During a recent trip to Los Angeles, I decided to break away from the usual tourist traps and spend a day immersing myself in car culture with the family. While the original plan was centered on Disneyland and family fun, I couldn’t pass up the chance to visit the Petersen Automotive Museum, a bucket-list stop for any true gearhead.
What I didn’t expect was to stumble upon a Chrysler concept car I’d never even heard of: the 1996 Chrysler Lugano. Tucked inside the museum’s Modern Concepts: Future Visions from the Recent Past exhibit, this full-size clay mockup wasn’t just rare — it was never shown to the public until now. And seeing it up close felt like discovering a secret chapter in Chrysler’s design history.
The Lugano was developed at Chrysler’s Pacifica Advanced Design Studio in Irvine, California, and was built on the same PR platform as the Plymouth (Chrysler) Prowler. Unlike the Prowler’s open-roadster vibe, the Lugano was envisioned as a fixed-roof, two-seat grand touring coupe, bold, sleek, and way ahead of its time.
The lead designer, Kevin Verduyn, drew inspiration from the legendary 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR Uhlenhaut Coupe, which, fun fact, holds the title of the world’s most expensive car, having sold for $149.6 million (€143 million). You can see the influence right away: the Lugano’s long hood, wide Panamericana-style grille, and deep side vents give it a refined, European flair with American muscle undertones.
Even though it’s just a clay mockup, the design gives off big-performance vibes. With its aggressive stance, quad exhaust outlets, and long dash-to-axle ratio, it looks like Chrysler had a V8 in mind. That’s a big step up from the Prowler’s V6 and 4-speed auto, and it hints at a direction Chrysler rarely explored — a premium sports coupe with both style and substance.
The front end is quirky in the best way. The headlights resemble those from the 1998 Chrysler LHS and Concorde, and the tiny fender-mounted turn signals add a touch of retro-futurism. From some angles, it almost looks amphibious — but in a cool, one-of-a-kind kind of way. Out back, the styling shifts to a more European design language that’s far removed from Chrysler’s typical ‘90s cues.
It’s kind of a shame the Lugano never made it past the design studio. No auto show appearance, no spy shots, no buzz. Just a clay model that quietly disappeared, until now.
Seeing the Lugano in person was a highlight of the trip and a reminder that behind every brand’s lineup, there are always hidden dreams that almost made it.
