Here’s the problem with releasing a concept: more often than not, people expect you to build it. So when a source tells you that a showcar doesn’t have a shot at production, many assume it’s been killed. Unless, that is, it was never going to come to market in the first place.

Such is the case with the fetching Lincoln Concept C, originally shown at the Detroit Auto Show in 2009.

Ford Inside News reports that the Concept C has been axed, but the truth is, it was never confirmed for production in the first place. Instead, Lincoln’s three-year plan includes seven all-new or “significantly refreshed” models, one of which will sport a diminutive footprint. But is it a C-segment vehicle? Sorta.

Rather than rework a sedan/hatch based on the Ford Focus platform – something Lincoln is shying away from as it attempts to move away from the badge-engineering game – our source tells us that Lincoln’s previously announced C-segment entrant is likely to be a compact CUV based off the new Escape platform with a reworked stance and a different seating setup. And if our tea leaves are in order, we’d expect to see some kind of concept version within the next year, likely sporting a hybrid-electric drivetrain.

Lincoln’s small car isn’t dead… it never really existed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Think today’s concept cars – like the ones recently unveiled at the currently ongoing Geneva Motor Show – are off the wall? They ain’t got nothin’ on what American automakers and independent engineers alike were coming up with circa the 1950s.

With the jet age throttling up to full speed, the concept cars of yesteryear embodied the unbridled optimism of post-war America. Today, of course, they seem as kitschy as an old Disneyland ride, but you can take that step back into the future that never was in the brief video after the jump. Just don’t forget where you parked the DeLorean there, Marty.

[Source: Retro Thing]

Continue reading Video: ‘Yesterday’s Cars of Tomorrow’ makes us nostalgic for a future that never was

Video: ‘Yesterday’s Cars of Tomorrow’ makes us nostalgic for a future that never was originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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