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GM was really on a kick for introducing concept cars in the 1980's and 1990's - almost every year they were releasing something "innovative" at the Detroit Auto Show.
ReplyDeleteThis is not dissimilar (concept-wise) from the pickup trucks we have today (although this was a 2-door model) - spacious, comfortable interiors with the utility ability of having a bed for hauling and other more rugged needs. However, I think one of the major drawbacks of this design would have been the engine. The Centaur had a REAR engine, located under the truck-bed - what a pain in the ass it would be to have to work on it or even change the oil!
Then again, it would almost guarantee that every owner would have to take it to the dealer/GM to have any sort of maintenance/repair done on it... 🙄
RBrysco - Engine in the rear? What a hassle.
DeleteAbsolutely Rick - but as Anonymous pointed out below, at the time GMC was high on their "wide-track cabin forward" designs which defined Pontiac in the late 80's/90's and were quite popular at the time. People were thrilled for vehicles that didn't have a huge long hood to try to see past. Mounting the engine center-axis (like RVs were done for years) would have broken the aesthetic of the cabin with a huge hump and a lot of noise, so the only place left was the rear.
DeleteSince it was a concept vehicle, Obviously, no one ever had to face the issues of maintenance or repair. However, like many cars that introduced stuff like this, it would have come to the forefront pretty quickly if it had gone into production!
I would have bought that! Love the look!
ReplyDeleteDef took the front profile and gave it to the early 90s GMC minivans(see the Pontiac Transportand Chevy Lumina)
ReplyDeleteThe Centaur could have been built with the engine in front, between the front seats, like in old vans. And the rear fenders look like the ones GM styled for the 1992-1996 Buick Roadmaster and Cadillac Brougham. GM builds big trucks, they might as well build big, full size cars, that just might save the company.
ReplyDelete-Rj
Rj, I've read several reports on why GM, Ford and Chrysler/Stellantis gave up on the 4 door sedan market because they were not profitable and were outnumbered in sales by the South Korean and Japanese car makers(Toyota strong and Hyundai, Kia making huge gains. In my opinion, GM specifically lost its design edge in the 80s and further lost ground in the 2000s. Just think back on the Pontiacs and what top sellers they were in their heyday(Grand Prix, Grand Am, Bonneville) and then look at what happened when design and manufacturing was turned over to their subsidiary Holden Australia, which changed the nameplates to G4,G6 and G8 and made cars that resembled shoeboxes and not in a good way. People didn't buy the boxes and GM dropped Pontiac totally in 2010. Being a Pontiac guy, I never forgave them for dropping Pontiac and keeping Buick.
DeleteAnon@4:41pm - Thanks for that background info.
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