In good times, the concept cars at auto shows are wild, whimsical confections – the automotive equivalents of those feather-decked Las Vegas showgirls at the soon-to-close Les Folies Bergeres.

These days, whimsy is in short supply in Detroit. Readying this year's edition of the Eyes on the Road "Build It or Bag It" poll, the most intriguing cars at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit weren't the concepts, they were the cars auto makers are promising to put into production over the next couple of years,...