An unusual car sale ad in Texas asks for $11,111 for the famous Ford Probe IV Concept, a life-sized, engineless mockup of a car that mysteriously disappeared in 1983. The seller doesn’t elaborate who found it, where and how.
Ford started the development of its Probe Concept series in the late 1970s when it realized the importance of aerodynamic improvements. As its name suggests, the Probe IV was the automaker’s fourth attempt at building a truly low-drag vehicle. It featured lightweight composite bodywork with semi-sealed wheel arches and an active front splitter adjusted by an electric motor. It never distilled into any particular production car, but we hear that Ford used the know-how it obtained to design the Taurus, the Sierra and some other models in the mid-1980s.
The circumstances of the find remain unknown. The seller mentions numerous traces of wear on the body and the cabin trim, but the images are too low resolution to draw any conclusions. It sounds like someone might have kept it in a garage or even a barn for these past four decades.
It’s also worth noting that Ford later built another copy of the Probe IV, which later went into private hands for U.S. $125,000. It is currently being exhibited at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, CA. It’s possible that collectors will want to acquire the other example for a similar amount.
