What Happens to Prototypes Which Dont Make it to Production?

dionysus · 10th April 2008, 16:57

The prototype cars are beautiful but alas never put into production. I was wondering what do the car manufacturers do with the prototypes, just leave them at a corner and draw inspiration from it! Now that’s a cruel treatment for them beauties. What do you think happens to them cars !

ramie2400 · 10th April 2008, 17:21

Most of the prototypes are roaming throughout the world in different Auto-Show exhibitions,where the automobile mfg's present their design capabilites and technology for future,you might have noticed almost all the prototype cars are mainly 2-door,i never understood what's the specs are behind the 2-door design.

ram_hyundai · 10th April 2008, 18:01

Most of the prototypes are concepts which are made just to showcase the innovation of a company in a specific field.A classic example would be the A-star concept which had a camera in place of the rear view mirror with never before size for the tyres etc.Those pieces would be shown at different expos and then they may end up at the company meuseum or would be scrapped after a few months IMO.
ram

gendarmee · 10th April 2008, 18:22

If not they dont make it to production, They make it to a shelf!

moralfibre · 10th April 2008, 18:29

From what I heard, most of them are scrapped. I hope you are not talking about the show quality prototypes like the Suzuki A start, etc but the prototypes that are made in various steps while producing a vehicle.

greenhorn · 10th April 2008, 18:31

a lot of them are just very realistic clay models

1100D · 10th April 2008, 19:57

Are we talking about prototypes (as in test mules) or concepts?

gendarmee · 10th April 2008, 20:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1100D

Are we talking about prototypes (as in test mules) or concepts?

I guess he's referring to the concept stuff that doesn't make it to production.

dionysus · 11th April 2008, 10:58

I was refering to the concepts indeed.

GTO · 11th April 2008, 11:19

The concept cars arent really road legal, so I imagine them eventually gathering dust in a corner. Or being scrapped altogether.

eclectix 1st · 11th April 2008, 11:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

The concept cars arent really road legal, so I imagine them eventually gathering dust in a corner. Or being scrapped altogether.

What a waste of $$$.

But I guess they make it up by charging more from the cars that eventually make it to the road.

But this being competitive times, is it really worth making so many concept cars?
cheers:

swale84 · 11th April 2008, 11:55

Yup, concept prototypes (whether or not they make it to production) usually end up gathering dust on the roadside outside a company's styling studio.

Once they have started falling apart and sinking into the ground, they are brutally ripped apart and discarded as scrap. Of course most of them dont have engines at all so its basically a sheet metel / fibre shell + interiors.

It is however interesting to see a concept that was shown several years ago as a modern or futuristic vehicle several years later to see how much inspiration has made it into the manufacturers current line up. I believe visitors to Tata's pune plant can cach glimpses of some of their previous concepts, even some that were never showcased!

GTO · 12th April 2008, 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by eclectix 1st

What a waste of $$$.

But I guess they make it up by charging more from the cars that eventually make it to the road.

But this being competitive times, is it really worth making so many concept cars?
cheers:

Till a while back, most concept cars indicated the future technologies and design themes that we'd actually see in that manufacturers cars one day. Now, some manufacturers are notorious for using concept cars only to provide eye candy and draw in the crowds.

swale84 · 12th April 2008, 15:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

Till a while back, most concept cars indicated the future technologies and design themes that we'd actually see in that manufacturers cars one day. Now, some manufacturers are notorious for using concept cars only to provide eye candy and draw in the crowds.

Well, the whole idea of showcasing concepts at auto shows is to ultimately draw in the crowds.

Be it just a blatant display of their design prowess or a sign of things to come, manufacturers want thier brand to be remembered by the concepts on display.

More so, the concepts would reflect the current design theme in a manufacturers stable, such as the range rover concept (I cant remember the name) or does reflect future design elements, such as the X over concept from Tata. The whole point would be lost if say Ford had a concept on display with typically BMW design traits.

That said, it is annoying when manufacturers do nothing but showcase concepts, while the products released get more and more staid every year.

dinar · 12th April 2008, 16:55

Most of the prototypes are for evaluation of the model for production [ if it's a prototype]. If you are talking about a concept vehicle, it's usually only for showing off the manufacturers engineering capabilities and to judge the reactions of public for their ideas for up coming models [ the reaction to these models decided how the future model of the manufacturers will look] These are usually non running model, even if they are running model [t hey are not legal to be used on road]they are kept by the company. just as show pieces for future JV partners to look at [this help the company in creating interest in them] and show off engineering capability.
As for the prototypes they are run to destruction and opened up to evaluate what can go wrong with the car, then sold in pieces to scrap.

