Between myth and reality - Concept cars often reveal the boldest ideas an automaker never had the chance to fully explore. During the golden age of American muscle cars, manufacturers regularly experimented with dramatic styling studies to glimpse what the future might look like. One of the most intriguing examples from that era was the Mercury Cougar El Gato, a striking concept that pushed the Cougar nameplate into unfamiliar and remarkably futuristic territory.
The 1970 Mercury Cougar El Gato Concept on display at the 1970 Detroit Auto Show. (Picture from: OldConceptCar)
The Cougar had already built a reputation as one of Mercury’s most recognizable performance-oriented models. Introduced under Mercury, the premium division created by Edsel Ford in 1938 to sit between Ford and Lincoln, the Cougar became especially popular in the late 1960s and 1970s as a sporty two-door machine with muscle-car appeal. Against that backdrop, Ford Motor Company developed the El Gato concept as a design exercise intended to explore a more radical direction for future Cougar models.
1970 Mercury Cougar El Gato Concept appeared as a typical classic American muscle car with a bold lime green paint job and built as a styling exercise for a futuristic-looking Cougar series.(Picture from: OldConceptCar)
Nicknamed “El Gato,” Spanish for “The Cat,”the vehicle immediately stood out thanks to its vivid lime-green finish and aggressive proportions. Its roofline was noticeably lowered, creating a sleeker silhouette, while the shaved door handles enhanced the clean, uninterrupted body shape. Riding on distinctive 16-inch three-spoke wheels wrapped in then-modern Goodyear Polyglass radial tires, the concept looked far more advanced than many production cars of its time.
1970 Mercury Cougar El Gato Concept used ultracool 16-inches three-spoke wheels wrapped with new-at-the-time Goodyear Polyglass radials. (Picture from: OldConceptCar)
The front section blended visual cues associated with boththe Cougar and Pontiac’s GTO-inspired performance styling, giving the car a sharp and intimidating presence. A subtle flat-black stripe treatment flowed into a molded hood scoop, while the rolled front and rear body pans replaced the bulky chrome bumpers that dominated American automotive design during that period. Most notably, El Gato became the first Cougar concept to adopt a fastback profile, a feature that would later become highly desirable among performance enthusiasts.
At the rear were fully covered with the LTD-style taillamps only broken at the left by the racing-style gas filler cap. (Picture from: OldConceptCar)
At the rear, the car continued its futuristic theme with taillamps inspired bythe Ford LTD, largely hidden beneath smooth bodywork. A racing-style fuel filler cap interrupted the design on one side, adding a motorsport touch. Beneath the tail sat unusual square center-exit exhaust outlets, a detail that further separated the concept from conventional muscle cars of the era and reinforced its experimental character.
Despite its memorable appearance, the fate of the Mercury Cougar El Gato remains uncertain. Many unused show cars from that period were routinely dismantled once their purpose had been served, and automotive historians generally believe El Gato may have met the same end. If that assumption is correct, the industry lost a fascinating piece of design history. Even so, the concept continues to capture attention today, reminding enthusiasts how a single styling study can leave a lasting impression long after the car itself has disappearedš. *** [EKA [07042020] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | OLDCONCEPTCARS | FORDMERCURYCOUGARXR7 | AMCARGUIDE]
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Forgotten ONES - Of the many concept cars built on car chassis of Porsche, one of the famous German car brands, only a few are unique and interesting. And one of them could be this Porsche Tapiro which is a car made by Italian coachbuilder ItalDesign in the 1970s. Well, the car name originating from the pig-like herbivorous mammal called tapir.
The Porsche Tapiro Concept designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1970s, and built based on the Porsche 914/6 platform. (Picture from: Motor1)
Reportedly, the design of the 1970s dream car was intentionally built to be extreme both in form and mechanics, but the possibility of mass production was still considered. This Porsche Tapiro was designed during 1970s by Giorgetto Giugiaro, a famous Italian designer from ItalDesign. This uniquely shaped car was the Giugiaro made 4th prototype and has become one of his favorite works to date.
The Porsche Tapiro had a windshield profile that was almost the same height as the hood. (Picture from: Motor1)
As quoted from Wikipedia, Tapiro's design most likely took inspiration from the iconic DeTomaso Mangusta which was also the work of Giorgetto Giugiaro while he was working for Ghia. From its appearance, it can be seen that the Tapiro was built in a 'wedge' shape for the first time in that era, and would be used again in many other car models in the following years, thus becoming a design trend during the 1970s.
