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

12th May 2017
Gary Axon

As the bi-annual Barcelona Motor Show opens its doors to the public and press this week, Spain’s largest vehicle producer – SEAT – is unveiling an unusual ‘concept’ car; the SEAT 600 BMS (Barcelona Motor Show). 

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This tiny metallic grey restomod ‘design concept’ with a daring orange leather interior celebrates the 60th 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 30th 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.  

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 21st-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. 

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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.

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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. 

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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!

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