1984 Ford Maya by ItalDesign

The 1984 Ford Maya was a concept car designed and built by Italdesign for Ford, introduced at the 1984 Turin Motor Show. Developed to gauge interest in a two-seater, targa-top sports car for the U.S. market, the Maya was more than a simple design study—it was a fully functional prototype intended for potential production. Ford had plans to build the car at a rate of 50 units per day (approximately 12,000 per year). The Maya’s design featured Giugiaro’s signature wedge shape with a drag coefficient of 0.28, but it was criticized for its resemblance to another Giugiaro creation, the Lotus Etna, which debuted in the same year.

The Maya was powered by a mid-mounted Ford V6 engine producing 140 hp (104 kW; 142 PS), though this was intended as a temporary powertrain. Ford planned to use a more advanced Yamaha co-developed 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 250 hp (186 kW; 253 PS) for the production version. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a 5-speed manual transmission. The car was designed with U.S. regulations in mind, including a soft plastic, deformable front bumper. Inside, the Maya featured twin leather bucket seats, luggage space behind the seats, and a steering wheel with most of the car’s controls integrated directly into it.

In 1985, Ford commissioned Italdesign to create two follow-up prototypes: the Maya II ES and the Maya II EM. The Maya II ES featured smoother body lines and a Ferrari-inspired central air intake. Originally painted flaming red at Ford’s request, it was later repainted in metallic grey tones by Italdesign. The Maya II EM was built as a road-ready prototype with a notchback rear design and a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 300 hp (224 kW; 304 PS), providing significantly more performance and aimed at real-world testing.

Although the Ford Maya series showed potential for production, none of the prototypes made it to the showroom floor. However, the Maya remains a notable example of 1980s automotive design and a rare collaboration between Ford and Italdesign.