The Porsche Tapiro is equipped with a gullwing door type as access to the cabin, not only that, the such unique shape of the door is also applied to the engine compartment. (Picture from: Motor1)
The Porsche Tapiro had a windshield profile that was almost the same height as the hood, and was also equipped with very exotic doors and a hood which was considered such a luxury solution although some people considered it eccentric for the time. Did you know that the Tapiro is a source of inspiration from the legendary DMC DeLorean car?
The Porsche Tapiro featured all those great Giugiaro styling flourishes, such as geometric air-ducting a cheese wedge profile and a futuristic cabin surrounded by an acreage of glass. (Picture from: Motor1)
As seen as, this Porsche Tapiro is equipped with a gullwing design door to be used as access to the cabin, not only that, the such unique shape of the door is also applied to the engine room and luggage room. Even more unique, unlike most concept cars which are only made as models from clay plaster, the Porsche Tapiro is a fully functional vehicle, in other words, this car can be run like an ordinary production version car.
The Porsche Tapiro concept is powered by a mid-mounted inline 6-cylinder 2.4-liter Porsche engine. (Picture from: Motor1)
Well, the Porsche Tapiro, which is 4,060 mm long, 1,760 mm wide and 1,110 mm high, is built based on the Porsche 914/6 platform, and is powered by a mid-mounted inline 6-cylinder 2.4-liter Porsche engine. And the machine is capable of producing 220 bhp of power at 7,200 rpm. The concept was engineered with a five-speed manual gearbox and had an official top speed of 245 kph.
Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio look sadly at the Tapiro remains in the front of ItalDesign HQ in Turin. (Picture from: Motor1)
After completion, this Tapiro concept car was shown for the first time in public at the 1970 Turin Motor Show. As quoted of Motor1, the car subsequently made its US debut at the 5th Annual Los Angeles Imported Automobile and Sports Car Show in 1971. After two years of traveling at various major world's auto shows, the Italian coachbuilder then sold the Tapiro to Waldo de los RĆos, an Argentine composer in 1973, after it made an appearance at the Barcelona Motor Show.
Today the burnt shell of the Porsche Tapiro is on display at the Giugiaro Museum's lawn. (Picture from: Autoevolution)
Some rumors say that the Porsche Tapiro had served as Waldo de los RĆos daily rides until it ended miserably at one terrible incident in Madrid, where most of the car was destroyed after it caught fire. As quoted from Wikipedia, most sources say the cause of the fire was a group of labor activists protesting against the labor policies at the time, who planted a bomb under the Tapiro. The bomb exploded, burning the car but not destroying the chassis.
While other sources said the car was involved in an accident somewhere and caught fire at that time. The car remains were later re-purchased by ItalDesign but never rebuilt, and today the burnt shell of the Porsche Tapiro is on display at the Giugiaro Museum's lawn. *** [EKA [2501202] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | WIKIPEDIA | MOTOR1 | AUTOEVOLUTION | ADRIANFLUX ]
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Streamlined Legacy - What is this car? How come it looks so weird? Those are the exact questions that might pop into your head the first time you lay eyes on the Volkhart V2 Sagitta. With its teardrop silhouette and streamlined design, it almost looks like a prop from an old science fiction movie. But this isn't some futuristic prototype from a forgotten film—it's a real car, built more than 75 years ago, and its story is more fascinating than its strange appearance lets on.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta was the 2nd prototype designed by Kurt C Volkhart and Baron R Kƶnig von Fachsenfeld based on the Volkswagen Beetle 1st generation aka the KdF Wagen Typ 60. (Picture from: ClassicCarWeekly.net)
At a glance, the Volkhart V2 Sagitta might seem like an oddball, but when you look closer at its foundation, things start to make sense. The car was developed using the chassis of the very first Volkswagen Beetle, officially known as the KdF-Wagen Typ 60. This was a wartime car, produced between 1937 and 1944, and was the seed from which one of the world’s most iconic vehicles would grow.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta formerly known as the Luftwaffe 'courier car' due to it developed and built as a part of the Luftwaffe's need before the war for a small, fast and agile courier car.(Picture from: Bonham)
