Rare Ford Ghia Probe 1 concept destroyed

IN A SAD twist of fate, a one-of-a-kind 1979 Ford Ghia Probe 1 burnt to an unrecognisable char on the roadside just hours after leaving the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

The one-off concept was designed by head of Ford Design in the ‘70s, Don Kopka, known for its unique aero-focused wedge shape, glass roof and wheel covers.

Ford unveiled the futuristic Probe design at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1979, pitching it as a case study in aerodynamic design for a more fuel-efficient future, which was poignant given America was battling lingering fuel shortages.

The Probe featured a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and was built atop a modified Foxbody Mustang body, but it’s the concept’s aerodynamic design that was revolutionary with a drag coefficient of just 0.25Cd.

Longtime Owners, Scott Grundfor Company, posted photos of the burning Ford Ghia Probe 1 on social media shortly after the incident.

“It is with utter sadness and a heavy heart that we have lost our 1979 Ford Ghia Probe 1 Prototype in an accident on the highway late in the day on Sunday after showing the car at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance,” the company said in a social media post.

Here’s to hoping the owners can salvage the one-off Probe, restoring an important piece of automotive history.