Pre-production car

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Pre-production cars are vehicles that allow the automaker to find problems before a new model goes on sale to the public. Pre-production cars come after prototypes, or development mules which themselves are preceded by concept cars.

Pre-production cars are typically built in small quantities on a slave production line, or in some cases on the real production line alongside the current model. Typically the parts used will be off the production tooling, or at least are intended to represent the final part very closely. Sometimes the components used to make a pre-production car are a mix between the prototype models and the mass production versions to come later.

"... A pre-production car is a car is like a beta version of a software program — it's used for demonstration and evaluation purposes of an all-new vehicle...."^[1]

Manufacturers sometimes use pre-production cars to provide the automotive press a chance to experience and create publicity and articles about the models that are yet to appear in dealer showrooms for public view. Some of these cars are exhibited at auto shows. They may also be destroyed during crash tests. Most of the rest are scrapped, as they may not meet automobile safety regulations or emission standards, or they may be used as the prototypes (also known as a development mule) for test work for the next model.