Enlarge ImageThis never-was Dodge M80 concept might've singlehandedly jumpstarted America's moribund small-truck market in the early 2000s.

Most concept cars and trucks wow on the auto show circuit, but are soon forgotten.

While most show cars tend to be high-dollar flights of fancy, the vehicles seen here weren't just closer to reality than your average concept, they were designed with a measure of everyday-consumer affordability in mind.

Here's what their long memories came up with.

Ford Forty-Nine concept was retrofuturism at its finest16 Photos.

Paying homage to this groundbreaking model range was the appropriately named Forty-Nine concept, which debuted at the Detroit Auto Show.

With almost impossibly clean flanks and minimal trim, the Forty-Nine concept proved less could be more, just like the original that inspired it.

Mazda RX-Vision concept is a long-legged rotary dream8 Photos.

2015 Mazda RX-VisionBeing a third-generation Mazda RX-7 owner, I usually get caught up the rumors of its return and pay close attention to any of the Japanese company's exploits involving rotary engines.

The RX-Vision concept from 2015 was no exception, being a two-seat, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive show car powered by a next-generation Skyactiv-R Wankel.

A new Acura NSX was confirmed to be on the way and signs of a new Toyota Supra were on the horizon in the form of the FT-1 Concept.

2006 Volkswagen GX3 concept was a Tron trike for the streets8 Photos.

2006 Volkswagen GX3Of all the vehicles on this list, the Volkswagen GX3 is not only the most unlikely of them to exist in any form, it's very likely the concept that came closest to landing in dealerships?

This three-wheeled concept bowed at the Los Angeles Auto Show in 2006, and it came within a hair's breadth of series production, with prototype test vehicles spotted for months as VW worked to iron out the trike's performance and buildability.

When it was revealed, the California-designed VW concept promised scintillating-for-the-day performance (including 0 to 62 mph in 5.7 seconds and 1.25 gs on the skidpad), good fuel efficiency (46 miles per gallon city on Europe's then-current test cycle), and a startlingly affordable price -- under $17,000.

Powered by a 1.6-liter four cylinder yoked to a six-speed manual, the rear-wheel-drive GX3 autocycle weighed well under 1,300 pounds, featured tuning by Lotus and looked like an absolute riot.

Jeep Jeepster concept was a V8-powered, off-road hot rod7 Photos.

1998 Jeep JeepsterHere's a concept that I think both should have been built years ago and should be put into production now.

Compared to the Wrangler of the time, the Jeepster looked like it was from two decades in the future.

I think something like the Jeepster could totally work in 2020 as a road-oriented counterpart to the Wrangler!

2015 Toyota S-FRI know what you're probably thinking: "Wait, didn't Toyota make the FR-S?" Yes, before Scion was put out to pasture the Toyota 86 was indeed called the Scion FR-S in the US of A.

While its cutesy styling wasn't to everyone's liking when the car debuted at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, the car was said to be going into near-immediate production the following year with a 128-horsepower, 1.5-liter engine and a price in the Japanese market of just $12,500 (around $13,600 today).

2007 Dodge Demon concept was a thrilling little roadster17 Photos.

Originally debuting at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show, the Dodge Demon Concept was a small, two-seat roadster -- then-DaimlerChrysler's answer to the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky.

It looked production-ready, even as a concept car, and Dodge had every intention of building this roadster.

With jewel-like headlamps up front, muscular flanks integrating side intakes and a truncated rear with central, high-exit exhaust -- like a McLaren 720S Spider -- the little speedster looked like it could've been a compelling alternative to the Toyota MR2 Spyder, which was still being sold at the time.

Ford Interceptor concept was the Blue Oval muscle car we deserved12 Photos.

The Ford Interceptor concept came from a time when big sedans were making a, well, big comeback.

The Interceptor did its best to portray a tough-guy attitude, with a front fascia full of barred chrome, as was the Ford design trend at the time, and a rather muscular, yet rather elegant rear end?

Instead, we got a reborn Taurus with some design cues from the Interceptor.

Still, I think it looked pretty cool in a Japanese-trying-to-be-French kind of way, and I wish it would have been built.

Originally known as Regina and later renamed G70 (as shown in the above photo, which is only like one of two that still exists somehow), this concept's styling was a mix of Citroën DS and Ami, but with a plasticky sensibility that weirdly worked, and on paper, at least, the engineering sounded good, too.

Sadly, Suzuki fell off the automotive map in the US in 2012, so we never got to see if the Regina (definitely not pronounced like the city in Saskatchewan) would have played well in our market, though I suspect not.

2015 Honda Project 2&4.

Never have I seen a concept where I thought "I need this in my life" more immediately than the Honda Project 2&4?

Making its debut at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, Honda would drag this little two-seater out to almost every subsequent global auto show for at least the next year.

It was like Honda was teasing me with it, but it sadly never found its way to production?

The Dodge M80 concept debuted as retrofuturism styling was reaching a fever pitch globally.

Had the M80 made it to production, I don't think the bottom would've fallen out of the segment, as rivals like the Ford Ranger would've had to up their game instead of being put out to pasture.

Mini Rocketman concept car is tiny, unfolds like a pop-up book5 Photos.

Inside, it had what Mini called a "three-plus-one" seating configuration, and the company said the concept used an efficient powertrain that would've been capable of something like 78 mpg.

I keep holding my breath that Mini will someday create a super-small car like the Rocketman that slots below its now-porky offerings, but I think it's gonna be a long, long time before anything like that comes to fruition. .

Chevy Code 130R concept was a sporty RWD coupe for the kids17 Photos.

It also managed to rock a retro-but-kind-of-modern design that I still think looks playfully angry in a way, and it came at a time when "performance" at Chevy only meant dropping more cash on a Camaro or Corvette.

I think it should've seen production, but as GM mulled it over, the market made a swift shift to crossovers and SUVs.

And just like that, my dreams for a baby Chevelle died.

1996 Ford SynergyRemember when 2010 was some far-off time that would almost certainly look like The Jetsons.

Yeah, I remember it too, which is why it's fun to look at old concept cars, like the 1996 Ford Synergy here, which imagined a midsize family sedan in the year 2010.

While we certainly didn't get a Taurus from Ford that looked anything like the Synergy, wouldn't that have been the coolest.

It's practically plucked from Tron, with insane styling on the front end that almost makes the car look like a garden implement.

2001 Toyota RSCI don't just think Toyota should have built the RSC concept SUV back in 2001 when it was first unveiled -- I think the company should build it now.

2014 Kia Stinger GT4Don't get me wrong, the production Kia Stinger is one of my favorite cars on sale today, but way back in 2014, the (very different) Stinger GT4 concept took all my preconceptions about the value-oriented Korean car brand and kicked them in the ass

The Chrysler Imperial concept car from 2006 is still a looker19 Photos

For me, Chrysler's Imperial concept from 2006 checks all the right boxes; it's everything I want in an upscale sedan and more

2008 Mitsubishi Concept-RA looked like a future Eclipse16 Photos

Mitsubishi never officially said the Concept-RA previewed a next-gen Eclipse, but it wasn't much of stretch to think it could've seen production

Entering the party just a year after the Chevrolet Code 130R concept -- also featured on this list -- the IDx concepts could have been cheap, fun and efficient competitors to Toyota's 86 and Subaru's BRZ

2015 Mazda MX-5 Miata SpeedsterWhen the standard Miata isn't light enough, here comes the Speedster concept from the 2015 SEMA show

Concept Cars