People never knew this concept car existed during the early days of development

Dream Car As we all know so far, usually the automotive manufacturers' intent in making a concept car is to enchant the public with a show car full of various advanced features of the future but sometimes it never becomes a reality. However, what is mentioned above does not apply to a unique concept car called the Mercury D-528 and is made by one of the well-known American automotive manufacturers, Ford Motor Company.

1955 Mercury D-528 Concept car was made only for internal inspection, or it could be said to be made to develop new technological advances that were done in silence. (Picture from: Conceptcapictures)

From the very beginning, Ford's concept car of the 1950s was made only for internal inspection, or it could be said to be made to develop new technological advances that were done in silence. So it's no wonder if people outside of the company's R&D never knew this concept car existed during the early days of development.

When the duty time of 1955 Mercury D-528 was over, it went to Hollywood and became famous in public as a movie and television star. (Picture from: Curbside.tv)

Well, it all started in the 1950s, when Ford allowed its engineering department to develop their own concept vehicles, one of which was the D-524 concept car. As quoted from conceptcarpictures.org, the exterior of the D-524 was designed by Gil Spear and the interior by John Samsen. Design studies for the car began in late 1953 or early 1954, immediately after Spear, anxious for a break from designing 3/8 sized concept cars, left the Advanced Design Studio to take over as head of the International and Canadian Studio.

Steering wheel and dashboard view of 1955 Mercury D-528 Concept car. (Picture from: Curbside.tv)

Although initially this unique car was never intended as a show car, but rather, was meant to be a "research project on wheels," where a line of advanced features at the time such as air conditioning, aircraft-type wrap-over doors with motor-driven panels that opened when the door in use to allow for easy entry/exit, lighting, front frame crash absorption.

1955 Mercury D-528 Concept car exterior was designed by Gil Spear and the interior by John Samsen. (Picture from: Curbside.tv)

Due to the air conditioning system bulky enough, so it almost devour most of the car's luggages capacity. For freed up space, so then unique twin humps were created and placed over the rear wheels, with one hiding the spare tire and the other containing the gas tank. This concept initially known as the first fiberglass-bodied Ford’s first car without "A" pillars and also is designed has four headlights even though later swapped for two.

1955 Mercury D-528 Concept car has unique twin humps placed over the rear wheels freed up space, with one hiding the spare tire and the other containing the gas tank. (Picture from: Curbside.tv)

But what is unique is that the D-528 concept car later became famous in public as a movie and television star, after it is retired as an engineering testbed. Well, its new life as a star in Hollywood started when King of the Kustomizers George Barris put it in a number of productions. First appearing as Beldone in Jerry Lewis's movie titled The Patsy, then roled as the futuristic police car from 2010 in the 1964 science fiction series titled The Outer Limits. Later still, it appeared in background shots of Back to The Future 3 in 1990.

The D-528 concept car has been restored right down to the painted fiberglass bumper and now it is on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, but its gleaming copper metallic paint was blocked by a fine layer of dust awaits its next turn in the spotlight. Wanna see El Gato. *** [EKA [28102020] | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CURBSIDE.TV | CARTHROTTLE.COM | CONCEPTCARPICTURES.ORG]

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