Thursday, February 28, 2013

2004 Ford Thunderbird Fab1















Illustration: Alex Pang / Website

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

1988 Ford Splash



One of the more striking works developed under long-time Ford design chief Jack Telnack, the Splash is a sports car/roadster hybrid. It features a metallic blue exterior and an interior with gray and blue neoprene highlights. Many of the body panels, as well as the headlights, were designed to be removed for serious off-road driving.

Uniting sports car and pick-up truck themes was the purpose of the 1988 Splash. Looking like a space-age beach buggy, tins sinking two-seater had removable windows, root and rear hatch. Its four-wheel drive, adjustable rides eight and retractable mud flaps boosted its chunky off-road flavor and the colorful weatherproof interior looked trendy enough for its intended youth market.

Source: Internet

1988 Ford Bronco DM-1


Ford shapes the next generation of sport/utilities

The small 4-wheel drive concept vehicle was the winning design in a Ford sponsored contest for industrial art students. Mr. Derek Millsap, who created the 5-seat sport-utility vehicle, lent his initials to the Bronco DM-1 name. Bulbous body was made of steel-reinforced fiberglass, and the large hatch extended into the roof.



AS CONTEMPORARY automotive designs go, sport/utility vehicles can be characterized as anachronistic. While every passenger car in the world pays homage to aerodynamics, utes continue to as square-cut and straightforward as building blocks. SUV owners like them that way.

However, if Ford forecasts prove correct, the shape of utes to come may be more streamlined. A case in point is the Ford DM1, a concept proto currently testing response on the show circuit.

DM1 started out as a senior project competition between 10 students at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. With tech guidance from Ford, the students made 3/8-scale clay models of the SUV of the 1990s.

The design that emerged on top, by Derek Milsap, so impressed Ford Chairman Donald E. Petersen and design chief Jack Telnack that they made it into a full-size prototype.

Conversion of the small clay model to show car was handled by Richard Huttine, a California designer who has worked on a number of Ford projects, including the 1989 T-Bird.

DM1 rides on a humble Ford Escort chassis, but could easily be mated to a 4x4 system such as today’s Bronco II.

Other refinements: 17-in. wheels with low-profile all-terrain tires, dot-matrix glass overhead with opacity adjustable at the flip of a switch, and a satellite navigation system.

Ford is vague about production plans for the DM1 idea, but creator Milsap is now producing more ideas for Ford-as a member of the truck design group.

Source: Internet

Ford Allegro

Ford stressed that its dream cars, particularly the Allegro, were essentially existing production unibody platforms upon which new design features could be tested. "This "idea car" incorporates many new design features tailored to existing engine, drive line and frame components," Ford intoned as it described the purpose behind the Allegro. Later, Ford restyled – some would say ruined – the Allegro by turning it into a roadster.

Sometime in the late Sixties, Ford Division design studios restyled the Allegro and didn’t improve on the design. Though more obviously “sporting” in the way that seemed to predominant in an era of smoke and glitter, the heavy rear end styling and too-low windscreen was almost comical. The slotted wheels also mimicked aftermarket wheels available in speed shops.

Source: Internet

1969 Ford Thunderbird Saturn II



Source: Internet

2009 Ford Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Mustang

Lee Iacocca, the 'Father of the Mustang,' returns to build a limited edition pony car

The Mustang is No. 5 of only 45 to be built and is specially equipped wîth a 550 horsepower engine

• A personal message from Iacocca will be delivered to the crowd in Las Vegas

One of the most anticipated limited edition versions of the renowned Ford Mustang will be sold at No Reserve to celebrate the pony car's 45th anniversary during the 2nd Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction in Las Vegas Oct. 7-10, 2009. The No. 5 Iacocca Silver 45th Anniversary Edition Ford Mustang is one of only 45 to be built and is specially equipped wîth a 550 horsepower engine; as one of the featured cars, the Mustang will cross the auction block at approximately 6:30 p.m. PDT on Friday, Oct. 9. The 2009 Las Vegas event will take place at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and feature approximately 400 collector vehicles for sale, posh lifestyle events and live, high-definition TV coverage from SPEED.

Known as the 'Father of the Mustang,' Iacocca presented the Ford Mustang to the world during a dramatic press conference at the 1964 New York World's Fair. During his time as Ford Division president and general manager, Iacocca made the Mustang a household name. He even tapped veteran racer Carroll Shelby to build special high performance versions of the car. A video from Iacocca to the crowd will air before the car is sold on Oct. 9.

