Though quite a few concept cars and styling models wind up in the trash bin after their useful time is up, we’ve seen quite a few of them pop up for sale at various auction sites as of late. That list includes cool relics from Blue Oval history such as the 2004 Lincoln Mark X Prototype, the 2002 Ford Thunderbird Supercharged Concept, a vintage Ford styling department model, and the 1989 Ghia Via Ford Concept. Now, those models have been joined by yet another cool and enticing auction offering – this 2000 Ford Prodigy Prototype display model, which is currently up for grabs at Bring a Trailer.
The Ford Prodigy concept debuted at the 2000 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan due to a collaboration between the U.S. government and three automakers – including The Blue Oval, of course – as part of a special program called the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles, which aimed to drive innovation in the industry. In the case of the Ford Prodigy, that came in the form of a hybrid vehicle that would reportedly get 80 miles-per-gallon thanks to its focus on light weight and aerodynamics.
While the Prodigy concept looks a lot like many Ford products from this era, its powertrain was certainly unique in many ways. It combined a 1.2L four-cylinder turbocharged diesel powerplant with an electric motor to generate a combined 121 horsepower – which isn’t much, obviously – but that combination also produced stellar fuel economy ratings and a driving range of more than 660 miles, all without giving up anything in terms of passenger and cargo volume. The Prodigy also only tipped the scales at just under 2,400 pounds, touting a slippery drag coefficient of 0.199.
This particular Ford Prodigy display model doesn’t have that powertrain, as one might imagine, nor any sort of body panels that open, but it is equipped with a mockup interior, real rolling wheels and tires, and even non-functional brakes. Underneath, this model rolls on a frame made out of metal and wood – it isn’t actually a real functioning car, of course – but given how cool and unique it is, we imagine that plenty of folks will be lining up to place a bid on it.
We’ll have more cool auction finds like this to share soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comments
There’s still something to be said for making vehicles more aerodynamic and underpowered but returning great fuel economy.
The vast majority of buyers would be perfectly fine with an “underpowered” vehicle if the vehicle returned really crazy fuel economy
Ugly then, ugly now. This was the time period when Ford was truly lost. Out of touch concept cars. Quality was dropping alarmingly. Sad times