Since 1989, January was the time of year that the Detroit Auto Show took place. In 2020, it moved to summer, but in the meantime COVID-19 had changed everything, and the ongoing pandemic means that it won’t be held this year either. Fortunately, we can take a look back at the 1993 Detroit Auto Show with MotorWeek Retro.
Best of all, because we know have 28 whole years more knowledge than the people in this video, we can testify that hindsight is a wonderful thing indeed. The following video gives us multiple examples of concept cars and how they turned out. By looking at the differences in three of these concepts, we can learn a lot about what automakers are trying to do with them.
To start, let’s look at the Plymouth Prowler concept, which host John Davis says shares so many parts with Chrysler’s LH sedans “that it could easily reach production.” And it did – but it didn’t go into production until 1997. Four years is a long time to wait between seeing the car and getting it. In fact, four years in ’93 was twice as long as I’d been alive. No wonder it felt like an eternity.
Still, the car’s chassis was on the show floor, as if to prove that it was feasible, and Chrysler press relations staff must have been hinting heavily at the company’s intentions for Davis to be so confident. Indeed, one of the most outrageous cars at the ’93 Detroit Auto Show wound up not changing much at all when it hit the streets.
Then there’s the Porsche Boxster Concept. The production car would launch at roughly the same time as the Prowler (a little earlier, in late ’96, in fact), but Porsche PR was a little less clear with information, apparently.
Davis says that it’s a “good idea at what the 911 replacement will look like when it arrives mid-decade.” Some of the information appears to be correct (it’ll cost less than current offerings, it’ll be mid-engine) but one crucial detail is wrong.
I don’t know if Davis misspoke and I certainly don’t mean to imply that his time in journalism has been anything but well-earned, but it turned out that Boxster was meant to replace the likes of the 924/944/968, not the 911. But in 1993, Porsche was in an entirely different state and in urgent need of money, so a lot more seemed possible.
Also Read: 2021 Porsche Boxster 25 Edition Celebrates Anniversary With 1993 Concept-Inspired Touches
Finally, I’m interested in the Mustang concept that came before it. This time Davis hits the nail on the head, calling this a fantasy, but one that did highlight some of the SN-95’s design cues. Although it’s all exaggerated, a look at the vents, their shape, and the overall shape of the car do actually hint at what was coming the next year.
If you’re missing auto shows, well, you aren’t alone. Even before the pandemic, many automakers were pulling out even from big events, choosing other means, like standalone presentations, in an effort to a. save money (participating in a car show doesn’t come cheap) and b. avoid the clutter created when all automakers get together at the same place.
The pandemic was practically one more nail in auto shows’ coffin, since everyone moved to digital platforms – and rightly so. Will they make a comeback once all this is finally over? Hard to tell at this point.
