concept car

English

A single-person concept car (2004)

Noun

concept car (plural concept cars)

1. (automotive) An automobile which is not available for retail sale and which is usually only a mock-up having limited functionality, but which may be displayed at auto shows to represent design ideas under consideration for future vehicles.
   • 1990 July 1, George Harrar, “Technology: The ‘Concept Car’ Pushes Change”, in New York Times, retrieved 1 May 2014:

     On the auto show circuit, concept cars lend excitement to the more down-to-earth models on the platform next door, the ones actually available for purchase.

   • 2007 October 11, Bryan Walsh, “The History of the Electric Car”, in Time, retrieved 1 May 2014:

     Introduced as a concept car in early 2007, the Volt is a next-generation hybrid, a plug-in.

Hypernyms

• concept vehicle