'This is a stunning modern-day muscle car from the visionary who started it all,' said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. 'It's hard to imagine where collector car enthusiasts would be if Lee Iacocca hadn't championed the Ford Mustang project 45 years ago. Now, he has teamed up wîth some of the top automotive talent in the world to produce the 45th Anniversary model. It's an instant collectible.'

Nearly two years in the making, the Iacocca Silver Edition Mustang is a collaborative effort by Iacocca, designer Michael Leone, and Gaffoglio Family Metalcrafters. The new business venture is called I Legacy. The Mustangs are being offered exclusively through Galpin Ford in Southern California.

'It has been the most amazing time of my life, working wîth Mr. Iacocca on this car,' said Leone. 'This 45th Anniversary Edition Mustang is a rare, complex, elegant and extraordinary piece of moving artwork. With innovative technology, the visual impact of its fastback design and expert craftsmanship, it is truly exceptional in every way; the only car that can bear the Iacocca name on it. We couldn't be prouder to have the number five car crossing the auction block at Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas.'

Each of the 45 limited edition Mustangs is custom built by a team of talented artists using composite construction laminates, a reinforced material from the aerospace industry. The hand-crafted vehicles, all painted in a specially created Iacocca silver hue, are fabricated using the finest tooling, wîth each part separately cured in an autoclave.

The Iacocca-designed hood crest is custom built by a distinguished jeweler and every emblem is hand-finished and polished. Front and rear wheels are cast aluminum and chrome plated for a sheen-like finish and the center caps are machined and also chrome plated.

While the exterior fastback design of the Iacocca Silver Mustang is compelling, the mechanical underpinnings are true American muscle. The No. 5 Iacocca Mustang was specially equipped wîth a 550 horsepower engine featuring a Ford Racing polished Supercharger that includes dyno sheets and other documentation. The driver can harness the extra power through a quick-shifting 5-speed manual transmission. (posted on conceptcarz.com)

Inside the Iacocca Silver Mustang, the interior is resplendent wîth luxurious touches that highlight the car's special heritage. These include Iacocca Diamond Design leather seats wîth embroidery stitching, an Iacocca signature dash plaque wîth serial number, a leather-wrapped §teering wheel wîth 'I' badge and Iacocca-badged aluminum door sill plates.

'The most appealing aspect of the Iacocca Mustang is its sleek appearance,' added Davis. 'Each line is clean, very sharp and seems to flow endlessly wîth the car. And the custom silver color is extremely bold, which embodies the spirit of the Mustang.'

When it crosses the block at No Reserve in Las Vegas, the Iacocca Silver Mustang will join a famous group of Mustangs sold at Barrett-Jackson.

'From first production Ford and Shelby models to one-owner classics, we've sold just about every Mustang possible at Barrett-Jackson,' continued Davis. 'There's a passion and aura surrounding the Mustang brand that is like no other, and it shows when one crosses our auction block. The energy will be through the roof when the Iacocca Mustang is sold in Las Vegas.'

About The Barrett-Jackson Auction Company


Established in 1971 and headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Barrett-Jackson specializes in providing products and services to classic and collector car owners, astute collectors and automotive enthusiasts around the world. The company produces 'The World's Greatest Collector Car Auctions™' in Scottsdale, Palm Beach, Fla. and Las Vegas. Barrett-Jackson also endorses a one-of-a-kind collector car insurance offering for collector vehicles and other valued belongings. For more information about Barrett-Jackson, visit www.barrett-jackson.com or call (480) 421-6694.

Source - Ford

1976 Ford Corrida (Ghia)



Gullwing Coupe. The Corrida was a chunky little safety-orientated sports coupe.
The Ghia Corrida was the first Fiesta-based concept car, introduced at the Turin Motor Show in November of 1976, the year the Fiesta was introduced. Corrida means bullfight, and the Corrida Concept was Ghia’s vision of a new age sports car with an array of safety features.

Corrida was not only based on a Fiesta, but was also powered by a Fiesta engine. It featured pneumatically operated gull wing doors hinged in two segments and electrically operated flaps for the headlamps to provide optimal aerodynamics performance. The rear luggage compartment was hinged at the bottom.

Corrida’s driving environment was unique. The instrument cluster was an array of boxes that provided a distinctive look of compartmentalization. The concept car was bold orange with black accents.

Ford and Ghia developed the Corrida concept vehicle as a design and engineering exercise, and feature car at auto shows. Built on a 90-inch wheelbase, the Corrida’s body and wheels were all weight-saving aluminum. Gull wing-styled doors were hinged at the top, and folded in the middle for easy entry/exit, even when the car was parked in confined areas. The hatchback door was split in half, with the top section opening upward, and a hinged lower section that could be locked in an open position to extend the carrying capacity.

Source: Ford Media