Ad for AC Products featuring experimental cars, GM’s Le Sabre and Buick’s XP-300, in Chilton’s Motor Age, December 1952.

            The Le Sabre was a concept car created in 1951, envisioned by GM's head of design, Harley Earl. It was inspired by the jet age, particularly the North American F-86 Sabre jet fighter. The car featured a body made of aluminum, magnesium, and fiberglass, and it was powered by a supercharged aluminum V8 engine that could run on gasoline or methanol. It was also GM's first use of a rear-mounted transmission. The Le Sabre introduced design elements like the wrap-around windshield and tail fins, which became widespread in the latter half of the 1950s. 

On the other hand, the Buick XP-300, also from 1951, was designed by Charles Chayne and Ned F. Nickles. It shared many mechanical components with the Le Sabre, including its supercharged V8 engine. The XP-300 was a representation of GM's "long and low" design philosophy, featuring push-button power windows and seats, hydraulic jacks, and de Dion axles. It was claimed to have reached a top speed of 140 mph during testing.
 
Both cars were displayed at auto shows across the United States and were significant in pioneering automotive design features that would become common in the years to follow. The Le Sabre, in particular, had a lasting impact on car design and is considered an all-time icon of automotive history. 

These experimental cars were not just showcases of futuristic styling but also testbeds for new technologies and materials that would later influence production vehicles. It's quite remarkable how these concepts from the early '50s helped shape the future of the automotive industry.  

[Sources: Bing Copilot, Wikipedia, Hagerty.com, ConceptCarz.com, Kustomrama.com]

[Note: After being rejected by other book publishers, the novel "Dune" by Frank Herbert was finally accepted and published in August 1965 by Chilton Books, a printing house better known for publishing auto repair manuals and "Motor Age" magazine. The novel won the Nebula and Hugo Awards and is the basis of a successful movie franchise. Before its publication as a book, "Dune" was serialized in "Analog Science Fiction" magazine.]

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