Designer fantasies: 15 cars that (unfortunately) never existed

Our author is a designer and driver. Here he shows photo -realistic pictures of vehicles that could have existed – but unfortunately they were never produced.

Even as a young boy, I was fascinated by cars. Today I work for the automotive industry and for car magazines: For their readers, I draw photo -realistic pictures of future car models. The basis for the illustrations forms a “information mix”: On the one hand, I look at the “design DNA” of the respective manufacturer. But I also study concept cars, i.e. auto prototypes. I am well networked with insiders from industry – that also helps.

Design of old and youngtimers are still fascinated today

The design of classic cars and youngtimers in particular has a special fascination with me to this day. Many designs are timeless or iconic. They not only tell the history of the automobile, but also the history of style, culture and society.

While classic cars inspire with the quality and strong lines, youngtimers reflect the zeitgeist of the 80s and 90s- shaped by courage to new forms and technical experiments. What connects both is their independence: Each model is the result of a distinctive manuscript that makes it immediately recognizable.

At a time when modern automobile design is increasingly determined by norms, aerodynamics and efficiency, classic cars and youngtimers act like rolling works of art. They arouse emotions, preserve memories and make design history alive.

Model variants that did not exist

For me, the cars of my past, starting with the models from my childhood in the late 1960s, are particularly exciting. I find it even more interesting than models of today. And so I thought about model variants of these cars, which did not exist: variants that would have been beautiful and desirable from today’s perspective and from the then perspective. I also designed ideas for non -existent model variants of current vehicles. Could these models be successful today if manufacturers would build you?

I have made photo -realistic illustrations of the cars. Here I show a small selection of 15 models – across the epochs – from models from the late 60s to the present. From sensible and chic to a bit weird. In any case, they are entertaining.