A concept car is a vehicle generally produced to show off new styling and technology from the companies that create them. If you look-up the term "concept car" on Wikipedia you will find that the first ever concept car is generally accredited to Harley Earl, from General Motors, who built the Buick Y-Job.

Buick Y-Job

The concept car is usually a stunning looking machine which sadly doesn’t often make it to the road. One of the most famous concept cars is Ford's "Lincoln Futura" which was built in 1954. The reason for this particular vehicle's fame is that in 1966 it appeared in Batman as the Batmobile.

Ford's "Lincoln Futura"

I imagine that when a designer is asked to design a new concept vehicle that it would be like letting a child run free in a toyshop. Designers are allowed to let all of their ideas go free when it comes to a prototype car. They can try out new things, explore new technologies and mess around with new materials - just like Homer in that episode of The Simpsons where he gets to design a new car for his long-lost brother Herb - although more often than not the results are a hell of a lot better.

This month we've decided to look at some of Peugeot's concept vehicles.

Over the years Peugeot has been responsible for many concept vehicles. In 1984 Peugeot showed their Quasar concept to the world. This small car was a true powerhouse. They say it housed a 1.6 litre bi-turbo engine which was to deliver a whopping 600hp. The gull wing doors, the aerodynamic body, the low lines and of course the not-too-subtle double exhaust really made this prototype stand out. It looked like it belonged in an 80's sci-fi movie. It was nice.

Quasar

Like many concept cars the Quasar was a design study. The interior showed an abundance of red and if you were lucky to see one in the flesh I'm sure comparisons would be made with the Star ship enterprise - although obviously the interior was tiny.

Another futuristic prototype came from Peugeot in 1986 in the form of the Proxima. Even now this machine looks ahead of its time. I wouldn't say it was dissimilar looking to some of the cars you would have seen on the screen during Back to the Future 2 - although unlike the De Loreon this vehicle does need roads. This car was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show and it held the technology which aided Peugeot in winning two World Rally Championships over two years. Like the Quasar, the Proxima offered a powerful 600bhp, but this time that power came from a 2.8 litre, mid-mounted, twin-turbo, V6 engine.

Proxima

It's not often enough that a prototype's full style ever makes it into production but Peugeot pretty much made it happen in 2010 when they released the iOn. During 1994 Peugeot released the ION concept which showcased a future electric vehicle. I've seen the pictures and it's not far off the iOn which is now available from Peugeot. The current iOn isn't dissimilar to 1996 Tulip concept either.

ion

Peugeot, like other manufacturers, have had many impressive looking prototypes over the years. Not only have these concepts been visually impressive they have also had some remarkable technologies. Other concepts from Peugeot's past include the 1998 20 Couer coupé (the 206 CC took its retractable roof from this), the 2003 Hoggar buggy (this two seater off-roader had a one piece carbon honeycomb body) and in 2009 they created the BB1 crossover concept (a small 2.5 metre electric vehicle prototype).

Other current concepts include the 308 R, the HX1, HR1,Onyx and many more.

Onyx

Last April Peugeot released the Exalt concept car, which shows to the world where Peugeot intends to go in terms of design. The Exalt is an exciting prototype. It's long bonnet, raked windscreen, low roof and short backend overhangs all add up to a splendid looking automobile. Like the Onyx concept before it, the Exalt's steel bodywork has been hand-formed. Inside is equally enticing with two folding touch screens - one for the on-board computer and infotainment and the other for access to aircon, etc.

Exalt

Peugeot's concepts over the years have been impressive to the eye and they have proven useful to the manufacturer in the way that they have utilised their concept technologies in their models. The question about the Exalt is, will future Peugeot vehicles look like it? We’ll wait and see.