Why I no longer get excited by Chrysler's concept vehicles.

For anyone who doesn't know, I'm a parts guy at a Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge/Ram dealership so I get to see some pretty neat cars on a pretty regular basis. Lately though, my expectations far outweigh what ultimately gets delivered when it comes to new vehicle ideas from my favorite brand.

Chrysler used to be known for its forward thinking and new ideas. Take for instance the 1963 Turbine Car:

This car came about at a time when the automotive industry was really pushing boundaries, working on completely new design ideas and really pushing the limits. There are a number of these that are still registered vehicles that folks do drive around. Not simply a new idea that never got to see the road!

Because of my knowledge of Chrysler's history with new design ideas and their push towards making them a reality I got very excited when I came across the Jeep Chief concept a few years ago:

Needless to say I fell in love with the concept. I love open-air style vehicles and the very "beachy" look of the whole vehicle is just beautiful. This wasn't even the first vehicle Jeep had designed on this new platform that's designed off the old Grand Wagoneer look, so I was very hopeful we'd see something very similar once we actually got the real deal. However, the real thing turned out to be a bit of a let down:

Now don't get me wrong. I still think it's a really cool looking ride, but it's basically a Wrangler with a paint job. I could do this myself if I really wanted to! I've gotten to the point where I hardly pay attention to concept vehicles Chrysler comes out with because most designs that are based on an existing vehicle are boring, and anything looking new and radical are probably just not going to happen. But oh well, cars are still fun and it's always neat to see people just like to try new things.

Do you have any particular concept vehicles or upcoming updated models that interest you? If so, I'd love to hear about them!