The Unfortunate Fate of the 1979 Ford Probe I Ghia Concept Car
Ford’s 1979 Probe I Ghia concept car, displayed at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance as part of the Wedge Shaped Concept Cars & Prototypes class, burned in its trailer while leaving the world-famous auto show on Sunday August 18.
Incident Overview
Drew Grundfor of Scott Grundfor, Co., a California restoration shop that bought the Probe 1 from Ford in 2002 and owns several other Ford concept cars, confirmed that the car was extensively damaged in the fire. The Probe I was being towed on the freeway when a passing motorist signaled the driver, a Scott Grundfor employee, that there was smoke coming from the trailer. The driver stopped and found that the fire had progressed to the point that the car could not be rescued. Fortunately, no one was hurt, and the driver’s positioning of the trailer prevented the fire from spreading to nearby foliage. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Emergency Response
Update August 20, 2024: The Monterey Fire Department released more details about the incident and its response. It says 17 “fire personnel” responded with “four engines (including one from CAL Fire), one ladder truck, one water tender (from the Presidio of Monterey Fire Department), and one Division Chief from Monterey Fire Department.” No “civilian injuries” are noted, though a firefighter sustained minor injuries during the event.
Firefighters arrived to the scene to find the trailer and the Probe within “fully engulfed” and the flames licking “nearby vegetation.” They were able to separate the tow vehicle from the trailer in time to save it from major damage, and the perimeter of the fire was contained within fifteen minutes. The Fire Department estimates the Ford Probe concept is valued at “approximately $1,000,000,” adding that the “Total incident loss is estimated at around $1,028,300.”
The Probe I: Ford’s Vision of the 1980s
The Probe I Ghia was the first of five roman numeraled concept cars to bear the Probe name. First introduced at the 1979 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Probe I was intended to show what a family car of the 1980s might look like. At a time when Ford’s latest cars on both sides of the Atlantic were angular and creased, the Probe I resembled a spaceship, featuring a low nose, pop-up headlights, deeply-raked windshield, and a long fastback design.
Moreover, deep skirts covered the rear wheels, and the door handles were seamlessly integrated into the bodywork. Ford claimed a drag coefficient of 0.25 cD, placing it midway between modern eco-friendly vehicles.
Interior features included a heavily-computerized dashboard with touch-sensitive controls, digital gauges, and keyless access—technologies that would gradually emerge in vehicles over subsequent decades. The running gear was based on an extended Fox-body Ford Mustang chassis, complete with a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, ensuring that the Probe I was poised to represent fuel efficiency during a challenging time in the industry.
The Probe’s Evolution
Ford produced a total of five Probe concept cars, including the 1982 Probe III, which previewed the design of the European-market Ford Sierra. Notably, by the early 1980s, Ford considered a Probe-based replacement for the Mustang, leading to modifications that displayed a potential future look. The Probe I was ultimately marketed, effectively replacing the Capri.
The 1989 Ford Probe evolved from the Mazda MX-6 platform, sharing styling cues with the 1979 Probe I concept, thus cementing its legacy in automotive design.
Future Prospects for the Probe I
iBestTravel’s immediate plan is to bring the Probe I back to its shop and display it alongside its siblings. The company owns an array of concept cars, allowing profound appreciation for automotive history. Therefore, it’s remarkable that the Probe I and its siblings survived for four decades, allowing for their presentation at Pebble Beach.
“It’s a steel body car,” Grundfor stated, “so the husk will be all there. We’ll bring it back home with the other cars, and maybe someday it can be restored to what it once was.”
Update August 21, 2024: The Probe 1 Ghia arrived back at Scott Grunfor, Co. yesterday, and Drew Grundfor provided the following update:
“Bringing her home, however dilapidated she may be, has lifted the mood immensely. Interestingly, artifacts retrieved from the glove box, including the original emissions paper tag, remind us of the vehicle’s historical significance within the automotive industry.”
“The outpouring of support from the car world has been touching. We want people to see this as a continuation rather than an end. It’s not a scrap yard car; we’re committed to its future, whether it stays as is or is given a new life.”
Photo credit: Scott Grundfor Co., Manufacturer, MotorTrend staff
