The unique 1979 Ford Ghia Probe I concept car has been lost following a trailer fire that occurred after Monterey Car Week. The vehicle’s owners are hopeful for its restoration, but reviving a one-of-a-kind, 45-year-old concept car is a challenging endeavor.
The Ford Ghia Probe I was the inaugural model in a collection of Probe concepts introduced in 1979. As reported by Motortrend, the design aimed to showcase the commuter cars of the 1980s, featuring an aerodynamic shape and extensive digital technology—it even included keycard entry. The Probe name eventually was used for a Mazda MX-6 that Ford contemplated as a potential replacement for the Mustang. In 2002, as the vehicle changed hands, the Ghia Probe I was acquired by a California restoration firm known as the Scott Grundfor Company, who showcased it at this year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. Sadly, this may have been the Ghia Probe’s final appearance.
On Sunday, while returning from the week’s events, another vehicle alerted the driver of the truck towing the Ghia Probe about smoke emanating from the trailer. The driver managed to slow down and detach the truck from the trailer; however, reports from KSBW 8 indicate that the truck sustained minor fire damage and that one firefighter was injured. Unfortunately, the Probe itself was completely engulfed, reduced to ashes along with the trailer.
The Grundfor Company has expressed hopes of restoring the Probe so it can join its later variants, the Probe IV and V concepts, which the company also owns. However, they remained cautious about the feasibility of reconstructing the vehicle, as a significant portion of its original structure was unique and handcrafted decades earlier. Reviving the remnants of the 1979 Ford Ghia Probe I would indeed be a monumental project, and it is uncertain if anyone beyond Ford has the capability to undertake such a task.
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