# Where can I buy a concept car? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641 "2004-04-12T18:55:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/1 "2004-04-12T18:55:58Z")
I tried ebay, but no dice. Any ideas? - Peter Wiggen ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/2 "2004-04-12T20:12:58Z")
Pretty much by definition, a concept car is a handmade one-of-a-kind product meant as a publicity device to show off what could be done with a production version. They are virtually never put on sale, since they are used internally to guide the design engineers. Eventually they may show up in museums. Did you have some other idea of what a concept car is in mind? ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/3 "2004-04-12T20:26:21Z")
No, **Exapno** , I have the same understanding of what a concept car actually is. But, it seems to me that they actually make the car, so it has to go somewhere. And if car companies are producing several concept cars a year, there should be some available for sale. I cannot imagine that Toyota or Ford just melt them down. Thoughts? - Jud ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/4 "2004-04-12T21:11:00Z")
> [@PeterWiggen](#): > > No, **Exapno** , I have the same understanding of what a concept car actually is. > > But, it seems to me that they actually make the car, so it has to go somewhere. And if car companies are producing several concept cars a year, there should be some available for sale. I cannot imagine that Toyota or Ford just melt them down. > > Thoughts? > > - Jud Actually from what I recall some Japanese concept cars legally _must_ be destroyed after they have been shown off. Can’t remember where I saw this, quite a few years ago. And I would think that most concept cars find their way into museums within the car firms that created them, most big firms have museums or archives IIRC. Toyota do in Japan for a start. Besides, when motor jounalists are let loose on the concept cars, they are asked to keep speeds down to a minimum, as much because they are one offs and would be quite difficult to repair for one. And who would insure you on such a special car, hard enough for me and my Mum’s 1.4i Honda Civic 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/5 "2004-04-12T21:17:48Z")
> [@PeterWiggen](#): > > I have the same understanding of what a concept car I cannot imagine that Toyota or Ford just melt them down. > > Thoughts? > > - Jud They often go into warehouses where they are stored for many years than gotten rid of. They sometimes get sold to collectors, go into car museums, or are torn apart for other projects. A while back one of the big three sold of a whole bunch of old concept cars to various museums and collectors. You can ask around at [http://www.conceptcarz.com/](http://www.conceptcarz.com/) to see if anyone has the contact information for the right people at the manufacturers. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/6 "2004-04-12T21:21:31Z")
> [@PeterWiggen](#): > > I cannot imagine that Toyota or Ford just melt them down. [Wanna bet?](http://www.fordforums.com/showthread.php?t=19313) > [@](#): > > General Motors, which created the idea of publicly displaying concept cars with its traveling Motorama shows in the 1940’s and 50’s, crushed or gave away many show vehicles in the past. That page also details a 2002 Ford charity auction of concept cars. So there are some out there, although it appears that the rest of the car world was stunned at Ford’s action. Most of the ones out in the wild are in car museums. That Ford Forums site may be a better place to ask than here. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/7 "2004-04-12T21:21:47Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > Besides, when motor jounalists are let loose on the concept cars, they are asked to keep speeds down to a minimum, as much because they are one offs and would be quite difficult to repair for one. Many current concept cars don’t run, they aren’t complete vehicles. They are design beds for new stylings and features, but aren’t expected to ever move under their own power. Certainly some of them do, but it isn’t as common as you’d think. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/8 "2004-04-12T21:26:51Z")
I just thought of something else. Many/most/all of these cars aren’t street legal and probably couldn’t be made street legal. ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/9 "2004-04-12T21:42:11Z")
Become a very high-level executive at General Motors, and see if you can get one as your Christmas bonus. Alternatively, become head designer at GM, be revered as a god of automotive styling, and build a concept car to be your personal vehicle. Hey, it worked for Harley Earl. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/10 "2004-04-12T22:32:53Z")
Good luck finding parts for a car there’s only one of. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![conczepts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e7dd6/32.png) [@conczepts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conczepts)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2004, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/11 "2004-04-12T23:14:59Z")
Just because there’s only one car doesn’t mean the cars would be hard to find parts for. Some conczept cars had generic engines that existed in current production cars with a promise of a unique engine in the future (especially if the engine wasn’t the main selling point of the car). ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-buy-a-concept-car/239641/12 "2004-04-13T00:11:44Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > [Wanna bet?](http://www.fordforums.com/showthread.php?t=19313) Don’t see anything about “melting.” 🙂 Thanks for the information, guys - I might try the Ford Forum. - Peter Wiggen