[Alvin]

I've never known of this vehicle before. Anyone know the history and/or backstory?

[Alvin]

[MOJO Catalina]

No but I bet it got crushed in '62.. GM didn't let many of these concepts hang around very long..

[Stuart]

I remember reading about it, but I think it was just a styling exercise - I don't think it ever was turned into a running and driving car.

[Keith Seymore]

I recognize the brick pavers and turntable as the Patio at the GM Design Dome (which is a secured area). I think the car and pavement were inserted into the background in that top photo.

I sent a note to my guy at the Heritage Center to see if he knows anything or can dig something up.

K

(the car pictured below is a fiberglass "buck", or mockup; not a real vehicle)

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

I sent a note to my guy at the Heritage Center to see if he knows anything or can dig something up.

Per the GM Heritage Center the car never progressed beyond the fiberglass buck stage and was scrapped after it fulfilled its usage.

K

[Ragtop Man]

http://oldconceptcars.com/1930-2004/...cept-car-1966/

This is the one I was thinking about... Pontiac wanted to build this but got the back of someone's hand on it.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Ragtop Man

http://oldconceptcars.com/1930-2004/...cept-car-1966/

This is the one I was thinking about... Pontiac wanted to build this but got the back of someone's hand on it.

They did build two of them, one convertible and one hardtop. Both cars exist to this day and are in private ownership.

[Jeff Hamlin]

The owner of the OHC Powered 1964 Banshee concept is a POCI/OHC Club Member.


IIRC the Black mockup shown above was to be a 3rd version that never came to be.
Below are a few images of mock ups I have on file showing some of the concepts on the above described turntables as well as a drawing showing consideration of alternative engine placement.

[Stuart]

That Russian car styling website has another photo of it with 8 lug wheels:

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Stuart

That Russian car styling website has another photo of it with 8 lug wheels:

Nice. You can see the GM Design Dome in the background of that photo.

Bill Mitchell loved that "boat tail" roof design, didn't he?

It's odd to me that I love it on the '63-'67 Corvette coupes but pretty much hate it everywhere else. Perhaps because it is so iconic as associated with the Corvette.

Interesting to see it in black. The styling cars were usually Silver (or light colored) to show off the body lines better (see: Cadillac Cyclone, '59 Corvette Sting Ray racer).

K

[2manyT/A'S]

That makes the Batmobile look like a Corgi Car........wait....it IS....

[MikeNoun]

Keith was correct when he said the first photo had an airbrushed background. Here's the original photo, which shows the styling dome in the background.

[Keith Seymore]

BOOM baby!!

That's why I make those big bucks.


































Not really.

On either count.

K

[Stuart]

I find it interesting that the same turntable and the same pavers are still in place 50 years later. You'd think at some point someone would have wanted to remodel.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by Stuart

I find it interesting that the same turntable and the same pavers are still in place 50 years later. You'd think at some point someone would have wanted to remodel.

A lot of the GM Tech Center is a designated historical site and remodeling is not allowed.

Harley Earl's office (now occupied by Ed Welburn), the Design Center lobby and the Design Dome all are examples which fall under those protections. I'm not sure if the patio is fair game, but I doubt it (due to its close proximity to the Dome).

K

[Keith Seymore]

In fact, they just had a ceremony a couple weeks ago to dedicate some new plaques and historic markers.

I don't know who they expect to be able to get past the security gate to read all those (...except for me, of course)*.

K

*I have a reputation for not being able to pass up a historic marker. I have to read every word on every plaque, as did my father before me.