atomic age auto action!

Here’s William Ford, with a model Nucleon. The year? 1957 – and no, these never went on sale.

Imagine a world where plutonium powered cars could travel long distances without refuelling (thanks to a steam powered engine and on-board nuclear reactor). You could drive to the hula hoop contest, the tiki bar, across to your lodge meeting, and still have power to make it to contract bridge and the flying saucer square dance club. Then home to your boomerang-patterned formica bar, where you’d break out the Tupperware cocktail shaker and relax by the radiolette.

Ford were responsible for a sweet range of concept cars in the 50s and 60s – with the most futuristic names they could think of.

Here’s some of my favourites:

1954 Atmos
1955 LaTosca
1958 Galaxie
1958 X-2000
1960 LeVaCar Mach 1
1961 Gyron
1962 Seattle

Now of course, it wasn’t just Ford going all atomic and futuristic – check out the 1959 Cadillac Cyclone and the 1956 Olds Golden Rocket…