10th April 2008, 16:57	#1
dionysus BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 64 Thanked: 50 Times View My Garage	What Happens to Prototypes Which Dont Make it to Production? The prototype cars are beautiful but alas never put into production. I was wondering what do the car manufacturers do with the prototypes, just leave them at a corner and draw inspiration from it! Now that’s a cruel treatment for them beauties. What do you think happens to them cars ! Last edited by theMAG : 10th April 2008 at 16:59. Reason: No [FONT], [COLOR] and [SIZE] tags allowed.
	() Thanks

10th April 2008, 17:21	#2
ramie2400 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,903 Thanked: 66 Times View My Garage	Most of the prototypes are roaming throughout the world in different Auto-Show exhibitions,where the automobile mfg's present their design capabilites and technology for future,you might have noticed almost all the prototype cars are mainly 2-door,i never understood what's the specs are behind the 2-door design.
	() Thanks

10th April 2008, 18:01	#3
ram_hyundai Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Calicut ,trisur Posts: 2,020 Thanked: 53 Times View My Garage	Most of the prototypes are concepts which are made just to showcase the innovation of a company in a specific field.A classic example would be the A-star concept which had a camera in place of the rear view mirror with never before size for the tyres etc.Those pieces would be shown at different expos and then they may end up at the company meuseum or would be scrapped after a few months IMO. ram
	() Thanks

10th April 2008, 18:22	#4
gendarmee BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: India Posts: 741 Thanked: 28 Times	If not they dont make it to production, They make it to a shelf! Last edited by gendarmee : 10th April 2008 at 18:23.
	() Thanks

10th April 2008, 18:29	#5
moralfibre Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: MH-12 Posts: 8,495 Thanked: 14,120 Times	From what I heard, most of them are scrapped. I hope you are not talking about the show quality prototypes like the Suzuki A start, etc but the prototypes that are made in various steps while producing a vehicle.
	() Thanks

10th April 2008, 18:31	#6
greenhorn Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: KL-01 Posts: 7,845 Thanked: 4,765 Times View My Garage	a lot of them are just very realistic clay models
	() Thanks

10th April 2008, 19:57	#7
1100D Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Calcutta Posts: 4,390 Thanked: 4,101 Times View My Garage	Are we talking about prototypes (as in test mules) or concepts?
	() Thanks

11th April 2008, 10:58	#9
dionysus BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 64 Thanked: 50 Times View My Garage	I was refering to the concepts indeed.
	() Thanks

11th April 2008, 11:19	#10
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 71,573 Thanked: 310,039 Times View My Garage	The concept cars arent really road legal, so I imagine them eventually gathering dust in a corner. Or being scrapped altogether.
	() Thanks

11th April 2008, 11:55	#12
swale84 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 459 Thanked: 9 Times	Yup, concept prototypes (whether or not they make it to production) usually end up gathering dust on the roadside outside a company's styling studio. Once they have started falling apart and sinking into the ground, they are brutally ripped apart and discarded as scrap. Of course most of them dont have engines at all so its basically a sheet metel / fibre shell + interiors. It is however interesting to see a concept that was shown several years ago as a modern or futuristic vehicle several years later to see how much inspiration has made it into the manufacturers current line up. I believe visitors to Tata's pune plant can cach glimpses of some of their previous concepts, even some that were never showcased!
	() Thanks

12th April 2008, 16:55	#15
dinar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: goa Posts: 1,066 Thanked: 57 Times	Most of the prototypes are for evaluation of the model for production [ if it's a prototype]. If you are talking about a concept vehicle, it's usually only for showing off the manufacturers engineering capabilities and to judge the reactions of public for their ideas for up coming models [ the reaction to these models decided how the future model of the manufacturers will look] These are usually non running model, even if they are running model [t hey are not legal to be used on road]they are kept by the company. just as show pieces for future JV partners to look at [this help the company in creating interest in them] and show off engineering capability. As for the prototypes they are run to destruction and opened up to evaluate what can go wrong with the car, then sold in pieces to scrap.
	() Thanks