QandAs: Autos

Why don’t concept cars make it to mass production?

Answer:
Concept cars, also known as concept vehicles or show vehicles,

are not created for general use and sale. Instead, they are prototypes which introduce new features of some kind to the public. While often looking impressive, concept cars have to undergo great changes before they can be mass-produced and sold to the public. This may be due to a lack of safety features, impractical visibility or drivability, cost to produce, and many other reasons.

Engineers working on a new concept use concept cars to showcase their ideas. This may be to gauge public reaction to a particular feature, show off the ingenuity of the engineers, experiment with using significantly different types of materials in their construction, or to try out a particular – and often expensive – new model of car before actually producing it. Motor shows and advertisements are two places where concept cars are often seen.

Some concept cars actually do make it to production, but usually undergo major changes on the way. When mass-produced, the car may bear a close resemblance to the concept car, or may just have certain features that were adapted from the concept vehicle. Auto manufacturers may show off during motor shows, but tend to put a premium on safety and other practical features when designing cars to be sold to the public.