Axon's Automotive Anorak: Concepts that looked to the past

This tiny metallic grey restomod ‘design concept’ with a daring orange leather interior celebrates the 60^th anniversary of the original 1957 SEAT 600; the car that put SEAT on the map as a vehicle mass producer, and also put the Spanish nation on wheels.

The retro-inspired 600 BMS is a pleasingly bold move on the part of SEAT’s owners, the Volkswagen Group, as the design concept is a very clear nod to SEAT’s origins, when it was founded jointly by Fiat and the Spanish Government on 9 May 1950. The 600 BMS shares the Fiat 600 coachwork, including the Italian original’s suicide doors and roll-back sunroof, as well as its rear-mounted 633cc, 14 bhp motor.

Seeing images of this ‘new’ classic-inspired SEAT has set me thinking about other retro-concepts created by a number of other car manufacturers over the past two decades, with a few personal favourites below;

1997 Rover Mini ACV 30:

Revealed ahead of the first of the production BMW-era Minis at the 1997 Monte Carlo Rally, Rover’s Mini ACV 30 (ACV standing for Anniversary Concept Vehicle) marked the 30^th anniversary of the famous 1967 Mini Cooper S victory on the grueling Monaco event; the last of three such wins for the plucky British city runabout. Rover’s red-with-white-roof Mini ACV 30 closely reflected the styling of the iconic 1959 Alec Issigonis original, but used an MG F platform, with that model’s mid-mounted 1.8-litre engine.  

2002 Ford GT40 Concept:

Ford’s 2002 Detroit Auto Show GT40 Concept has now become a familiar sight and an object of desire to all red-blooded petrol heads, as the Blue Oval’s celebration of its legendary 1960s Le Mans-winning GT40 eventually made it into limited production as the Ford GT, from 2004 until 2006, with the current second-generation production series launched in 2016. Ford used American racing legend Carroll Shelby as a consultant to help develop the 2002 GT40 Concept.

1996 Renault Fiftie:

The Renault Fiftie was a cunning modern interpretation of the legendary Renault 4CV, made in its millions between 1947 and 1961. The Fiftie concept was a show-stopper at the 1996 Geneva Salon, based on the all-alloy chassis of the then-new mid-engined Renault Sport Spider, and previewing the French manufacturer’s all-new D7F 1.2-liter, 8-valve four-cylinder engine, which went on to power the production Twingo.

1999 Dodge Power Wagon:

The 7.2-litre turbo diesel Dodge Power Wagon concept – unveiled to huge acclaim at the 1999 Detroit Auto Show – was a nostalgic nod to the cult ‘ram-tough’ Power Wagon pickup trucks made by Dodge in the 1940s. The modern prototype was built around the platform of a Dodge RAM pickup, with production rumoured, which sadly never transpiring.

2004 Fiat Trepiuno:

When Fiat pulled the cover of its tiny Trepiuno concept car at the 2004 Geneva Show, few could have realised at the time what a significant moment this would turn out to be for the popular Italian car maker. A cunning 21^st-Century homage to the classic 1957 Fiat 500 city car, the public’s response to the Trepiuno concept was so positive that it convinced Fiat to launch a production version of the concept, in the enlarged form of the current New 500, which has been a huge run-away sales success for the marque. 

2015 BMW 3.0 CSL Homage:

Revealed in vibrant Golf Yellow at the 2015 Villa d’Este concours, and followed-up by a white, blue and red-liveried ‘competition’ interpretation of the same concept at Pebble Beach, the stunning 3.0 CSL Homage honoured BMW’s classic lightweight 3.0 CSL coupe of the mid-1970s; a model that gave the Bavarian brand countless racing victories in period with an enviable competition career, aided by its distinctive high-raise rear spoiler and rubber front wing-top splitters. Other BMW reflections of its heritage include retro concepts of its 1930s 328, the M1 and 2002 Turbo.

2005 Suzuki LC Concept

Although largely unknown outside of its native market, the 1960s Suzuki Fronte was one of the Japan’s best-selling Kei cars. For the 2005 Tokyo Auto Show, Suzuki built on the local affection for this cute little city car with its nostalgic LC Concept, a rear-engine 660cc retro prototype inspired by the friendly-looking 1960s Fronte. 

2005 Holden Efijy: 

The Efijy concept caused a sensation at the 2005 Australian International Motor Show. Created as a tribute to Holden’s revered FJ – Australia’s second purpose-built production car – the hot rod-style Efijy used a Chevrolet Corvette floor pan and 6-litre, 644 bhp V8 motor, borrowed from its sporting North American GM cousin. Somewhat more inspiring than the stodgy 2.2-litre 1953 Holden original!