Name aside, the 1983 Ford Probe IV concept was a groundbreaking study in aerodynamic design and fuel efficiency. The sleek, teardrop-shaped concept vehicle is currently enjoying attention as part of the “Totally Awesome!” display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California, where Ford Authority got up close and personal with one of the prototypes that revolutionized The Blue Oval’s foray into aerodynamics and fuel economy.
The 1983 Ford Probe IV was built to carve through the air, and was the fourth in the “Probe” concept line dating back to the early 1970s. The Probe project allowed The Blue Oval to explore passenger car designs that fully complied with the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards implemented, ironically, by the Ford Administration in the mid-1970s.
Things like wheel shrouds, covered headlights, and concealed windshield wipers gave the 1983 Ford Probe IV a smooth, aerodynamic exterior, accentuated by its streamlined, pointed nose. Note that it does not feature openings on the front end; rather, it breathes through air intake vents positioned behind the rear wheel well openings. The radiator and air conditioning condenser are housed in the rear of the vehicle, while a front air dam automatically lowers while the vehicle is in motion, helping to control airflow beneath the vehicle.
Believe it or not, the 1983 Ford Probe IV concept was said to have a drag coefficient of .015 – which The Blue Oval claimed put it on par with the F-16 fighter jet. Cradling a turbocharged 1.6L I4 engine, the Probe IV is said to produce 122 horsepower. Not much by today’s standards, but more than enough to motivate the ultra-light, aerodynamic four-door.
The 1983 Ford Probe IV is on loan to the Petersen Museum, compliments of Scott Grundfor and Kathleen Redmond. Grundfor also owned another Probe concept – the Probe I – but that particular prototype was unfortunately destroyed when a fire engulfed its transporter on the way to a show.
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Whether you like the design or not, you can see the hopefulness for the future and the passion in the design. Instead, now in the future, we have egg shaped blob crossovers.