Vehicles for the future: beyond the old design

Many have designed new project to reinvent the daily mean of transportation which is the car that we drive everywhere. Few succeeded and many failed, but not because of mistakes in the design project, simply because people are not ready for changes, especially when we deal with our life style.

We certainly need an evolution in transportation for two motives: first the massive amount of traffic and time we spend sitting in while driving; second the pollution that is eating our planet away. Oddly enough both of these problems seem to interest little or nothing to our politicians who are embedded in promising us the very next thing after the next thing, running on treadmills believing they are delivering.

Some projects to evolve the car are quite amazing and have been proposed without success each year to several  auto shows around the planet, from Tokyo to Ginevra to Detroit. The lack of success is to be blamed almost entirely on us and on our failure to change for the common good. How nice would it be if we could drive electric cars without being worried about pollution and gas prices? 

I searched some prototypes with interesting features that many might not like, but they are worth their artistic ad design appeal because they are achievement towards our real need for a more efficient car.

Below is the Ford 021C concept by Marc Newson shown at the Tokyo auto show in 1999. The car was design to be a cornerstone towards the new millennium in car design. With the body made of carbon fiber this Ford was design to be practical and with very few decoration to propose something radical to the public, but unfortunately it remained only a project. It can be the design of the future simply because it's more than a city car. Yes Smart is a nice and compact car, but this allows you to have twice the people and the cargo, plus it got nice colors.

Another amazing car concept entirely designed by a team of women from Volvo delivered the YCC (Your Car Concept), a 2004 idea. This model is similar to the current C30 hatchback model already available. During the Ginevra Autoshow this car got praised for the unique design filled with details and original patterns that only a woman can deliver. It is practical and sporty at the same time, it will mostly appeal to a young and adult crowd.

Another vehicle that has an useful design is what the French car maker Renault produced the Avantime from 2001 to 2003 with an original design typical of Europe. The advantage of having a car like this is the compromise of cargo space, seating comfort and design; rather than have a full size minivan that are OK to travel with but a pain to park. Sadly it was too ahead of its time and people did't receive the original design as Renault hoped, mostly because of the high price and the big gasoline engine that is not a plus, especially in a period of very high gas prices and inflation. Maybe this car can be re proposed in a near future as the design is now more similar to todays European models.