You never know what’ll turn up on Facebook Marketplace. A seller in Spring, Texas, just listed the very first Ford Probe IV concept, chassis 001, presumed lost for years.
This isn’t a replica. It’s the real thing from 1983, and it’s looking for a new home.
Ford started the Probe program in 1979. Built by Ghia, the original featured a wedge shape on the Fox platform, designed to give an economy car supercar proportions for better aerodynamics and fuel economy.
Probe II and III followed, with Probe III’s design heavily inspiring the Ford Sierra and Merkur XR4Ti.
By 1983, Ghia had shaved the Probe IV’s drag coefficient down to 0.15, a figure that still embarrasses modern production cars.
That achievement gets advertised via a decal on the rear deck. The Probe IV cheated a bit, designed purely to slice through air without worrying about safety, drivability, or production constraints.
The composite body sits on a wooden chassis with steel subframes supporting the wheels. Suspension is manually adjustable for testing.
An electric front splitter shows how advanced this thing was. It doesn’t have a powertrain or steering, making this more of an art piece than a functional vehicle.
Triangular headlights sit on a long, sloping hood. The side windows extend past the belt line, similar to BMW’s Neue Klasse concepts or the original Chevy Volt proposal.
Taillights partially hidden by bodywork strakes deliver pure 1980s style.
The seller accepts offers with a placeholder price of $11,111. Missing components include a wheel cover, side mirrors, and the rear glass area needs repair work.
This is the very first example built for wind tunnel testing and development.
Its only known sibling, chassis 002, sold for roughly $125,000 in 2022 and now lives at the Petersen Automotive Museum.
Given that 001 doesn’t run or drive, expect a lower price.
The Probe V from 1985 was even more radical, like a hovercraft gliding along pavement.
The eventual Probe production car looked better than anyone gave it credit for. This Probe IV remains the best-looking of the bunch.
The Probe series launched a solid run of inspirational concepts from Ford, back when the brand explored more than just trucks. This piece of automotive history deserves preservation.
