In the auto business, prototypes are often built to evaluate design concepts. And, for the most part, they’re destroyed once their original purpose has been served. One of the most famous prototypes, the 1955 Lincoln Futura, escaped the crusher and was modified to become the Batmobile for the 1966 TV series, Batman. This Buick is another one that didn’t turn into a square cube. It was built In 2002 as a hatchback along with two others that carried Chevy badging. While it’s a functioning car, it won’t pass DOT specifications without some work. It will be available here on Mecum at their October 13-15, 2022, auction in Chicago, Illinois. Thanks for the cool tip, “pip bip”.
Buick was the first automaker to work with concept cars, starting with something called the Y-Job around 1930. When the prototype here was developed 20 years ago, perhaps it anticipated General Motors’ eventual move to a mostly SUV portfolio in North America. Some of the styling cues are reminiscent of 1990s products out of Europe. But to me, the vehicle looks more like a Ford Escape of the same era and it’s trimmed with few accessories, witness the use of roll-down windows (when was the last time you saw a Buick without power glass panes?).
Three of these SUVs were supposedly built, two as Chevies and one as a Buick (hard to find any Buick logos on this one). But the Chevies are said to have been destroyed as is customary with GM protocol, leaving this running example as the only one. You have to wonder how this one escaped being crushed and where it’s been stashed for the last two decades. Though the odometer is in kilometers, a calculator puts the use of this car at just 149 miles.
Since prototypes aren’t usually developed to pass federal standards, you can’t take this car out on the highway. At least until you make some modifications (whatever they are), and why would you? Where would you find parts to repair this thing if something ever happened to it on the road? The SUV, which doesn’t even have a name, is powered by a 1.5-liter inline-4 with a 5-speed manual transmission. The drivetrain was probably pulled from the GM parts bin to make this car happen. Though it looks brand new, you’ll have to take delivery with a bill of sale as this one-of-one was never titled.
To me,just ANOTHER small,boring mini suv.
Boring,Boring,Boring.
Please, tell us how you really feel.
It has a Marelli instrument cluster, which seems odd, but I’ll bet there’s no VIN, which means it is not only not DOT-approved, but can’t be registered in any case. So the next owner has bought a piece of rather unexciting yard art.
Wonder if it started out as some kind of Opel?
Maybe he can race it . . . lol
It doesn’t match any particular Opel, despite being painted German taxi beige.
No thanks.
This was for Buick of China, or SAIC General Motors. The Magneti Marelli pod was sourced as this was a prototype – they have or had a contract with the state of China.
Buick has very strong brand equity in China. More are sold there than in the US. Yes – I know. They have a reputation as a high quality foreign car – built in China. Think Premium, not necessarily Luxury – like Acura or Infiniti here.
I notice Mecum has no pre sale estimate. And you can bid online. Just like a pedal car!
Maybe you can register it like a Porsche 959. Exhibit only! Ha!
I remember seeing this car in the magazines back in the early 2000’s. A Chinese Buick that stole the Audi headlight design of the day. If Buick didn’t have a strong following in China GM would have axed Buick along with Olds, Saturn, Pontiac and Saab.
If Buick didn’t have a strong following in China (at the time), it would have been axed and Saturn would have been saved. Saturn sold more vehicles in the U.S. than Buick at the time.
Sorry but why is this even bought to anyone on this site? It’s not a barn find much less a real usable car. Come on Russ!
It got me in from the email. Some people find stuff like this interesting.
Many of the vehicles on here are not straight-up barn finds… So what! I find this one fascinating. If you don’t like it, scroll right past it.
Ken B? Surely your not Ken Block!
Well I am a member and if this particular car is interesting to you I am so sorry!!!!!! It missed the crusher, for that I am sorry.
Zzzzzz
A couple corrections: The `55 Lincoln Futura mentioned was never a ‘prototype’. It was a concept car. Prototypes are forerunners of production models like this Buick. The Futura was never that. It was a styling exercise for the show only.
