Just to show concept-car-itus isn’t a western problem, Daewoo weighed in with the No. 1. Why no-one gave them the nod as to the problem with the name is just beyond me. Anyway, Daewoo were determined the world would appreciate their particular brand of bland, one way or another. Those ways were to shove it on their stands at the 1995 Seoul AND Frankfurt shows, which is strange, because I don’t remember it being mentioned in the news at the time (an oversight on the part of the press, I’m sure).

The No. 1 (good god, I still can’t believe someone didn’t tell them) was based on the Lanos hatchback. The Lanos wasn’t exactly a star to start with, but I have to suppose they took it as a challenge to see if they make it less hopeless. Sadly they failed.

In some ways, it’s just bland. Even loping the roof off didn’t do anything to improve the Lanos situation. So Daewoo resorted to the old concept car favorite. If you’re struggling to come up with something and the show is only two weeks away, its time for yellow paint. (Take a look at the Dodge Neon Expresso for what happens when the show is tomorrow and you still don’t have anything.)

Daewoo were either short of yellow paint or they had some degree of taste (and I’m betting you can guess which side I’m leaning towards) so they only painted the interior yellow. The black and yellow contrast looks, er, stunning. I can only guess that if the car had been driven on the open road there would have been a swarm of bumble bees behind it. And since I doubt the engine, suspension or brakes were breathed on, you’d stand no chance of getting away.

The final nail in this particularly gaudy coffin is the steering wheel. Given that it comes off with a single nut, you’d have thought they could have binned the original and gone for one of the half million aftermarket jobs that aren’t crap. But they didn’t.

So, that’s it. American and European automakers aren’t the only companies to turn out less-than-stellar concepts cars (and I’m really trying to be kind here). Or do you like it? Is yellow your thing? And would you risk the wasps and bees and take it on the open road? Let me know.

Cheers!

PS. In case you were wondering, yep, there was a Daewoo No. 2. It was just as, er, crap, as the No. 1.

(Images courtesy of Daewoo)