• This iconic concept has been privately owned for the past two decades.
  • Ford unveiled the Probe I concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1979.
  • The coupe was powered by a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

A one-off Ford Probe I Ghia concept car has been destroyed by fire in California, shortly after being displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

The concept has been under the ownership of the Scott Grundfor Company for the past 20 years. No details have been provided about what caused the car and the trailer to go up in flames, but images shared online reveal that Probe I is now nothing but a burnt-out shell.

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“It is with utter sadness and a heavy heart that we have lost our 1979 Ford Ghia Probe I Prototype in an accident on the highway late in the day on Sunday after showing the car at the Pebble Beach Concoursd’Elegance,” the company wrote in a statement. “We are a family oriented company, and it feels like we have lost a member of our family today.”

Although the Ford Probe I Ghia concept car was severely damaged, the owners confirmed that no injuries occurred during the blaze. Quick thinking by the driver prevented the fire from spreading to nearby vegetation. Firefighters arrived promptly but could not save the concept car or its trailer, both of which were destroyed. Remarkably, the Ford F-Series truck towing them remained untouched by the flames.

Ford unveiled the Probe I at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1979. It was designed and built by the Ghia design house in Turin, Italy, and sported a slippery aerodynamic shape to boost fuel efficiency. At the time of its launch, Ford claimed the concept had a drag coefficient of just 0.25cd and could record 39 mpg while traveling at 56 mph.

The wedge shape of the car immediately makes it stand out, as do the rear wheel covers, the huge rear glass house, and the gorgeous interior trimmed in tan leather with red cloth seats. Ford’s concept wasn’t just ahead of its time in terms of design, but the cabin was also very advanced, featuring touch-sensitive switches, a keycard ignition system, and an electronic entertainment system.

Unlike many other concept cars, the Probe I from Ford and Ghia was fully operational. It was underpinned by an elongated version of the Foxbody Mustang’s platform and sported a 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

Unfortunately, the car’s life has been cut tragically short, and, according to the owners, will be laid to rest alongside the other Ford/Ghia prototypes in their collection.

H/T to Motor1!