While most enthusiasts are familiar withthe Porsche 356as the pinnacle of performance based on the Beetle platform, the V2 Sagitta predates it in both vision and execution. Back in the late 1930s, Germany's Luftwaffe was on the hunt for a light, nimble courier vehicle—one that could be fast, efficient, and easy to maintain. That’s where Kurt C. Volkhart entered the scene. He was an engineer with a deep understanding of aerodynamics, something that wasn’t yet a major focus in car design.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta is offered accommodation for 4/5 passengers inside its cabin, but never came close to series production. (Picture from: Hemmings)
His early project, the V1, was a two-seater sports car powered by a rear-mounted 1,172 cc Ford Eifel engine with only 32 bhp of power. It never made it beyond the prototype phase, but the idea of a slick, aerodynamic machine stuck with him.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta when undergoing aerodynamic tests conducted by Volkswagen in its wind tunnel back in the 2011, produced a drag coefficient of 0.217 over a frontal area of 2.10 square meters. (Picture from: Hemmings)
After World War II, Volkhart picked up where he left off, this time with some financial help from a company called Sagitta. What came next was the V2, a one-of-a-kind aerodynamic experiment built on a wartime VW Beetle chassis (with number 2-033683). The body, made entirely of lightweight aluminum, was shaped by Baron Reinhard Koenig-Fachsenfeld, a visionary in the world of streamlined car design. Construction was handled by Helmut Fuchs and later finished by Hans Daum’s workshop, both based in Germany.
The Volkhart V1 small two-seater sports coupe came out in the end of 1930s, and powered by a rear-mounted 1,172 cc Ford Eifel engine with only 32 bhp of power. (Picture from: Hemmings)
Underneath that sleek body was a 1.1-liter, rear-mounted flat-four engine producing just 24 horsepower. Modest on paper, yes, but thanks to its incredibly efficient design, the car could reach speeds of up to 88 mph—faster than the early Porsches of the time. And despite its compact footprint, it could squeeze in four to five passengers, showing that Volkhart was thinking about practicality just as much as performance.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta has inlets at the front, could be for the cabin ventilation, front brake cooling, horn, or a front mounted oil cooler. (Picture from: Hemmings)
What really set the V2 Sagitta apart, however, was its aerodynamic brilliance. The car was tested in Volkswagen’s wind tunnel in 2011, decades after it was built, and the results were astonishing. It recorded a drag coefficient of just 0.217—still on par with some of the best modern designs today. To put that into perspective, that’s better than most current-day sports cars, and lightyears ahead of anything else in the 1940s.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta is powered by a rear-mounted 1.1-liter flat-four good for 24 horsepower and a top speed of 88 mph. (Picture from: Hemmings)
Sadly, the V2never went into production. Volkswagen refused to supply more chassis, and without a solid production plan, the project faded into obscurity. Only one unit was ever made, and it had a strange life afterward.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta has a fan sucking air through that grille under rear window as for its engine cooling (although this 24 hp engine actually doesn't need much cooling). (Picture from: Hemmings)
It was sold to Hugo Tigges, a man who had provided materials during the car’s construction. He used it as his daily driver for six years before abandoning it in a garden in 1953. Two years later, Helmut Daum, son of one of the original builders, stepped in to rescue and preserve what was left.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta' last appearance in public under British racing green color was happened at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2012. (Picture from: Madle.org)
Over time, the car was restored, repainted, and passed between owners before ending up with Austrian Porsche collector Walter Traxler. Its last known public appearance was at the 2012 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, where it turned heads in a fresh silver coat after being returned to its original color from a previous repaint in British racing green.
