A classic Ford concept car was seemingly destroyed in a fire on Sunday night during Monterey Car Week. While nothing’s been confirmed, evidence points to a fiery end for the Ford Probe I concept car from 1979, penned by Ghia.
Tiktok user Exoticsimage shared a video of a car trailer on fire, though it’s difficult to see what’s inside.
Commenters in the post claimed the car was the Ford Probe I concept, which led us to a post in the Monterey Car Week Facebook group showing the aftermath. Truman Barden shared his image with us, seen at the top of this post. We see the burnt shell of a wedge shape and solid wheel covers that look just like those from the concept.
That led us to the Scott Grundfor Company on Instagram, which confirms the car was indeed at Pebble Beach on Sunday.
According to the Scott Grundfor Co. website, the company owns the concept. It’s one of several Probe concepts built from 1979 through 1985, designed to showcase advanced aerodynamic designs with an emphasis on fuel efficiency. The Probe I wasn’t just a mock-up either. It used a modified Fox platform that was slightly longer versus the then-new 1979 Mustang. A turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine was under the hood, driving the rear wheels. Inside, the Probe I concept had a full interior littered gloriously digital 1980s tech.
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Ford
Ford would eventually build five Probe concepts with Ghia styling, pointing the way to a more aero-focused future that ultimately influenced the Ford Taurus and the Probe production car—a vehicle originally intended to be the new Mustang. It all began with the first concept in 1979, and it now appears the car is gone for good.
We’re awaiting confirmation that the concept was destroyed and details on how the fire started. We’ll jump in with an update as more details become available.