Bizarre concept car from Massachusetts proved revolutionary and changed the way cars were designed forever
Published on Oct 12, 2025 at 7:02 PM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Oct 09, 2025 at 9:18 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Back in the 1950s, an engineer from Massachusetts spent a decade working on a bizarre-looking concept car known as Sir Vival.
Sir Vival was designed as an ‘adventure in safe motoring’ and is considered one of the earliest experimental safety vehicles ever made.
At the time, it gained a fair amount of attention in the media, but these days it’s largely forgotten.
And while you might never have heard of the concept car, it played a big part in shaping how cars are made today.
DISCOVER SBX CARS – The global premium auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Sir Vival was a ‘revolutionary’ concept car from the 1950s
The 1950s were quite an experimental time for carmakers, leading to unusual concepts like this Ford that ran on uranium, or this head-turning General Motors camper that featured gullwing doors.
However, Sir Vival didn’t have the backing of a big name.
It was created by engineering graduate Walter C. Jerome who was hoping to improve road safety.
The concept car was created from a 1948 Hudson, but was so thoroughly redesigned by Jerome that it no longer resembled the original car.
In fact, it no longer resembled any existing car, thanks to its segmented chassis.
Sir Vival had the engine and front wheels in the front section, with a separate back section for the driver’s cab.
The two parts were joined together by an articulated joint, which meant if the car was in a head-on smash the sections could articulate and the axis could absorb the energy from the accident.
The cab itself was also unusual. It featured a driving seat raised around three-feet above the passenger seat, to give great visibility, and came with a cylinder of glass that acted like a windshield.
However, alongside the more bizarre design elements, Jerome also introduced many safety features we see as standard today, like the roll cage, rubber bumpers, and side lights.
It also came with seat belts and airbags, making it lightyears ahead of its time and helping to change the ways cars were made in the US forever.
What became of the Sir Vival prototype?
The Sir Vival garnered a fair amount of attention when it was new and appeared at a handful of events, including the International Auto Show and the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
Jerome had plans to put the car into production and aimed to build between 10 and 12 per year, and sell them for $10,000 apiece – pretty pricy for the time.
However, things didn’t work out like that and Sir Vival never went into production.
Thankfully, the original prototype is still around.
Following Jerome’s death, it ended up at Bellingham Auto Sales before being sold to Lane Motor Museum in 2022, where it began a restoration in 2023.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
