Most motor-show styling studies remain just that, but here are some that made production…
There are many reasons why car makers develop concept cars. To show off their latest technological, for example, or to test new design themes on the critical eyes of the general public and the motoring media.
Many appear in the wildest form imaginable, in order to get the most attention.
Sometimes, though, car manufacturers surprise us, and a concept slips through into production looking just like the real thing. They are the instant classics, because they’re just as jaw-dropping in real life as they were on the motor show stands.
Here are six cars that changed very little from the show stand to the showroom.
Renault Avantime
The Renault Avantime came about more because of a contractual obligation than a desire inside the company to build it, as Matra had been assembling the Espace for Renault since 1984 – with a contract not due for renegotiation until the end of 2003.
But Renault chose to bring production of the fourth-generation, steel-bodied Espace in-house from 2002, meaning the Romorantin-Lanthenay factory needed production volume.
The Avantime concept had been a crowd-shocker at the 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show, fusing the attributes of a coupé, MPV, and grand tourer into a single avant-garde package, led by Renault’s visionary designer Patrick Le Quément. Because it was based on the Espace 3 and used fibreglass bodywork, a production version could easily be assembled by Matra, and so it did.
With dramatic lines, a pillarless side profile, and an expansive glass area, its two-door layout was highly unconventional for such a spacious vehicle, carrying forward almost all of the concept’s radical styling cues. Only 8557 were made, and today it’s a cult classic.
Audi TT
The 1995 Audi TT concept car made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but nobody expected it to ever become a production model.
With its rounded bodywork, distinctive aluminium accents and clean, uncluttered lines, designed by Freeman Thomas and J Mays, the concept drew inspiration from classic German racing cars and Bauhaus design principles, blending form and function seamlessly.
Two years later, though, the German brand wowed the crowds with the revelation of a production model, which aside from a slightly rounder rear end, was almost a carbon copy of the coupé that had appeared on its show stand two years hence.
The production model arrived on the market in 1998, the interior as loyal to the concept as the exterior.
Fiat 500
Following on from the success of the VW New Beetle and MINI R50, Fiat joined the retro revolution by revealing the Trepiuno concept at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show.
Designed by the man behind the Multipla – Roberto Giolito – the Trepiuno’s exterior was a delightful tribute to the original 500, with a rounded silhouette, compact proportions, and undeniably cheerful character.
Retro-modern touches included large, circular headlamps, chrome details, and a contemporary interpretation of the classic “whiskers and logo” front end, while inside, it featured a minimalist dashboard with touch-sensitive controls, a translucent centre console, and flexible seating arrangements with sliding seats.
The flexible interior was left out of the production version of Fiat’s new city car – the 500 – which appeared three years later, but the rest of the production model was incredibly true to the Trepiuno’s appearance.
BMW i8
The BMW i8’s journey from concept to production reality is a story of bold ambition. It all began with the unveiling of the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show – a futuristic, low-slung coupé that fused striking design with an eco-conscious powertrain.
The concept was not just a flight of fancy: it promised a plug-in hybrid drivetrain capable of delivering both thrilling performance and impressive efficiency, a combination that seemed almost too good to be true at the time, albeit commonplace today.
When BMW launched the i8 in 2014, it stayed astonishingly true to its concept origins. The production car had an advanced carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic chassis, scissor doors, and wild styling. Beneath the bold body was a turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine paired with an electric motor, offering four-wheel drive and the ability to travel short distances in pure electric mode.
But it was expensive, and that meant it never achieved massive volumes, with just over 20,000 sold before production ended in 2020.
VW New Beetle
The Volkswagen Concept 1 was shown at the 1994 North American International Auto Show, touted as a bold reinterpretation of Volkswagen’s classic Beetle for the turn of the millennium.
Designed by J Mays and Freeman Thomas, who went on to collaborate on the Audi TT, the Concept 1 combined retro styling with conventional engineering – it was conceived to be built on the brand’s new midsize PQ34 platform, which would make its debut the following year beneath the new Audi A3.
The concept car’s rounded contours, pronounced wheel arches, and friendly front end paid homage to the original Beetle, while the interior featured a minimalist dashboard and a flower vase, the latter of which seemed far too daft for production. Except, it wasn’t…
Four years after the Concept 1 was shown, Volkswagen revealed the New Beetle, powered by its proven and reliable 2.0-litre eight-valve engine and initially offered in just one specification. In time, the range grew to include a turbocharged 1.8, a 2.3-litre V5 and a 1.9-litre PDI diesel, which did its best to recall the original Beetle’s clatter. There was a convertible, too.
Range Rover Sport
The Range Stormer concept, unveiled at the 2004 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, was a pivotal moment in Land Rover’s history and the move to shift the full-sized Range Rover upmarket.
Designed to showcase the brand’s vision for a more dynamic, road-focused SUV, the Range Stormer had the look of a mini Range Rover about it – but that was deliberate, for that’s what it became.
It may have grown an extra pair of doors and in the process lost its rather silly scissor ones from the show car, but the 2005 Range Rover Sport was unmistakably in its image.
The Sport became a massive success, outselling the Range Rover L322 in its second year, and leaving headway for Land Rover to make the L322’s successor even more expensive and luxurious, while the Sport plugged the gap it left in its wake.
Which of these concept-to-production success stories is your favourite and are there any others you think deserved a place on this list? Let us know in the comments below.
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