And the Buick Y-job concept car debuted in 1938 as America’s first factory show car.
Yes they weren’t built for the US market but they are allover other parts of the world where crash standards aren’t as strict China comes to mind for having a lot of them
Exactly, if this were built for the US market it would have dual airbags, and definitely only been badged Chevy. In ’02 the manual transmission may well have been offered but finding one now, or used at any time in the last 20 years, would’ve been a challenge and a half. (And the automatic would’ve been made from eggshells and glass…)
Interesting piece of automotive history. Thank you Russ for the write-up. I especially appreciate the feedback from “Big_Fun”. Thank you Barnfinds for providing a forum where attention can be brought to the lesser know bits of automotive history, and knowledgeable readers can contribute.
Nice.
I did a double take.
Fascinating bit of automobilia. Why would I not be curious?
Not much car there at any rate. It wouldn’t have done Buick any favors. even in China. This seems real entry level, emerging market type of stuff
But then, the Encore has. Go figure.
It would be fun for car shows, but you would have to trailer it in and out.
Easily scratchable & breakable exterior plastic door handles on the above concept are not the things that dreams are made of! Nor are non hidden wipers.
The most memorable concept i ever saw(which i wish was not crushed) was this pushmobile below at the fair. Imagine trying to recreate this, even without a drivetrain – & if you did, the reaction if you showed it to today’s public – from a time when 4 door concepts were very very rare …
https://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1964_gm_firebird_iv/
At first glance without reading the article I thought this thing a Ford Edge. Ugly at that.
Should go to the Buick museum.
Well I am a member and if this particular car is interesting to you I am so sorry!!!!!! It missed the crusher, for that I am sorry.
Blowing up the photo showing the windshield area, it looks like there is no VIN plate in the lower left corner of the windshield, and the auction company has not shown a photo of the driver’s door post, so I doubt there was ever a VIN on the car.
There is no way GM would ever allow this vehicle to be sold off, especially in North America. As someone who has been importing and exporting cars for over 40 years, I would be wary about this car’s importation paperwork, as it may have been brought into the country on a temporary basis, and once a new owner tries to claim legal ownership, they may be advised that the vehicle needs to be either exported or destroyed. It might be possible for a 501c3 non-profit museum to ask for a waiver for permanent display.
I would demand paperwork showing how the car legally came into the USA, and especially the DOT & EPA import waivers, as well as customs release. Without them, the government can confiscate the vehicle and order it’s destruction. I’ve been involved in helping people try to import special cars under very restrictive rules for display or racing exhibitions, and seen rare cars seized and crushed because the owner didn’t have the correct paperwork.
Without confirming paperwork showing this to be a Buick, just because it has a Buick emblem on the valve cover [the only Buick emblem I can see in the photos], it could even be one of the 2 Chevrolets that ended up with a Buick emblem stuck on the valve cover.
Without a paper trail back to the point the vehicle entered the USA, it may well be illegal for Mecum to even offer the vehicle for sale, especially if it has no VIN*.
And when was the last time you saw a 4-door Buick with rear door windows that didn’t open? [1980s Mid-size sedans with the tiny 1/4 windows that could be opened?]
* Even off-road vehicles, construction vehicles, etc., are required to have a VIN to track them if stolen, as well as handle warranty claims.
Wow!! Much I didn’t know especially for the importance of import paper trail. Thank you.
people won’t be able to drive this it has a stick shift and roll down windows they will never figure it out now days lol good luck on your sale.
When importing a vehicle to the USA, All 50 state MVA/DMV offices will want 3 federal papers: DOT, EPA, and US Customs forms, that specifically clear the vehicle for importation. If even one of those agencies has a problem, you will need to post a financial bond for temporary entry, pending the owner making the vehicle comply with all the DOT/EPA requirements as of date of manufacture. The exemptions include:
1. Vehicle is for display only.
2. Vehicle is to be used for competition [racing] only.
3. Vehicle is for testing only [[generally available only to vehicle
manufacturers or sub-contractors].