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta' last appearance in public under British racing green color was happened at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2012. (Picture from: Madle.org)
In early 2023, news surfaced that the Volkhart V2 Sagittawould be auctioned by Bonhams at an event in Paris, with an estimated price tag between €1.8 million and €2.6 million. Yet, in a surprising twist, the car was withdrawn before the sale could take place, leaving its future hanging in uncertainty once again.š„
The Volkhart V2 Sagitta is more than just a
quirky piece of automotive history—it’s a glimpse into a lost path of
design innovation. Built at a time when speed, beauty, and function
rarely intersected in car design, it stood apart as a bold attempt to
push boundaries. Today, it remains one of the rarest and most unique examples of what might have been, had things gone just a little differently.. *** [EKA [24032023] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CLASSICCARWEEKLY.NET | BONHAM | HEMMINGS | ULTIMATECARPAGE ]
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Missing LINK - The Jaguar D-type and its successor, the E-type, stand as two of the most iconic creations in Jaguar's history. These models not only reflect Jaguar’s rich automotive legacy but also marked the brand's dominance in the racing world. In the mid-1950s, Jaguar's D-type achieved significant success, particularly at the renowned 24-Hours of Le Mans. From 1955 to 1956, Jaguar's racing prowess was unmatched, and the D-type was instrumental in securing back-to-back victories.
The 1960 Jaguar E2A Prototype is a scaled up development mule built with the chassis made of steel, not monocoque aluminum as in the E1A. (Picture from: Pinterest)
Phantom Challenger - The following article briefly tells about the rivalry that really happened between the two American automotive giants General Motors and Ford Motor Company through the automotive products produced by both of them.
The Ford Cougar II Concept is built by Ford Motor Company intended to be an equal rival model of the Chevy Corvette. (Picture from: Motorcities.org)
The story begins when GM through its subsdiary marque, Chevrolet launched a design change of the Corvette sports car in the early 1960s, which at that time immediately caught the public's attention because of its good performance. Off course it made Ford top brass felt challenged to create an equal rival.
The Ford Cougar II Concept is featured an aerodynamic coupe styling bodywork, offered a great interior design plus retractable headlights. (Picture from: Motorcities.org)
Then they called the company's engineers for immediately devised a plan. In short, the engineers produced this interesting concept such the Ford Cougar II Concept, which featured an aerodynamic coupe styling bodywork, offered a great interior design plus retractable headlights and was also called one of three-X car concepts, along with the Ford Allegro and Ford Mustang II.
The Ford XP Bordinat Cobra is a concept car creation of Ford Motor Company collaborated with Carroll Shelby back in the 1963. (Picture from: Motorcities.org)
By design this Cougar II Concept is very similar to another concept car called the Bordinat Cobra, associated with Gene Bordinat, Ford's Vice President of Styling then, and the man behind the creation of these two great concept models. Well, the mentioned Cobra Roadster, which is one of the collaboration result cars of Ford Motor Company with Carroll Shelby, turned out to be warmly welcomed when it was introduced to the public, and many consumers really enjoyed the great styling. It's said that Ford never liked the eggshell-thin aluminum body of the Cobra, so it designed a coupe style similar to the Corvette and had one made.
The great looking Ford Cougar II fastback concept design built with a fiberglass body under finishing touches of a candy apple red color. (Picture from: Motorcities.org)
Furthermore, both are also built on a Shelby Cobra legendary chassis, only the Cougar II Concept is powered by a Ford small block 260ci V8 engine. This great looking fastback concept design built with a fiberglass body under finishing touches of a candy apple red color, in which its bodywork was created and built by Ford designers, Ken Spencer and Ray Behmer.
The Ford Cougar II Concept is powered by a Ford small block 260ci V8 engine. (Picture from: Motorcities.org)
While many historians and automotive enthusiasts have argued that the Cougar II Concept looked like a Corvette and deserved to be an equal rival for those Chevy's sports car, on the contrary Ford engineers at the time thought the car would be too expensive to produce.
So then the blue oval logoed company chose to be more focus on the Mustang project whose its production version is still could be seen until today, and left the Bordinat Cobra and the Cougar II Concept models dusty in the warehouse. Later, both of them were donated to the Detroit Historical Museum. š¢ *** [EKA [27102022] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | MOTORCITIES | THEGENTLEMANRACER | HEMMINGS | BURRITODETODO ]
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Postwar Reverie - The years following World War II were filled with a strange mix of exhaustion and optimism. Factories that once served military needs began searching for new identities, and engineers were suddenly free to imagine objects meant not for survival, but for living. In that brief, hopeful window, some of the most unconventional machines ever conceived took shape. One of them was the Moto Major 350, a motorcycle born from postwar ambition and creative freedom, and one that still feels remarkably alive in today’s design-driven era.
