Curves of steel: Sleek, slick and aerodynamic

Chrysler, which had already embraced aerodynamics with its advanced - but poorly received - Airflow production car, had six versions of the Thunderbolt built for the auto show circuit. They were among the first of what we now call "concept cars." They were built for Chrysler by LeBaron, an independent coachbuilder.

The Thunderbolt had a power-retractable hard-top and doors that opened, inside and out, with the push of a button. The front wheels were deeply inset to allow them to turn without hitting the body.