In the case of the first 2, the vehicle cannot be driven on public highways. and the state title is marked as such. Vehicle is ineligible for tags and registration. The reason these are issued a special title is so the VIN is then on file with all 50 states so it can’t be laundered thru a 2nd state and put on the road.
The 3rd case allows vehicles to be tested in the USA with the understanding that once the testing is complete, the vehicle will either be destroyed [and documented as such], or exported. This allows the vehicle to come in without having to pay import taxes. This situation is why most of the Chrysler Turbine cars were destroyed after the testing program.
There are a few other situations, but none would likely apply to people like us. [For example: Diplomatic use, and the temporary import of a vehicle to be used by the owner during a short period of time, typically a temporary work assignment or a vacation.]
Bill, you sound like you work for the government “we’re here to help”.
Nobody is talking about importing or exporting the car, titling or registering it.
Mecum is clear in their listing that the car is not road legal and is bill of sale only.
If it has no vin how would it possibly be identified as anything? It’s just a pile of parts bolted together.
As long as you were to simply not drive it on the streets, trailer it to shows or use it on your own property, please explain to me how there would be any issues?
Some of us do own acreage where we can legally drive whatever crap we want, after all this is America!
Ugly or not it is part of automotive history and should be preserved. I do find it interesting and glad it was posted.
Bill,
I used to have a farm, and had multiple unlicensed vehicles running around, so I understand your comment. And while it would make a great little vehicle to run around the farm in, or use it to get from one end of a large building to the other, it still requires proof of legal importation.
For the sake of argument, let me suggest a situation where it might be a problem.
Somehow this vehicle made it into the country. Just because it doesn’t have a 14 digit VIN, it’s still a vehicle by definition, and it may have a special serial number to track it. If it was legally brought into the USA, it had to come in under a limited time agreement where it could not be sold, and once the importer was finished with it, it had to either be exported or destroyed.
Lets assume GM brought the vehicle into the country to be studied and/or tested, and the agreement with US Customs [ICE] allowed it to remain in the country for XX years. Once the time is up, it had to be exported or destroyed, and the government notified of it’s disposition.
Perhaps the time frame was for 2 years, but thru a mix-up nothing was done except to store it for 20 years. Then GM says “Get rid of it”, and they send it to Mecum to auction off. Mecum sells it to you. A month later GM gets a belated notice from US Customs asking what happened to the car. GM says it went to Mecum. Mecum says you bought the car. ICE suddenly shows up at your building with a roll-back truck and seizes the car for destruction. THIS DOES HAPPEN.
Or GM made arrangements to add the car to their museum collection, or they donated it to the Detroit Historical Collection. In either situation, the museum decides to sell it off and sends it to Mecum. If either organization made arrangements to pay the original import taxes under the 501c3 [with a reduced tax amount], they cannot sell the car at Mecum except to another 501c3 organization that then must apply for a waiver to keep it in their museum.
Keep in mind that with prototype vehicles, today they can literally cost $millions to build, and the import tax will be based on that final cost. That’s why the Chrysler Turbine cars were destroyed, because in 1962 they cost Chrysler over $50,000 EACH to build, and the import tax would be based on that amount. [15% import tax is $7,500/car, and there were 50 cars. That’s a total tax of $375,000.]
Either the US government has a full dossier [with photos] on the importation of this vehicle, or it was snuck into the country illegally. Without a continuous history going back to 2001, There is always a possibility the new owner of this vehicle could lose custody [and all rights of ownership] if and when the feds catch up to it.
And while it may not have a 14 digit VIN, it may have a special vehicle number, or use the engine serial number to keep track of the vehicle. It’s unlikely the EPA, DOT, or ICE would allow the vehicle into the country without some numerical way of tracking it.
I was a long time friend of the man who headed up the DOT’s legal department, and I do know that when people try to hide a vehicle [it’s considered hiding if the feds don’t know who owns it or where it is], the financial penalties can be large.
