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[h=1]Dream Cars: The wild concepts of yesterday and today[/h]Hemmings Daily







[Editor’s Note: Ronan Glon of Ran When Parked recently found himself with some extra time in Indianapolis, affording him the chance to stop by the Indianapolis Museum of Art to check out its Dream Cars exhibit, curated by Ken Gross. Fortunately, he had his camera with him and thought he’d share his experience with us.]
Indianapolis is known around the world as the home of the Indy 500, but car enthusiasts planning a trip to the Circle City in the next few weeks can check out a fascinating automotive event that has nothing to do with racing. The Indianapolis Museum of Art (IMA) is currently holding an exhibit called Dream Cars.
While the term “dream cars” is often associated with high-profile supercars that wear either a horse or a bull on the hood, the IMA took a different approach, and its eponymous exhibition showcases 17 prototypes and otherwise unique cars that have left a mark on automotive history. The collection is split up into five themes: independent automakers, the impact of styling, the Motorama and the rise of the dream car, the influence of auto shows and the role of concept cars today.

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1948 Tasco
One of the most fascinating cars on display is the 1948 TASCO, an acronym that stands for The American Sports Car Company. Billed as the sports car of the future, the TASCO was designed by Gordon Buehrig, a man who worked as a designer for both Duesenberg and Cord, in a bid to convince the Beech Aircraft Company to build a science fiction-esque aircraft-inspired sports car. Design aside, the TASCO was highly innovative when it debuted, because it was crafted largely out of aluminum and it was the first car to use a T-top roof. Although few would have been surprised to look under the hood and see a Beechcraft engine, the TASCO was powered by a V-8 borrowed from the Oldsmobile parts bin.

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Rear of the 1948 TASCO
Beech examined the eccentric prototype, but executives weren’t interested in building it so it remained a wild one-off. However, Buehrig trademarked the T-top roof in 1951 and sued General Motors when Chevrolet introduced a Corvette with a similar roof in 1968. The designer won, but story has it the settlement he received from the General was relatively small.

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1936 Scout Scarab
The Scarab was a rear-engined Beetle-shaped people-mover that accurately previewed both the Volkswagen Type 2 and, in many ways, the modern minivan.

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The TASCO isn’t the only car on display that boasts technology gleaned from the world of aviation. The IMA is showing General Motors’ Firebird I XP-21, which was a highly-experimental Douglas jet-shaped single-seater built to study the feasibility of turbine-powered cars, and the 1934 Ford Model 40 Special Speedster that Edsel Ford, the son of company founder Henry, used as his personal car.

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1947 Norman Timbs
The other cars on display include a recreation of the 1935 Bugatti Type 57 Competition Coupe Aerolithe, a luxurious 1934 Voisin C-25 Aerodyne, the one and only 1947 Norman Timbs, the 1942 L’oeuf Electrique and a 1936 Stout Scarab.

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1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt
Concept car aficionados will be delighted to see the 1941 Chrysler Thunderbolt, which was the first American car equipped with a retractable metal hardtop.

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• 1959 Cadillac Cyclone
  Also on display are the futuristic 1951 General Motors Le Sabre XP-8 that renowned designer Harley Earl used as his personal car, the 1955 Streamline X that Chrysler developed jointly with Carrozzeria Ghia, the 1959 Cadillac Cyclone XP-74 with its Jetsons-like bubble canopy roof and the fiberglass-bodied 1956 Buick Centurion XP-301, a family sedan whose steering column ran down the center of the passenger compartment in order to clear up more leg room for the driver.
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• Ferrari 365P
  Two Italian cars are on display, including the three-seater Ferrari 365P Berlinetta Speciale tre posti that was unveiled at the 1966 Paris Motor Show. Developed by Pininfarina to show Enzo Ferrari that it was possible to build a safe mid-engined sports car, the 365 stood out with a steering wheel that was mounted front and center, a setup used again much later by Gordon Murray when he designed the McLaren F1. The Bertone-penned 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero concept is right around the corner from the 365P.
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BMW GINA
Last but not least, the two newest cars on display are the controversially styled BMW GINA (Geometry and functions In ‘N’ Adaptations), a roadster whose body is entirely upholstered with a special type of Spandex, and the Porsche 918 Spyder concept that was presented to the public at the 2010 edition of the Geneva Motor Show. The 918 Spyder is nearly identical to the limited-edition – and now sold-out – production model that was introduced at the 2013 Frankfurt show.

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Bertone Stratus HF Zero
The Dream Cars exhibit opened its doors on May 3 and it is scheduled to run until August 23, meaning you still have time to trek out to Indianapolis and experience it for yourself. Lighting is not one of the exhibition’s strong points, so bring a tripod if you’re planning on shooting pictures, and keep in mind that the museum tends to draw large crowds on weekends and evenings. Adult tickets cost $18. For more information, visit IMAMuseum.org.

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Florida car museums are here:
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