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Porsche-Studebaker Typ 542 Prototype, AKA the Z-87, was commissioned by Studebaker in 1952. Two prototypes were built, with water and air-cooled versions of a rear-mounted 120º V6 engine, unibody construction, and independent suspension, all advanced features for the time. By 1954, when they arrived in South Bend, Indiana, Studebaker was struggling financially. John Z. DeLorean, then an young engineer at Studebaker, evaluated the cars, criticising their handling and styling, leading to the project’s cancellation.

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Chrysler’s expansion in Europe was rapid. By the 1970 Paris motor show, they owned a majority share in French car-maker Simca, so Bertone’s concept, though based on the rear-engined Simca 1200 S, became the Chrysler Shake. Marcello Gandini’s beach-buggy was significantly more sophisticated than the VW Beetle-based dune buggies that had become popular in the US during the 1960s.

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The 1969 Opel CD (Coupé Diplomat) is a grand tourer concept unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show, designed by Charles "Chuck" Jordan. It featured a futuristic, forward-tilting single-piece canopy, aerodynamic fibreglass bodywork, and a 327ci Chevrolet V8 (shared with Opel's Diplomat Sedan. A toned-down version was designed by Pietro Frua and put into production as the Bitter CD by former race car driver Erich Bitter.

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General Motors in Australia was working on a sports car of its own, based on Holden’s Torana, which was itself based on the Vauxhall Viva. The Holden Torana GTR-X was presented at the 1970 Melbourne Motor Show and was seriously considered for the Australasian market. However, potential sales were considered too small to cover the extensive production costs.

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Directed by Wayne Cherry and styled by David Jones (Director of Design) at General Motors' Luton Design & Engineering Centre, the Vauxhall VXR (Experimental Vauxhall Research) was presented at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show. Three fully functional prototypes were built, but the car didn’t progress beyond the testing phase.

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The Iso Grifo A3/L Spider was presented on the Bertone stand at the 1964 Geneva Motor Show. Designed by a young Giorgetto Giugiaro, it was powered by the same 327ci Chevrolet V8 as the hardtop Grifo. While the Grifo coupé went into production and survived through three series until the demise of Iso in 1974, the convertible remained a one-off. The unrestored one-off car was sold by RM Sotheby’s in October 2024 for $1,875,000 USD.

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The Porsche 989 was a four-door sports sedan prototype developed between 1988 and 1991. Conceived as a "family sports car," it used a front-mounted V8 engine driving the rear wheels. Project 989 was terminated in January 1992, largely due to rising development costs and lower projected sales volumes. It would be another two decades before Porsche successfully launched a four-door sports saloon (the Panamera).

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The Opel GT2 was a futuristic, wedge-shaped concept car unveiled at the 1975 Frankfurt Motor Show. It was envisioned as a potential successor to the original Opel GT, though it never was. The rearward-opening sliding doors operated without visible external rails; the operating mechanism was hidden in the side mirror housings. Though the GT2 went no further, some of its design elements trickled down into GM future models.

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The Volvo 1800 ESC Viking was a concept car designed by the Italian coachbuilder Sergio Coggiola and presented at the 1971 Paris Auto Show. Built on the chassis of the Volvo 1800 S, the concept was intended to explore the future design direction for Volvo’s sports model, with a specific focus on safety and passenger comfort. Although it was considered a potential successor to the ageing P1800 series, the project was ultimately shelved due to the international oil crisis of 1973.

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By 1966, Aston Martin had been working with Carrozzeria Touring for nearly a decade. They were commissioned to create a successor to the Aston Martin DB6 and produced two prototypes, with right and left-hand drive. Designed using Touring’s Superleggera technique (alloy panels over a steel-tube frame), the DBSC was roughly 400 lbs (182 kg) lighter than the DB6. The project went no further because Touring was in receivership, and Aston Martin chose to focus on its own in-house design, which became the production DBS.

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By 1970, De Tomaso owned both Carrozzerias Ghia and Vignale. Fiat owed Vignale money for coachbuilding work. Bertone had designed a new mid-engined sports car for Fiat. Alejandro De Tomaso and Ghia’s design head, Tom Tjaarda, saw Bertone’s prototype while visiting a supplier. Alejandro pressed Tom to copy the design, which was quickly turned into a prototype for the 1971 Turin auto show. De Tomaso would to start making the 1600 Spider before the Fiat X1/9 entered production unless Fiat paid their Vignale invoice. The bill was paid, the De Tomaso Spider was shelved.

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Presented 60 years ago by Carrozzeria Ghia at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, the De Tomaso Mangusta Spyder was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro during his brief sojourn as head of Centro Stile at Ghia. It previewed the Ford V8-powered mid-engined hardtop Mangusta that went into production in 1967, though the Spider remained a one-off.

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Giovanni Michelotti presented the Lancia Beta Mizar 4 at the 1974 Turin Motor Show. A radically futuristic reinterpretation of the Lancia Beta 1800, the four gullwing doors gave access to an orchid-coloured interior with four individual seats and a full-length console. 

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OSI Silver Fox, a radical racing prototype designed by Sergio Sartorelli in 1967, powered by a 1000cc Renault Alpine engine in the left hull of its twin-hull layout. Three prominent wings, including an adjustable front wing, connected the hulls and enhanced its aerodynamics. Despite the small engine, it could reach 155 mph. However, as Officine Stampaggi Industriali went out of business in 1968, it never raced and remained a one-off.

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The Alfa Romeo Scarabeo was designed by Sergio Sartorelli at the OSI (Officine Stampaggi Industriali) workshop in 1966, intended as a lightweight, affordable alternative to Alfa’s Tipo 33 racing programme. The innovative mid-engined H-shaped tubular frame used large-diameter tubes that served as fuel tanks to ensure even weight distribution. OSI’s project never made it beyond three prototypes as the company folded in 1968.

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The DS SM Tribute is a one-off concept car from DS Automobiles, created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the brand's independence from Citroën. Originally introduced as a design study with "no plans for production," recent statements from DS design director Thierry Metroz indicate a shift and that DS is considering a "tiny number" of production units.

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The Alfa Romeo Alfasud had been designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro at his fledgling Italdesign studio. The Alfasud Caimano was also designed by Giugiaro based on the Alfasud and presented at the 1971 Turin Motor Show, having been commissioned by Alfa Romeo as a "dream car" with no possibility of production.