This one-off Ford concept car was built by Ghia, the same Italian automotive design and coachbuilding firm responsible for other cool stuff, including the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. Designed by a team that included Ian and Moray Callum, the Via concept made its North American debut at the 1990 Chicago Auto Show, where it undoubtedly turned a few heads.
This Ford concept car still looks pretty darn futuristic today, over three decades later. The fiberglass body is said to have a few imperfections, which is to be expected, but everything works, including the fiber-optic lighting and two of the four doors, both on the left side for whatever reason. This is the second time the Via has gone up for sale after being originally placed in public hands back in 2002.
The concept has many excellent features, including an “active” rear spoiler, two roof-mounted photosensitive glass panels, and a pair of aircraft-style fuel filler caps. The headlights, mounted at the windshield base, are composed of nine individual elements each and are individually programmable as fog or driving lights.
This Ford concept car is more of a paperweight than an actual functional driving vehicle. The interior is quite attractive, with sleek styling and a nice combination of taupe, black, blue, and turquoise. Everything looks pretty normal on the surface, and there’s instrumentation, climate controls, a shifter, and everything else we’d expect from a real car.
Yes, sadly, there’s no drivetrain present in the Via concept. No engine, no transmission, no working gauges or climate control. The car is wired up to showcase its lighting system, but that’s it. The steering wheel isn’t even hooked up to the wheels. And there’s no telling if it’s possible to make this a running and driving car at all. It sold for $11,000 on BaT (6/15/20).
Source: https://fordauthority.com/
Images: Ford; Mario Buonocunto Concept Cars Page; www.chicagoautoshow.com
