A classic Ford concept car, the 1979 Ford Probe I, was destroyed in a fire while it was in a closed trailer, following its display at the “Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance” automotive event in Monterey, California.
Designed by Ghia, the vehicle was noted for its aerodynamic design and advanced technology, but met a tragic end after being completely incinerated, leaving only its basic structure.
The restoration shop Scott Grundfor Company, which owned the car, shared images of the disaster on social media, expressing the significant loss the vehicle’s destruction represented to them, describing it as the loss of a family member, and highlighting the deep sadness felt by the team:
“It is with total sadness and heavy hearts that we lost our Ford Ghia Probe I Prototype 1979 in an accident on the highway late Sunday afternoon […]. We are a family-oriented company and it feels like we lost a member of our family today. We are incredibly grateful that the team member driving the trailer at the time of the accident emerged unscathed, and his immediate action prevented this tragic loss of our car from spreading to the local foliage and, of course, to other people driving on the highway in Monterey at the time. Thank you also to the brave first responders, firefighters, and police officers who mitigated the damage beyond our tragic loss. We are always fortunate to be part of the history of this car, no matter how tragic this event has been.”
The company also stated that the car will not be rebuilt. They plan to take what remains of the vehicle back to their headquarters in Arroyo Grande, where it will join other Ghia/Ford prototypes.
The Ford Probe I was one of the early concepts that influenced future Ford models, including the Taurus and the Probe, but now this milestone in automotive history is lost forever.
Source: Motor1.com | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.