Concepts and prototypes : Ford Probe III
August 16, 2012
· 
Keith Adams · 
11 Comments
Keith Adams
Back in 1981, when the development of the Ford Sierra (project Toni), was reaching its latter stages of its development, management felt the need soften the buying public. The styling, penned by Patrick Le Quement, was as avant garde as its predecessor, the Cortina’s, was conservative. So, the design team produced a more extreme version designed to continue the Ford Probe line of concepts that started in 1979, and rolled it out at the Frankfurt motor show in September 1981 – a year before the production Sierra was due for launch.
Ford’s European concept car output had certainly gained some flair during the 1970s. The company had taken control of the Italian carrozzerie Ghia, and from that point on, it proved a successful kick-start to the company’s styling output. Ghia’s creations for Ford (such as the Coins, Megastar and Action) were nothing if not bold – and this smart new design language filtered into the company’s production output.
The Probe III was greeted with a warm welcome from the press – but Cortina buyers who knew this was a taster of their car’s replacement were less than keen. In fact, many were openly hostile. Alexei Sayle sneered, ‘…it’s just a poxy hatchback,’ in the BBC’s Arena programme celebrating the life and times of the Cortina. His was the voice of many.
The Probe itself, despite the controversy, was a beautifully detailed concept. It featured overtly aerodynamic features including Citroenesque enclosed rear wheels, smooth underbody detailing, flush glazing, and integrated door mirrors (which would appear on the production 1988 Probe coupe no less). The car’s cd was 0.25, which was actually a world away from the production Sierra’s 0.34 – but it was a figure that in 1981 was close to miraculous for a five-door hatchback that could conceivably be used in the real world.
And even today, its influence can be seen.
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11 Responses
saw it at the motorshow, stunning at the time.
I believe that the correct quote is:
“They’re doing away with our car for some poxy hatchback!”
Hyundai, who had been building Cortinas under licence, capitalised on this by offering their Italdesign styled Stellar (which itself was mostly Cortina derived with a Mitsubishi engine) as a Sierra alternative…
http://www.wgmnet.co.uk/hyundai.jpg
I sat in the Probe III back in 1982 when I was 5. I loved it but was disappointed to see the actual Sierra a year later. Funny how the Mk2 Sierra had a similar front end to the Probe.
It still exists in Cologne I believe.
I admit I didn’t really care for the Probe concept car but it laid the groundwork for the Sierra. As for Sierra’s the last ones in the late 80′s looked better.
Sometimes, concept cars look better than the actual production car – sometimes not!
The door glass on this looks better than on the production Sierras, as it’s fully flush. It’s hard to remember how radical the Sierra seemed when it came out now!
I wasn’t born when this was previewed, but I can remember the hubbub in the mid 90s about the radically styled Ford Ka.
Then the Focus a couple of years later. They kept the Escort in production just in case!
Remember these photos, or similar, so well !
Still very, very ugly, after all these years.
The Sierra caused massive controversy in ’83 when launched- I don’t remember anyone liking it. Comparisons to jelly moulds abounded. Later there was a big fuss over safety when it was found the Sierra lacked rigidity and would concertina alarmingly in a head on crash. I don’t know how the Sierra sold but I suspect the Cavalier made big inroads into the niche the Cortina had dominated.
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