Image Credit: BuickAmerica is no stranger to concept cars. Some of the country's biggest car manufacturers have flexed their creative muscles over the years to try and get everyone's attention and captivate the world. Of course, a lot of these cars never made it into production, or did so in highly modified states.The 1980s were one of the best times for those who loved concepts. Companies such as Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Plymouth all came up with some crazy ideas and some very interesting designs to see how far they could push the automotive industry.We've been doing some digging to try and find the best American concept cars of that decade, and we think we've found a handful that stand out from all the others. Plus, we think all of these should have been put forward into production models.AdvertisementAdvertisementWe will admit that, with some of these cars, it's clear why they never went beyond the concept stage. Despite that, it is interesting to see where some designers thought the industry would go and what they thought some cars should look like. Even four decades later, these cars still make us go 'wow' when we look at them.1988 Pontiac Banshee IVImage Credit: PontiacPontiac built a series of interesting sports car concepts from the 1960s to the 1980s, and all of these took on the Banshee nameplate. Perhaps the most impressive was the last of these, the Banshee IV unveiled at the 1988 Detroit Auto Show. The car had a sleek and aggressive design and was sold as the sports car of the future.It was a two-door four-seater, with a 230hp single overhead cam V8 under the hood. Inside, it had an array of features such as an experimental heads-up display and a digital dashboard. It sadly never went into production. However, the design did help influence the look of the fourth-generation Pontiac Firebird and Chevrolet Camaro muscle cars.1986 Chevrolet Corvette IndyImage Credit: ChevroletWhile the first production mid-engine Corvette was the C8, Chevrolet had toyed with mid-engine Corvettes before. One of these was the 1986 Chevrolet Corvette Indy, shown off at that year's North American International Auto Show. A stunning bespoke and streamlined body was the highlight, designed by Vice President of Design at Chevrolet, Chuck Jordan.AdvertisementAdvertisementIt had a 2.65-liter 600hp race-ready twin-turbocharged V8 under the hood, and was initially developed for Roger Penske's CART (now IndyCar) team. While Chevrolet did consider a limited production run, the high projected costs of this ruled it out, and so the car would remain a one-off concept.1985 Buick WildcatImage Credit: BuickBuick also seemed to have a penchant for concepts in the 1980s. One of these was the 1985 Buick Wildcat concept, first shown off at that year's SEMA show in Las Vegas. It looked a world away from the company's production vehicles, which at the time, you could argue looked somewhat boring and with no real standout features.The Wildcat boasted an all-wheel drive system and a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine that, officially, produced 230hp. But rumors suggested this mid-mounted engine actually produced up to 400hp in total. Buick never intended to produce the 1985 Wildcat. Yet maybe it should have, as it showed that the company was not afraid to push the boundaries now and again.1986 Pontiac Trans Sport ConceptImage Credit: PontiacNow for something completely different. Following the Malaise era, Pontiac wanted to make a splash, and so it came up with the 1986 Trans Sport Concept. This was a minivan, which might not sound exciting, but the Trans Sport took the segment to a level no one thought possible. It had a helicopter-style split windscreen to accommodate gullwing doors.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe front and rear lights were in sleek slits, and the Trans Sport even had a roof-mounted rear wing. Inside was a CRT screen for the driver along with a heads-up display, while the front passenger had their own screen, and even a keyboard to check on things like the weather. Pontiac did put the Trans Sport into production in 1990, although it did lose a lot of the crazy features that gave the concept such a wow factor. But compared to other minivans, it was a breath of fresh air.1984 Ford MayaImage Credit: FordThe Ford Maya is an interesting concept car. While it came from the Blue Oval, it was designed by Italian legend Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign. Ford debuted the Maya at the 1984 Turin Motor Show, as it looked to create a two-seater targa-top sports car for the American market.Power came from a 3.0-liter V6 engine, co-developed by Yamaha, developing 250hp. Ford hoped to build 50 units a day of the Maya and felt it would become a massive hit for the American brand. It would have been fast, lightweight, and practical, as it had plenty of space inside. But while Ford did develop it into the Maya II ES and EM, the practical sports car never did enter production.If you want more stories like this, follow Guessing Headlights on Yahoo so you don't miss what's coming next.