INFINITI PROTOTYPE 9 / “THE CAR THAT NEVER WAS”

The Pebble Beach Concourse d'Elegance is a unique and exclusive auto show with a long tradition of legacy brands. As a challenger brand, INFINITI needed to earn its seat at the luxury automotive table. For 2017, we pitched “The Car That Never Was,” a hypothetical scenario for this car: how it could have existed in history. Alfonso and his design team took it from there—building a real, fully functional, “barn find” sports car, the Prototype 9.

In addition to being the main feature at the Pebble Beach Concourse d'Elegance, it also gained a ton of press in the auto industry. Although CP+B was not mentioned in the press release—ah, legal departments—we are grateful and happy to know we played a part in all of this and help create this car.

“It started as a simple thought – what if we found a car, down at the southern tip of Japan, buried deep in a barn, hidden from all eyes for 70 years? What if in this car we found the seed of passion planted during our first Japanese Grand Prix and the power and artistry of INFINITI today? What would this discovery look like?”—Alfonso Albaisa, Senior Vice President, Global design, INFINITI.

Role: CD/CW. Agency: CPB.