# What happens to Concept Cars from Auto shows?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-concept-cars-from-auto-shows/230268>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 20, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-concept-cars-from-auto-shows/230268 "2004-02-20T21:22:40Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-concept-cars-from-auto-shows/230268/1 "2004-02-20T21:22:40Z")

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Leafing through all the crazy cars in the front of my _Car and Driver_ - I wondered what happens to these cars. I’m not talking about the shells that just look pretty, but the concept cars that could conceivably go into production - they’re functioning automobiles. Engines, tires, electronics, the works.

Do the car companies have rooms full of them? Are there auto executives driving around Dertroit in spacemobiles? Are they destroyed once it’s determined they won’t go into production? (Seems like a waste of money).

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**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-concept-cars-from-auto-shows/230268/2 "2004-02-20T23:25:56Z")

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I saw a special once (I think it was from A&E’s “Behind Closed Doors”) that said the concept cars generally go into the manufacturer’s factory museum / collection.

So, your first guess was correct: the car companies have rooms full of 'em.

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**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-concept-cars-from-auto-shows/230268/3 "2004-02-21T00:04:52Z")

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Thanks for the response - damn - that must be a pretty big room - ~25 shows per year, three or four cars per show…

…off to contemplate a piece of real estate a billion times larger than my tiny San Francisco house whose sole purpose is to store automobiles that no one will ever drive…

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-concept-cars-from-auto-shows/230268/4 "2004-02-21T00:16:56Z")

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They’re not necessarily well functioning. Just because it can move across the showroom floor under it’s own power doesn’t mean it can travel at highway speeds.

I saw a show recently (“Rides” on TLC) that documented the making of the recent Shelby concept car. It was a very big deal that it was fully functional.

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**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\
**Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-to-concept-cars-from-auto-shows/230268/5 "2004-02-21T00:40:50Z")

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At one point they were chopped to bits. A couple of years ago, Ford, IIRC, auctioned off a bunch. Some were functional, some not. Ford made a bundle.

Thankfully, two of the coolest concept cars, the [Buick Y Job](http://www.seriouswheels.com/top-1938-Buick-Y-Job-Concept-Car.htm) and the [1951 Buick Lesabre](http://www.conceptcarz.com/folder/vehicle.asp?car_id=998&autoShowID=22) still survive.  
Paint the Lesabre black and you’ve got one bitchin’ Batmobile. 😃