1983 Ford Probe IV
Quick Specs
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Turbocharged 1.6-liter Ford inline-4
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122
Extreme Efficiency Embodied
The Ford Probe IV embodied some of the most extreme aerodynamic advancements of the 1980s. Designed for maximum fuel efficiency, it was the fourth in a collection of “Probe” concepts commissioned in the early 1970s to explore passenger car designs that could comply with the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards enacted by President Gerald Ford’s administration. The Probe IV achieved its aerodynamic efficiency with features like wheel shrouds, covered headlights, concealed windshield wipers, and a streamlined nose with no cooling apertures. The radiator and air conditioning condenser are housed in the rear of the car, with air intake vents behind the rear wheel well openings. It also has a front air dam that automatically lowers while driving to control air flow under the vehicle. These and other elements combined to give the functional concept an incredibly low drag coefficient of 0.15, which Ford advertised was roughly the same as an F-16 fighter jet.
COLLECTION OF SCOTT GRUNDFOR AND KATHLEEN REDMOND
This vehicle featured in the Totally Awesome! exhibit.
1983 Ford Probe IV Gallery
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