Though it’s still somewhat hard to believe, we’re currently living in a world where Ford no longer sells new sedans in the United States – only trucks, SUVs, and crossovers, plus the Ford Mustang. But in Brazil, a place known for producing some rather interesting pickups, a company called Tropical Cabines has built easily one of the strangest things we’ve ever seen – a Ford Super Duty sedan.
Many automakers have turned cars into trucks and SUVs into “coupes,” but what about transforming a large pickup into a car? Well, it has happened at least once, and we know this because we’re looking at it. Unfortunately, Tropical Cabines’ web site is currently down for maintenance, but there is a little bit of information regarding this crazy mashup – dubbed the Tropiclassic – floating around online.
Somehow, this Ford Super Duty sedan has been in existence since 2001, and yet, we’re just discovering that fact. The Tropiclassic is just another conversion vehicle that was once in Tropical Cabines’ lineup, which also includes the Tropicampo cab extension and Tropivan SUV conversion. Apparently, the company created these truck/cars by chopping up chassis cabs and filling the void with bodies built in-house.
The bodywork, including the custom front-end, is fashioned from fiberglass, while the rear of the Tropiclassic was lifted straight from a Ford Focus, though it’s obviously been heavily modified to make it fit the much-larger Super Duty. Regardless, the interior of this truck sedan looks very much like the cabin of a stock Ford F-250, despite its very custom bodywork.
If all of that isn’t bizarre enough, the Tropiclassic was also available with two turbodiesel engines never offered in the U.S.-spec Super Duty – a 3.9L Cummins B-Series and 4.2L MWN (Navistar) inline-six.
The result is one of the most unique, um, vehicles we’ve ever come across, though we can’t imagine too many people rushed out to buy one. After all, as much as we love sedans, turning a big old pickup truck into one and removing its utilitarian bed in favor of a trunk just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense from a practical standpoint.
We’ll have more crazy creations like this to share soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford F-Series news, Ford Super Duty news, and continuous Ford news coverage.
H/T: The Drive
Comments
Lincoln Super Duty and Focus all rolled in to one. Egads man it’s horrid.
The only thing that is actually pretty cool is the rear seat folding down into a bed. The rest? I guess if your company gives you acid to get the ball rolling on new ideas, this is what happens.
Here’s a brazillian speaking: yes this thing is horrible even for us, but you have to sepparate things, tropical isn’t ford, they’re just a company which ‘transform’ these trucks into something really weird. But there’s a little amount of persons who buy this cars, and is very difficult to see them in our streets… I even can’t remember how long time I didn’t see one of them, more than 6 months I guess but is real this strange thing really exist.
Looks like a vehicle manufactured for drug runners, mobsters and politicians. But I want one. Too.
Designed by committee? Interesting.
I would so buy one
Also a Brazilian speaking here: have you seen the roads we drive on? Speed bumps on major highways, potholes that destroy regular suspensions. Then, add the fact that your things would get stolen out of your truck bed when you go to inside, and this is the natural evolution. Tough and with secure storage. The price must be the deterrent, but functionally it would make a lot of sense.
Yeah I want one
Ford was on the right track years ago when they began lifting the height of their full size sedans. They just didn’t go far enough. This Brazilian firm went just a bit too far, but I get it.
Most drivers were seeking vehicles with greater visibility and since SUVs, crossovers and trucks gave them that higher line of sight, they bought them like crazy. Unfortunately, this led to Ford taking its current path of eliminating it’s sedan lineup in all divisions, including Lincoln to focus on high-volume/high-profile SUVs and trucks.
I WOULD DEFINITELY FLASH THAT RED ONE AROUND… I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ONE… BUT THAT FOCUS REAR END KILLS ME THOUGH… IT IS A NICE RIDE ON THE INSIDE AND THE FRONT IS COOL… SEEMS LIKE THEY COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH THE REAR BESIDES THE FOCUS LOOK THEY COULD AT LEAST GAVE IT TO F-150 TAIL LIGHTS…
Prior to reading, I’d assumed that was Bolsonaro’s new armored car…
I want one
I like it