I can say this today because he’s no longer alive; My friend once told me that if a vehicle owner is honest with the DOT and made no attempt at fraud, the typical fine for non-compliance was under $300. [this was 30 years ago]. But try to slide past them, and the fines could be $10,000 or more, and you lose the vehicle!
Just because you buy it from Mecum does not mean you legally own the car, as there is no title to transfer, no guaranteeing ownership. If prior paperwork limits ownership rights, you can lose the car forever. In selling it without any trail of ownership, Mecum could end up refunding the purchase costs if the feds confiscate the vehicle, because they never had the right to sell it. I’m actually surprised they were willing to handle the sale.
Bill, not looking to write a book here, but as you say if I take some Ford parts, some Dodge parts, some Chevy parts that were new and never placed on a car with a vin and make FODOCH a is that considered a vehicle?
Sounds like fear mongering. Please give me an actual example where. “ICE suddenly shows up at your building with a roll-back truck and seizes the car for destruction” where someone was not DELIBERATELY trying to evade import fees, taxes or whatever.
There is NO legal requirement whatsoever to report any vehicles location to any government agency, your “it’s considered hiding if the feds don’t know who owns it or where it is” comment is patently ridiculous.
And lets not forget it’s a 20 year old vehicle, many states require minimal ownership proof for actual ROAD LEGAL vehicles of this age.
Bill,
You said: “Bill, not looking to write a book here, but as you say if I take some Ford parts, some Dodge parts, some Chevy parts that were new and never placed on a car with a vin and make FODOCH a is that considered a vehicle?”
Yes, it CAN be. In cases like this, each situation depends on the final outcome. What you describe is a street rod or rat rod. And yes, to be driven on the public roads it DOES need a VIN, title, and tags.
If it was assembled outside the USA, on it’s importation the ICE will require a title certificate from the exporting country. If there is no existing title, the vehicle will be denied entry onto the boat. The owner will then fill out the ICE, EPA, and DOT forms. If it’s more than 25 years of age, then the EPA and DOT forms simply need to be marked as such, as the vehicle is exempt. But you still need to pay the 2% import duty.
It’s clearly obvious that you are not familiar with the requirements that everyone [including vehicle manufacturers] MUST conform to when bringing a vehicle into the country.
Concerning your comment about some states having minimal ownership requirements, while this might be the case, FEDERAL motor vehicle importation and certification regulations [as of the date of manufacture] must be followed. If it’s inside the USA and there is no evidence of any DOT, EPA or ICE paperwork approving the importation, then the vehicle can be seized. It matters not what the state paperwork says, this is federal law that applies.
You asked for an example:
I was hired in a situation where an American bought a 1980s Citroen Cx 2000 while on an extended vacation in France, So enamored with the car, he brought it into the Port of Baltimore on his return to the states about 1987. He had to post bonds with both the DOT and EPA guaranteeing the car would be brought into compliance within a certain time frame. He also paid the ICE 2% import fee for a used vehicle.
Several EPA & DOT certified companies worked on the car in an attempt to make it meet the FMVSS requirements for DOT and EPA, but they were unable to meet the certification standards. He was ordered to either export the car or arrange for it’s destruction. The ICE paperwork specifically said if the car is not exported or destroyed by a certain date, the car would be seized and destroyed.
The car’s owner was well off financially and simply decided not to go head-to-head with the feds and he agreed to it’s destruction. I was hired [as his representative] to arrange everything with the feds and observe and certify the car was indeed destroyed. I arranged for the car to be delivered by roll-back truck to Brandywine Auto Parts in Maryland, where I observed this beautiful and great running car stripped of it’s engine/gearbox, fuel drained, then loaded into a hydraulic crusher, where it was flattened and sent for scrap. Car destroyed. There was an agent from the US Customs [now ICE] there to make sure the car was indeed destroyed.
As for your comment: “There is NO legal requirement whatsoever to report any vehicles location to any government agency, your “it’s considered hiding if the feds don’t know who owns it or where it is” comment is patently ridiculous.”
