There was a time when a concept truck did not need to look 90 percent ready for production. Automakers used pickups as rolling experiments, testing everything from Viper-powered roadsters and mid-engine car-truck hybrids to hydrogen-burning V10s, washable cargo areas, four-wheel steering, built-in generators, and cabins that doubled as mobile offices. Some of these trucks introduced genuinely useful ideas. Others existed mainly to stop people in their tracks at an auto show.

The automotive industry is full of comeback stories. Some brands survived wars, economic downturns, bad management decisions, and near-bankruptcy thanks to a single vehicle arriving at exactly the right moment. In some cases, these cars generated desperately needed sales. In others, they attracted investors, secured new ownership, or gave struggling automakers a product people actually wanted to buy. Here are 10 cars that helped save their companies when the future looked unc

The 1990s were a golden age of automotive imagination — the perfect blend of analog purity and digital experimentation. Car companies...

The 1960s were the golden era of concept cars, where designers pushed the limits of style, technology, and imagination. From wedge shapes...

The 1950s were an era of innovation and futuristic design in the automotive world. With jet-age styling, experimental technology, and...

The 1965 Chrysler Valiant AP6 Wayfarer was the first Valiant-based coupe utility, or "ute", built by Chrysler Australia. Even though it...

The 1994 Plymouth Expresso Concept was a bold and whimsical attempt by a struggling American brand to reinvent itself during a turbulent...

The 1962 Plymouth Valiant St. Regis by Ghia is a unique car that combines American engineering with Italian design. This special version...

Step back in time to January 1956, at the Chicago Auto Show, where Chrysler Corporation wowed the world with a visionary creation - the...

The last of the Plymouth dream cars, the Cabana, appeared in 1958. The 1958 Plymouth Cabana was a station wagon concept by Ghia that...

XNR - Exner used this compact two-seat roadster to explore an asymmetrical, driver-oriented design theme with sculptural fender blades....

One of the first Italian sports cars to feature an American V8 was the little-known Nardi Silver Ray they built in 1960. Designed by...