The Arrival was a concept car developed by IAD, or International Automotive Design, a British design and engineering consultancy founded in 1968 and based in Worthing on England's south coast. IAD described itself as one of Europe's leading firms for automotive design, engineering consultancy and prototype construction, and by the mid-1980s had grown into the largest company of its kind, employing 500 people and working for car manufacturers of all sizes. The firm used modern electronic tools to produce designs, clay and finished models, and production equipment, and like other automotive development companies it generally worked under strict confidentiality.
IAD had first presented a full-scale coupe model to the public in 1980. The Arrival, a streamlined saloon concept, was unveiled at the Birmingham Motor Show in the autumn of 1984 as a rolling but non-driveable polyester model, and was shown again roughly a year later at the Frankfurt IAA. It was praised for the elegance of its lines and its visibly favorable aerodynamics, and it incorporated several new ideas in form and production methods. A distinctive feature was its rectangular headlights set into a wedge-shaped, rising front end, a solution that constrained the space available for an engine, leading to discussion of fitting a boxer engine. The car also featured bumper protection running consistently around its body and extensive glazing surrounding its fastback-style saloon body.
