# Prototype Cars That Should Have Made It

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prototype-cars-that-should-have-made-it/186719>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [July 7, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prototype-cars-that-should-have-made-it/186719 "2003-07-07T05:46:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prototype-cars-that-should-have-made-it/186719/41 "2003-07-12T02:27:51Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Gunslinger \*  
> \*\*Everything Harley Earl built in the '40s and '50s. \*\*

After seeing those links, I am appalled at the current ad campaign featuring his name.

The designs you linked to are the opposite of the conservative, conformist, lifeless crap his name is being used to sell today.I’m surprised he _hasn’t_ risen from the grave and taken his vengance.

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**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prototype-cars-that-should-have-made-it/186719/42 "2003-07-12T03:29:48Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by DocCathode \*  
> \*\*After seeing those links, I am appalled at the current ad campaign featuring his name.
> 
> The designs you linked to are the opposite of the conservative, conformist, lifeless crap his name is being used to sell today.I’m surprised he _hasn’t_ risen from the grave and taken his vengance. \*\*

If there is a God, Harley Earl will be allowed to do so.

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**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prototype-cars-that-should-have-made-it/186719/43 "2003-07-12T03:48:00Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by DocCathode \*  
> **After seeing those links, I am appalled at the current ad campaign featuring his name.**

Me too. The more conservative of his designs that actually made it to full-scale production are the most beautiful cars ever.: the first three generations of Corvettes, the postwar Cadillacs, the '55-'57 Buicks and Chevys…

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**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prototype-cars-that-should-have-made-it/186719/44 "2003-07-12T13:00:11Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \*  
> \*\*If there is a God, Harley Earl will be allowed to do so. \*\*

If there is a God, he probably has Harley Earl making him a car.  
😃

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**Author:** ![dal\_timgar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@dal\_timgar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dal_timgar)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prototype-cars-that-should-have-made-it/186719/45 "2003-07-12T16:46:45Z")

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ROSEN MOTORS was working on a car that used a turbine generator to produce electricity. The power was stored in a flywheel in a vacuum bottle. It had electric motors in the wheels and used electromagnetic braking to recover the energy during a stop. $24,000,000 was spent on research but the auto industry wasn’t interested.

Dal Timgar

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**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\
**Post date:** [July 12, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prototype-cars-that-should-have-made-it/186719/46 "2003-07-12T20:33:48Z")

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Thanks for the correction, Tuckerfan.

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