The origins of the Concept Car: How the Y-Job helped to change the face of motoring
Concept cars are an integral part of every major motor show. Geneva, Detroit, Frankfurt and Tokyo all have them in abundance and judging by the crowds that surround them, they remain one of the most popular draws. Strangely enough, it took a long time for the motor industry to arrive at the idea of the concept car, designed to test new ideas and the public's reaction to them.
The first move in the direction of concept cars was almost certainly the establishment by General Motors of its Art and Colour section in 1927, under the direction of the legendary designer Harley Earl. This department exercised a profound influence on the design and styling of future GM models but it was not until 1939, when Earl completed the Buick-based Y-Job, that the first concept car was truly born.
Harley Earl wanted to "think aloud" and came up with the idea of incorporating, in a single vehicle, as many of his predictions for the future as possible, with a view to testing them and public reaction to them.
The Y-Job succeeded as a concept car and led directly to General Motors staging its own motor show, Motorama, which took place in 1950, and proved so successful that it was held annually until 1961.
By then other motor manufacturers had adopted the idea of the concept car, although they preferred to show them at established motor shows where they could be guaranteed the maximum exposure and publicity. This is still the case with concept cars playing an ever more important role in establishing trends and future designs.
The original concept car, the GM Y-Job, is still at the Henry Ford Museum at Dearborn, Michigan. The Y-Job was built on an extended Buick chassis some 20ft in length. It had a long, low (for the time) look, which was accentuated by horizontal mouldings on the front and rear wings.
The wings themselves also broke new ground, neatly merging with the bonnet, and giving the front of the Y-Job a unique sculpted quality that was further enhanced by concealed headlights. Among other Y-Job innovations were flush-fitting door handles, electric windows and a convertible top that disappeared beneath a metal panel.
When unveiled by GM in 1940 the Y-Job was promptly dubbed 'The Car of the Future' by the press. The start of the second World War for the US in December 1941 meant that the Y-Job was put to one side to await the return of peace.
Harley Earl used the car as his personal transport throughout the war years, making a number of styling changes along the way. This vehicle probably had more influence on American cars of the 1950s that any other and spawned a whole host of imitators which continue to this day.