The vintage-styled 1947 Moto Major 350 prototype still enchanting until today. (Picture from: MotoRiderUniverse)
Unveiled in 1947, the Moto Major 350 immediately stood apart from conventional motorcycles of its time. Designed by Turin-based engineer Salvatore Maiorca, the bike ignored exposed mechanical honesty and instead embraced flowing form. Its silhouette placed it in the same visual conversation as rare experimental machines likethe Killinger & Freund from 1938 or Louis Lucien Lepoix’s customized BMW R12, yet the Moto Major carried a personality entirely its own—more organic, more daring, and unmistakably futuristic.
The 1947 Moto Major 350 is voted as the Best of Show Motorcycles at the Concorso Eleganza Villa d’Este in 2018. (Picture from: TheVintagent)
The origins of this motorcycle are closely tied to Aeritalia, an aerospace company based in Turin and a subsidiary of Fiat. Developed inside Aeritalia’s aerodynamic research facilities, the Moto Major was fully funded as an experimental project, reflecting Fiat’s curiosity about entering the two-wheeled market. This was not Fiat’s first flirtation with motorcycles; a decade earlier, it had explored scooter concepts that predated models like Piaggio’s MP5 Paperino. The Moto Major, however, pushed far beyond experimentation and into radical design philosophy.
From every angle, the Moto Major is stunning and compelling. The sole prototype remains in original and unrestored condition.(Picture from: TheVintagent)
What continues to enchant enthusiasts decades later is its bodywork, which feels less engineered and more sculpted. The steel shell wraps almost the entire motorcycle, leaving only the wheels, headlamp, and handlebars visible. Its form has often been compared to marine life, with smooth, cephalopod-like curves and intricate detailing. Even the silencer resembles a flattened fishtail, reinforcing the organic theme while creating a visual balance rarely seen in motorcycles, vintage or modern.
A cutaway view of the 350 single-cylinder of Moto Major, and showing the steering system, inline single-cylinder motor, shaft drive, and fuel tank under the saddle.(Picture from: TheVintagent)
Beneath the dramatic exterior lies equally unconventional engineering. The Moto Major 350 used a vertically oriented, liquid-cooled twin-cylinder engine, with two radiators discreetly integrated into the fairing and fed by airflow from the front. Controls were partially concealed, with a hand shifter emerging through the bodywork, while the handlebars remained exposed, creating a subtle tension between enclosure and rider connection.
The Moto Major has twin fishtail exhausts hide a secret with only one side is functional, another one is a dummy for aesthetic balance purposes only.(Picture from: TheVintagent)
The exhaust layout added another layer of visual theater. Twin fishtail outlets extended from the rear, even though the 350 cc version technically required only one exhaust pipe. The second was purely decorative, included solely to preserve symmetry. This decision perfectly captured the philosophy behind the Moto Major—engineering logic existed, but it willingly bowed to aesthetics when necessary.
The handlebars move in a slot in the bodywork, between the speedometer and a steering damper knob.(Picture from: TheVintagent)
Perhaps the most advanced idea was hidden within the wheels themselves. The body functioned as a self-supporting monocoque hull, allowing the fairing to sit extremely close to the wheels. Suspension was not placed between the chassis and wheels, but inside the wheels, between the rims and hubs. Maiorca adapted concepts he had previously explored in aircraft design, reviving the almost-forgotten idea of elastic wheels and pushing motorcycle engineering into uncharted territory.
The Moto Major’s in-wheel suspension uses 12 compressed rubber disc per wheel for suspension, to provide a nominal 50cm of travel.(Picture from: TheVintagent)
Despite the excitement it generated—including a planned collaboration with Pirelli and a sensational public appearance at the 1948 Milan Salon—the Moto Major 350
never entered production. Costs, complexity, and shifting priorities
quietly ended the dream. Today, the sole surviving example rests with the Hockenheim Museum Archive, preserved rather than restored due to its delicate and irreplaceable components. Its recognition as Best of Show Motorcycle at the 2018 Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este confirmed what many already felt: the Moto Major 350 is not just a relic, but a timeless expression of how bold imagination can outlast the era that created it.
Kept spur your adrenaline on the power of the two-wheeled monster and stay alive with true safety riding. God will forgive Your sins and so does the cops.... *** [EKA [07032020] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | THE VINTAGENT | BIKEEXIF | MOTORIDERSUNIVERSE ]
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