same building for my first big show!
Unfortunately, my that time concept cars did not seem to be as wild or radical as they once were. They were becoming more like the custom cars they shared the floor with. Not so in 1951 when GM created the LaSabre with such flair and beauty it sets a standard today in my mind.
Katrina and I encountered this car at the Amelia Island Councourd de’Elegance in 2010 and it was my first opportunity to see this car in person. It was first displayed in 1951! How little does this look like a car that must have been designed in the late 1940s? It has tailfins, hidden headlights, wrap around windshield, bucket seats, and a strong jet fighter influence.
This car is nearly 60 years old! How well do you think one of the current crop of concept cars will look to our grandchildren in the year 2070!