Well sir, YOU ARE WRONG, and here is why; On importation of a vehicle into the USA, the owner of the vehicle is required to sign an agreement that they will not sell the vehicle. Plus the owner shall make it available for inspection if & when the terms of the agreement are breached [like not making it conform]. If you do not let the feds know where the vehicle is, they consider that as hiding, in violation of the agreement.
There are only 2 US government accepted explanations for why this Buick vehicle is in the USA; Either it was imported on a set of bonds, or it was brought into the country illegally. If it came in on a set of bonds, there is some sort of tracking number, probably a non-conforming 14 digit VIN. If the car has NO FEDERAL importation paperwork, it’s considered an illegal importation, and is subject to seizure. The “owner” then will need to convince the federal agencies why he should get the vehicle back. [Not likely to happen.]
It’s clear you have no understanding of how a vehicle is imported into the USA. Please consult someone who is a licensed vehicle importer/broker, or go online to the ICE, DOT, and EPA websites to learn more. I have personally imported dozens of modern and vintage vehicles since 1985, from a 1938 Ford Phaeton from Chile, to multiple Rolls-Royce cars from England. And I have assisted many other people in importing rare and unusual cars into the USA. I’ve written articles for car clubs on how to import a car into the USA.
I even worked with a large European based antique car club in Paris [Club Ancient Autos and Rallies] to import 96 vintage vehicles in 1993, for a trip using Rt 66. I arranged for their temporary importation thru the Port of Baltimore [we were written up in the Port’s Magazine]. I submitted all the paperwork for these vehicles allowing them free temporary importation for up to 6 months time. Only 1 vehicle didn’t make it to California due to a severe accident, and I arranged an extension to the 6 months period, until the car was declared a total loss by the insurance company of the semi-truck that struck the car from behind.
The information I have provided is accurate and posted here to educate those who read Barn Finds. This group does not need someone who is uninformed, trying to suggest I am wrong. You could be doing a great disservice to anyone here who is considering a bid on this Buick prototype. I am a former member of Federal law enforcement, and had a 30+ year positive relationship with DOT, EPA and ICE before retiring. Unlike yourself, I DO know what I am talking about.
If you wish to continue challenging me, please do your research and provide the relevant links or sections of Federal or state regulation [by regulation #]. If you can’t provide the requested links or reg numbers, I will ignore your additional comments claiming I am in error.
What’s your background when it comes to importation of vehicles into the USA?
Great read Bill and thank you for posting all this info
I will not attempt to buy this lump as i live in canada and it would make things worse !
And its an ugly thing !
First off where does it even say the car was even imported into the US? As you said it couldn’t have gotten in if it wasn’t legal, it could have been built completely here.
As to your comment “to be driven on the public roads it DOES need a VIN, title, and tags” -Actually no it does not. I LEGALLY drive untitled, unregistered, untagged tractors on the roads where I am at, It depends on what your state/county laws are, NO FEDERAL law applies.
And yes nearby counties require registration and plates and treat them as motor vehicles which they are.
I asked for an actual example of your comment “ICE suddenly shows up at your building with a roll-back truck and seizes the car for destruction. THIS DOES HAPPEN”. -No, the only thing you provided me with was your (if believable) example of a voluntary relinquishment, where for whatever reason the car couldn’t be made to pass emissions and it was VOLUNTARILY crushed.
It seems to me removing the engine and transmission would have been a violation of the agreement as well?
With all your purported experience why didn’t you buy the car from the owner and export it instead of crushing it instead?
As you say you are the unquestionable expert then you should be able to quote the relevant federal statutes?
“This group does not need someone who is uninformed, trying to suggest I
am wrong” =Classic Narcissist……
Don’t get mad I simply called you on your B.S.
Even if you could drive this “car” on public roads & park it in public lots, i don’t think anyone would notice it, even if there were no smartphones for many people to look down at while walking & driving – because it’s too cookie cutter inside & out.
I remember reading when the 2005 mustang came out, the road testers who had 1 of the 1st cars released for public roads – no one noticed the car when they were driving it around!