The nineties were a time for innovation and advancement both in technology and the automotive world. We witnessed a complete shift from boxy sedans to sleek cars and trucks by the end of the decade. Completely revolutionary designs like the Corvette C5 and the Plymouth Prowler dominated the streets and the auto show circuit. But, it was the concept cars that set the stage for these innovative rides. Concepts like the Plymouth Pronto and the Audi TT, both of which became very successful production models. There was no shortage of innovation during this decade, and many of these concept cars are still widely revered today.
Alfa Romeo Scighera
Alfa Romeo, it’s that company that you know about but you seldom hear very much about. But, their the guys that built those fun to drive little convertibles that you see at car shows from time to time. In America, the brand isn’t too well known, although it has made a resurgence in recent years with new modern models. However, around the rest of the world the brand is quite well known and in the nineties they had a blockbuster of a concept car.
Dodge T-Rex
The Dodge Ram of the nineties became one of the best selling pickup trucks of all-time. It completely reinvigorated the Dodge brand where the Ram had been quite outdated for a long period of time. The T-Rex concept took the novelty of the Ram and made it even cooler looking.
Nissan Trail Runner
Nissan is a brand that has a lot of prestige around the world, but in the nineties the company was on a downward spiral. The models were bland to say the least and there were much better options from other automakers. Nevertheless, the company tried to innovate with a few one of a kind concept cars, one of which was the Nissan Trail Runner.
Renault Espace F1
Renault is a car company that’s always had a major presence in the F1 circuit. The Espace F1 was a concept car that was designed to dominate the F1 racing circuit, and it was quite unique. It was the companies best selling minivan which proved to be a platform for this interesting concept car, making it the quickest people mover in the world.
Bentley Hunaudières
Bentley was a car company in transition in the nineties. The company was purchased by Volkswagen and as such a move to build more modern luxury cars was in motion. The first concept car to come out of the new partnership was the Hunaudières, and this thing was beautiful.
Volkswagen W12
Volkswagen had their own supercar concept in the nineties and it was the W12. This sleek supercar was one of the most beautiful exotic concept cars on the auto show circuit at the time. The thing that made it the most unique was the fact that it had the powerful W12 engine under the hood.
Ford Indigo
There’s no denying the fact that Ford had some interesting concepts in the 1990s. The Indigo had a lot of styling cues that you might have remembered from another domestic car of this time period, the Prowler. Unfortunately, the Indigo was a Ford creation and it had a unique look and feel that the Plymouth didn’t.
Ford GT90
Perhaps one of the most well-known concept cars in the world was the Ford GT40. The 90s icon was based on the supercar that revolutionized Ford racing in the 1960s. The sleek concept car was all but ready for production with a modern design and powerplant, sadly Ford put the car into production much later.
Chrysler Atlantic
There is no denying that Chrysler was on fire during the 1990s. The amount of concept cars that the company churned out was nothing short of amazing. The car hit the autoshow circuit in 1995 and it was only the tip of the iceberg for the new Chrysler design language.
Chrysler Chronos
If the Chrysler Chronos looks familiar, it’s because it was the inspiration for the 300C sedan which came a few years later. The Chronos had a long design with plenty of curves that caught people’s attention. But, under the hood, the car had a superior powerplant and a luxurious interior.
Audi Avus Quattro
In the 1990s the Audi brand was in a state of despair, with no real brand image. But, with the invigoration of the parent Volkswagen brand, there were a few well-known concept cars. The Audi Avus Quattro was a beautiful supercar, with one of the most powerful engines ever put in an Audi vehicle.
Lincoln Sentinel
Lincoln was another brand in transition during the nineties. Lincoln cars were traditionally known as boring and slow. The Sentinel was a concept car that was designed for a whole new generation of drivers. With a sleek body and high-tech interior this car was the talk of automotive magazines in 1996.
Alfa Romeo Scighera
The Alfa Romeo Scighera was one of the few Alfa Romeo concept cars that hit in the autoshow circuit in the 1990s. The twin-turbo powered V6 engine was one of the best that was ever put into a concept car. Sadly the Scighera never made it into production, but the car is still highly revered.
Plymouth Pronto Spyder
The Plymouth Pronto Spyder was another notable concept car that hit the auto show circuit in the nineties. This one was so well received that it became known as the Chrysler Crossfire sports car in 2004. The Pronto had an impressive drivetrain and a design that was just about production-ready.
Plymouth Voyager 3
Chrysler corporation redefined family transportation in the eighties with the advent of the minivan. The car was much more versatile than a station wagon and consumers ate them up by the millions. The Voyager 3 was a concept car that built on the popularity of the Voyager nameplate.
Volkswagen Concept One
Perhaps what was considered one of the most important concept cars of all-time, the Volkswagen Concept One ushered in the era of retro-themed modern cars. The Concept One was such a hit with consumers that Volkswagen rushed an almost identical car into production a few years later, known as the New Beetle.
