Renderings reveal how failed flying car designs from the past may have looked if they were made today

The classic 1982 science fiction movie "Blade Runner" predicted we'd have flying cars in 2019.That hasn't panned out, and companies seem to be moving into self-driving, rather than flying cars.Over the years many inventors have patented designs of what a flying car could look like, although they never actually made it to production.Scottish leasing comparison startup LeaseFetcher commissioned a studio to render what these designs would look like if they were made.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

"Blade Runner" predicted that in 2019 we'd zoom around Los Angeles in flying cars, but that hasn't quite worked out. Although this forecast hasn't manifested in actual vehicles beyond basic prototypes, there's been no shortage of optimistic inventors eager to throw together their own designs. 

Scottish leasing comparison startup LeaseFetcher charged creative studio NeoMam with the task of bringing patent sketches to life with realistic renderings. The patents span from nearly 100 years ago in 1921 to as recently as 2016.

Flying cars no longer seem like the clear vision of the future that they once were. Waymo, Uber, Tesla, and other companies have instead turned their efforts towards self-driving technology, but these renderings offer a look at how people in the past envisioned the future. Scroll to see drawings from patents, and how designers rendered them.

Original author: Mary Meisenzahl