Concept Car of the Week: Toyota EX-1 (1969)

Back in the 60s, Toyota launched a few iconic sports cars such as the 800 and the gorgeous 2000 GT. Not happy to have created automotive perfection with the latter, the Japanese brand went on to explore even more extravagant shapes and unveiled the first of the EX concepts series in 1969.

While its bold lines are truly Japanese, the EX-1 looked like the missing link between the fast silhouette of a 1967 Maserati Ghibli and the hairy-chested heft of a Dodge Challenger.

Like most concepts of that era, it was designed for high-speed cruising between cities. The robotic fascia is made of cheap off-the-shelf headlamps simply pushed in a large, black rectangle and covered with translucent louvers, which gives it a goofy, yet somehow menacing look. Its radical body-to-glass ratio and retractable roof spoiler adds to the overall drama.

Just 45 years later, Toyota has unveiled its FT-1 concept at the Detroit auto show, which uses the same formula – rear wheel drive coupe, big engine, low roof height and a flashy red paint job. This is guaranteed to get both the public and the press begging for it to be put into production.

Like its ancestor, the FT-1 uses Italian-American inspiration. Its shapely body is as sculpted as a Ferrari F12 and if it had stripes, people might call it a Viper. The new car also has a long hood and a retractable spoiler.

The EX-1 previewed the 1970 Celica coupe MK1 – the one that looked like a mini Mustang. Let's see if Toyota responds positively to the public and uses the FT-1 to create yet another exciting driving machine.

Your author, Flavien Dachet, is a UK-based, French-born car designer. You may know him as the purveyor of KarzNshit, a photo blog that if isn't already in your bookmarks, certainly should be.

By Flavien Dachet