Will Travel Copyright October 2000, By Arv Voss, Auto Impressions Lake Casitas, CA.- Dream cars or Concept cars, as they were once known, are wondrous and magical creations. The reason for their existence is many fold. Not only do they serve as expressive outlets for the designers of things automotive, they serve as showcases for innovative market research and product development.
Concept vehicles play an important role in creating excitement in the public arena.
They are often suggestive of future trends, and as a result are usually regarded as top trade secrets and kept under wraps until such time as they are unveiled at a major international show or some other significant automotive venue, amidst a seemingly unashamed degree of theatrical hype and hoopla. In a great many instances, concept vehicles are for exhibition purposes only and may lack varying levels of functional equipment. Some are indeed mere designer shells, with no running gear or powertrain components at all. For the most part, that's not the way the game is played in the Chrysler camp. This represents an unusually bold practice, in that concept cars, whether fully operable or not, are high dollar, often unlimited budget exercises totaling expenditures in the multiple six-figure range.