"rabbitman" (rabbitman)
10/04/2013 at 00:05 • Filed to: CONCEPTS
5
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"rabbitman" (rabbitman)
10/04/2013 at 00:05 • Filed to: CONCEPTS | 5
| 16 |
But I have found and seen some things I never knew existed. This image made me get off track, when I was looking through some auto show history pictures. At first thought it was the same as the VW spelling my bad, I guess Ford/Ghia used it on this special little beast.
May I present the 1978 Ford Fiesta Tuareg by Ghia
I seen this picture and was like does that say Tuareg ? So I had to do a little research on this.
DESERT FIESTA — The Fiesta Tuareg — a functional one-of-a-kind all-terrain vehicle — is equipped for rugged off-road recreational use. Based on Ford Division's popular Fiesta, the Tuareg was a joint design project between Ford's Ghia Operation in Turin, Italy, and the Ford Design Center in Dearborn, Mich. The concept car is built on a 90-inch wheelbase and powered by a 1.1-liter engine with a four-speed manual transmission. The Fiesta Tuareg will be a featured attraction at Ford Division auto show displays this year in 1978
Without changing the Fiesta floor pan, designers extended the roof line at the rear, giving Tuareg more carrying capacity. Five louvers in the hood provide extra engine ventilation and cooling to supplement the Fiesta-type front grille.
The Fiesta Tuareg has a raised and stiffened suspension and a wider front-and-rear tread compared with a production Fiesta. Off-road tires and increased ground clearance also prepare Tuareg for all-terrain performance.
A special heavy-duty roof rack, tubular steel front and rear bumper bars and roof-mounted halogen spot and search lights give the exterior a rugged look. Wire mesh screens protect the headlights and parking lamps.
An enlarged aerodynamic front spoiler is extended on the sides to form wheel-arch overhangs and running boards under the front doors.
Tuareg's desert-beige exterior features contrasting orange-and-brown striping with black moldings, grille, bumpers and luggage rack.
Inside the Tuareg, a fold-down rear seat provides extra cargo-carrying capacity. A split tailgate allows room for extra long loads.
Tuareg's seats are upholstered in a practical, hard-wearing tweed fabric which is also used for headlining. The same fabric and contrasting vinyl are used for door trim. The floor and load spaces are protected by a thick, brown cord matting.
Seems like this would of been a fun little car would love to find out if Ford or Ghia still has it tucked away somewhere.
Also from this reasearch it sounds like the Rabbit is what killed the Fiesta market in America during that time.
sources:
http://www.carsandracingstuff.com
http://www.chicagoautoshow.com
Klaus Schmoll
> rabbitman
10/04/2013 at 07:48 |
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Interdasting! Thanks for posting.
ZeroOrDie - Powered By MZR
> rabbitman
10/04/2013 at 11:46 |
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Awesome! Bless this post.
Jonee
> rabbitman
10/06/2013 at 17:31 |
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That is one of the most wonderful things I've ever seen. Hadn't heard of it, either.
SpeedSix
> rabbitman
10/06/2013 at 19:43 |
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I love the 70s paint scheme. On what else does brown, orange and yellow look so good?
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Jonee
> rabbitman
10/06/2013 at 20:45 |
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I found something similar that's almost as cool. An Australian Ford Cortina panel van concept from the mid 70's.
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rabbitman
> Jonee
10/06/2013 at 20:56 |
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That reminds me of a Gremlin, with 4doors. The whole reason I found this was trying to help out another poster with the 98 Tremor Explorer post, interior shots, or drawings. Still can't find anything but I know they where published. I have asked a few family members to see if they have any old truck magazines from that year in their collection, nothing yet though. So still looking.
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Jonee
> rabbitman
10/06/2013 at 21:24 |
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It is a little like a 4 door Gremlin. That brings to mind the weird Mexican VAM Lerma, a 4 door AMC Spirit, the Gremlin successor.
The Tremor Explorer post was pretty interesting. Another car I hadn't heard of.
NickDavisGB
> rabbitman
10/06/2013 at 21:32 |
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Is she 4WD ?
For practicality you'd need to remove the spoiler and arches. Would have made a great alternative to the Panda.
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rabbitman
> NickDavisGB
10/06/2013 at 21:50 |
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That is one thing I couldn't find after I started digging if it was Fwd, Rwd or a 4x4 , but they mention no change to the drive train so I would think it's still fwd, also fiesta is ford's technically first globally successful Fwd vehicle.
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rabbitman
> Jonee
10/06/2013 at 21:52 |
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Oh wow, didn't know about these. The gremlin was pretty cool looking IMO, think it gets picked on a bit. But thanks for this.
tapzz
> rabbitman
10/07/2013 at 06:24 |
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And three years later, look what VW came up with:
Interesting...
sureshot007
> rabbitman
10/07/2013 at 09:29 |
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"I seen this picture..."
Really? No proofreaders, editors, or Word grammar check over there?
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NickDavisGB
> rabbitman
10/07/2013 at 09:48 |
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I'm inclined to agree. If they didn't mention upgrading the drive train it would be safe to assume it's a FWD only. Pity. Look so much better than the Panda. I think Ford still hadn't got into unibody in the States when this was designed in the UK.
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NickDavisGB
> rabbitman
10/07/2013 at 10:03 |
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I've emailed a mate of mine at the Ford Museum in Dagenham to see if can shed any further light on her.
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rabbitman
> NickDavisGB
10/07/2013 at 10:24 |
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That would be awesome, it's great to have friends like that.
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NickDavisGB
> rabbitman
10/07/2013 at 11:20 |
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Too True - these are the guys that let me drive the last road and last race GT40's ever built. I am in their eternal debt.