1997 Dodge Copperhead Concept
As was the case with most of the Chrysler brand portfolio in the nineties, the Dodge Copperhead was another impressive concept. The Copperhead concept had a sleek design and a powerful V8 engine under the hood. Think of it as Dodge’s real answer to the C5 Corvette of the nineties.
1995 BMW Z18
Crossover vehicles weren’t always the norm, in-fact in the nineties seeing one was a treat. Cars like the Mitsubishi Expo never really took off, but BMW tried a different approach with their Z18 concept. The unique look of the car had a lot of similarities to the Suzuki X-90 at the time, unfortunately the car never went into production.
1996 Mercedes-Benz F200 Imagination
The Mercedes-Benz F200 was the first glimpse into the future of Mercedes-Benz design. The sleek design of the interior and the beautiful turquoise paint job made the car one of the hottest concepts of 1996. There is no denying that the nineties were a very important decade for Mercedes.
1990 GM Impact Concept
The GM Impact concept ended up being one of the most infamous concept and production cars of all time. The reason for this was the fact that this concept car became what was known as the EV1. The world’s first production electric car, and the car that GM ordered every model to be crushed by the end of the nineties.
1999 Mitsubishi SSU Concept
Mitsubishi was never a major player in the American automotive market, but the company was responsible for a lot of well-known cars. The SSU concept which was dubbed the “Super Sport Utility” was one of the most impressive looking concepts of 1999. The boxy shaped blending modern and utilitarian styling to create a beautiful SUV.
1997 Pontiac Rageous Concept
The Pontiac brand in the nineties was one of the most influential automotive nameplates. The cars were ahead of their time and very exciting to drive, and the Pontiac Rageous concept built on that. The sleek design of the concept car was the precursor to the Pontiac Solstice roadster which hit the market in the 2000s.
1995 Honda Sports Study Model (SSM) Concept
In the nineties, Honda wasn’t a company that was known for sports cars, but the company wanted to change all that with the Sports Study Model (SSM). If the little roadster looks familiar it’s because this was the basis for what became the S2000. The Sports Study Model was extremely fast and nimble, a far cry from anything that Honda was selling.
1995 Mazda RX-01 Concept
By the mid-nineties no one was buying sports cars, and everyone from Toyota to Mazda was discontinuing historic nameplates like the Supra and the RX-7. But, that doesn’t mean that Mazda was done altogether. The 1995 Mazda RX-01 Concept was a unique concept car that put a modern twist around the classic rotary engine.
1995 Toyota Prius Concept
Toyota was eco-friendly long before it was hip to be eco-friendly. The Prius concept car was introduced for the 1995 model year, and it made the rounds in the auto show world. This concept car was very similar to the actual production model of the Prius that was released in 1999. The car introduced the first incarnation of the Toyota Hybrid system.
1999 Cadillac Evoq Concept
The Cadillac Evoq concept was the basis for the Cadillac XLR that was released in the 2000s. The Evoq had a sleek design that was unlike anything else that Cadillac had released. This was also the start of the art and science marketing campaign that Cadillac used in the early 2000s.
1995 Subaru Fleet-X Concept
The Fleet-X concept was the springboard for the Impreza that was released during the mid-2000s. The unique look of the Fleet-X was a far cry from the rally-inspired cars that Subaru was pushing for most of the nineties. The car also had a host of new safety and technology features that wowed auto show goers.
1996 Peugeot Toureg Concept
Peugeot is one of the most well-known automotive companies in the world, and the nineties they had some pretty unique vehicles. The Toureg looked a lot like the Can-Am that we have nowadays. The versatility and the off-road capability of the Toureg made it one of the most popular concept cars of the decade.
1998 Jaguar XK180 Concept
Jaguar is one of the most historic automakers in the world. Jaguar cars have been the pinnacle of luxury and sportiness for decades. The XK180 was a concept car that gave us an idea of what was coming. The XK180 was very similar to the XK80 sports car that was released later in the decade.
1994 BMW Fun Car Concept
BMW and the word fun go hand-in-hand. But, not every fun BMW has an “M” badge on the side of it, instead there was a fun concept car that was released in 1994. The BMW Fun Car concept was a roadster that was ready for the street. This was about as barebones of a car as you could get, but it had BMW engineering.
1995 Renault Initiale Concept
Renault is well known around the world as an automaker, and the company has been responsible for many great cars. The 1995 Renault Initiale Concept was the pinnacle of luxury and performance at a time when luxury cars were boring. The concept car took the Paris autoshow by storm.
1992 Volvo ECC (Environmental Concept Car)
Volvo is a company that has always been ahead of the curve in terms of the environment. The Volvo ECC was an interesting concept at the time, and it was also a glimpse into what the Volvo design language of the 2000s would look like. The sleek white body of the car and interesting technology made it a stellar concept.