Cadillac Cyclone
Encyclopedia
The Cadillac Cyclone is a concept car built in 1959 by the Cadillac
Division of General Motors
. The Cyclone was never mass-produced as a production model.
, the Cyclone was a testbed for futuristic styling and technology. Built on a 104" wheelbase
chassis
, it featured a front-mounted 390in3 engine, rear-mounted automatic transaxle
, and an all-wheel independent suspension. Uniquely, the Cyclone's engine exhaust was ported out just ahead of the front wheels. It also featured a radar operated crash avoidance system, with the radar sensors mounted in twin "nose-cones" on the front of the car.
Of the Cyclone's stylistic features, the bubble top canopy was the most prominent. Silver coated for UV protection, the canopy automatically opened along with the sliding electrically operated doors. The canopy could be also be stowed in the rear compartment, where it rested on a special air-bag base.
The Cyclone's design was heavily inspired by the aviation and rocket designs of the 1950s.
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
Division of General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
. The Cyclone was never mass-produced as a production model.
Overview
One of the last cars designed by the legendary Harley EarlHarley Earl
Harley J. Earl was first Vice President of Design at General Motors. He was an industrial designer and a pioneer of modern transportation design. A coachbuilder by trade, Earl pioneered the use of freeform sketching and hand sculpted clay models as design techniques...
, the Cyclone was a testbed for futuristic styling and technology. Built on a 104" wheelbase
Wheelbase
In both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
, it featured a front-mounted 390in3 engine, rear-mounted automatic transaxle
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
, and an all-wheel independent suspension. Uniquely, the Cyclone's engine exhaust was ported out just ahead of the front wheels. It also featured a radar operated crash avoidance system, with the radar sensors mounted in twin "nose-cones" on the front of the car.
Of the Cyclone's stylistic features, the bubble top canopy was the most prominent. Silver coated for UV protection, the canopy automatically opened along with the sliding electrically operated doors. The canopy could be also be stowed in the rear compartment, where it rested on a special air-bag base.
The Cyclone's design was heavily inspired by the aviation and rocket designs of the 1950s.