In the late 1970s, Ford worked with Ghia to design a handful of Probe concepts. The cars had striking, futuristic bodywork and enough ’80s tech to make E.T. jealous. The Ford Probe I’s owner recently brought the car to Monterey Car Week, but it didn’t make it home in one piece.
The Probe I, built in 1979, burned to the ground last Sunday night. While we don’t know what caused the blaze, the car is a total loss and will not be rebuilt. Video of the fire shows the trailer fully engulfed, with the sides burned away and violent flames. It’s not surprising to see that the car didn’t make it out, but thankfully, no one was hurt in the incident.
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Scott Grundfor Company’s post on Instagram read, “It is with utter sadness and a heavy heart that we have lost our 1979 Ford Ghia Probe I Prototype in an accident in the highway late in the day on Sunday after showing the car at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. We are a family-oriented company, and it feels like we have lost a member of our family today,” It said. “We are forever lucky to be a part of this car’s history, however tragic this event was, and we will bring what remains of the car home to Arroyo Grande so the car can remain next to the Ghia/Ford bodied prototypes in our collection.”
The Probe I on display before the fire. (James Riswick)
The emotional damage from the fire may be severe, but the owners are also out an estimated $1 million from losing the car. Ford built five prototypes with Ghia bodies, and the Probe I rode on a modified Fox platform. It sported a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a wild interior with red seats and digital gauges. The cars’ styling influenced the Ford Taurus and eventual Probe coupe, and it’s easy to see some of its lines in the later vehicles.