Odd and Interesting Vehicles: 1959 Cadillac Cyclone

Another of Harley Earl’s designs, the 1959 Cadillac Cyclone concept featured a rocket ship design with a Plexiglas bubble canopy that allowed the driver to have 360-degree vision. The top could be flipped under the rear deck of the car when it was not in use.

In a sign of things to come, the Cyclone concept was fitted with a forward-looking radar unit that could alert the driver to objects in front of the car – just like today's forward collision warning systems do.

The car's doors opened more like the side doors on modern minivans, sliding down the side of the vehicle rather than swinging outward. Because the car didn't have roll-down windows, Cadillac fitted it with an intercom system, so passengers could communicate with people outside the vehicle.