If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in an endless sea of honking taxis in New York City, you might have wished someone—anyone—had figured out a way to make urban transportation smoother. Well, believe it or not, back in the 1970s, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) gave it a shot. Yes, the same MoMA known for showcasing avant-garde paintings and sculptures once tried its hand at tackling the Big Apple’s notorious traffic problem. And no, it wasn’t an art installation titled Gridlock in Yellow—it was a serious, forward-thinking, and slightly wacky experiment called The MoMa Taxi Project: Realistic Solutions for Today.
A Museum Takes on Mobility
In 1976, MoMA’s Architecture and Design Department, under the guidance of curator Emilio Ambasz, launched an exhibition aimed at solving one of the city’s most pressing issues: urban mobility. At the time, New York was home to around 170,000 taxis, responsible for ferrying over 60% more passengers than buses. That’s a lot of people—and an equally enormous amount of pollution, congestion, and frustration.
With the help of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, MoMA put together a manual outlining the ideal specifications for a modern taxi. Then, they turned to America’s biggest car manufacturers to bring these futuristic cabs to life. The response? A resounding “No thanks.” The industry saw little financial incentive in designing an entirely new vehicle just to produce a handful of models. Apparently, even back then, innovation took a backseat to profit margins.
Enter the Unlikely Heroes
Undeterred, the project team pivoted and reached out to companies not traditionally associated with automobile manufacturing. Two California-based firms, American Machine and Foundry (AMF) and Steam Power Systems (SPS), stepped up to the challenge. They weren’t alone—European automakers Volvo, Volkswagen, and Alfa Romeo also threw their hats into the ring, eager to show off their forward-thinking designs.
The goal was ambitious: create a taxi that was spacious, safe, fuel-efficient, and environmentally friendly. Oh, and it had to be cheap to build and maintain—because what good is a futuristic taxi if no one can afford to ride in it?
Steam Power Systems’ Taxi
Steam-powered and lightweight, this taxi featured bi-fold doors for easy access, dark-tinted windows to reduce glare, and a climate-controlled interior. Despite its innovative propulsion system, steam power was already on its way out, making this taxi more of an engineering experiment than a realistic production vehicle.
American Machine and Foundry’s Model
Another steam-powered entry, AMF’s taxi focused heavily on safety and repairability. Its smooth, curved body aimed to minimize pedestrian injuries, while its modular panels made maintenance more affordable. Inside, the driver enjoyed a secure compartment with a built-in safe deposit box.
Volvo Taxi – Built by Coggiola
Designed by the famed Italian coachbuilder Coggiola, this Volvo prototype emphasized comfort, accessibility, and safety. It featured sliding doors, a high roofline, and a foldable seat section to accommodate wheelchair users—years ahead of its time. Volvo’s signature commitment to safety was evident in the structural reinforcements, including tubular steel side members and an innovative retractable safety bar that replaced traditional seat belts.
Volkswagen’s Hybrid Taxi
Volkswagen’s contribution was a hybrid-powered taxi that combined an internal combustion engine with an electric motor, reducing emissions significantly. It boasted a spacious interior with noise insulation, an intercom system, and adjustable seats with folding armrests. Thoughtfully designed to accommodate baby strollers and wheelchairs, this concept aimed to improve both passenger experience and city air quality.
Alfa Romeo Taxi – Made by Italdesign
Designed by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign, the Alfa Romeo taxi was a masterpiece of functionality. Built on an adapted Alfa Romeo van chassis, this prototype was incredibly spacious, featuring a wraparound rubber bumper for protection against city fender-benders. Inside, three passengers could sit comfortably in the rear, with additional foldable seats for two more.
One of its standout features was a retractable ramp, allowing for effortless entry and exit for wheelchair users and baby strollers. This Alfa Romeo concept was arguably the most refined and luxurious of the bunch, emphasizing both style and practicality—hallmarks of Italian automotive design. Though it was never meant for U.S. production, it showed how European manufacturers were already thinking ahead in terms of urban mobility solutions.
The Dream That Never Was
After the exhibition, the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission put the prototypes through rigorous testing. Unfortunately, despite their innovations, none of these futuristic taxis made it into mass production. Whether due to costs, logistical hurdles, or just plain bureaucratic inertia, the concept fizzled out. Instead, the city stuck with its classic boxy cabs for decades to come.
Lost Visions: Unseen Taxi Concepts from the 1976 MoMA Project
Beyond the five selected prototypes, numerous other visionary designs were drafted but never saw the spotlight. Below is a gallery showcasing some of these fascinating yet forgotten sketches—ideas that might have changed the future of urban transport but remained on the drawing board.
A Legacy of Innovation
While the MoMa Taxi Project didn’t revolutionize urban transport overnight, it did spark conversations about sustainable mobility long before “eco-friendly” became a buzzword. Many of the ideas presented—hybrid engines, accessibility features, and ergonomic designs—would later become industry standards.
So the next time you hop into a taxi, take a moment to appreciate that, once upon a time, the Museum of Modern Art tried to make your ride cleaner, safer, and a little less bumpy. And who knows? Maybe someday, a future MoMA exhibition will finally crack the code to stress-free city commuting. Until then, keep hailing those cabs—and maybe bring a good book for the traffic.
