The Ford Megastar, Altair, and Probe IV Concepts and Ghia’s Journey to Ford

The custom coachbuilding era where independent firms would design and build one-off custom bodies on exotic chassis is long gone, but most of the greatest, most beautiful and most significant cars in the world were designed by the select few firms that really stood above the rest. There were so many at the beginning of the 20th century, but there were only a few from around the world that really had a profound and lasting impression on the history of the motorcar and were able to survive into the modern age. Interestingly what many do not know is that a few of the great Italian coachbuilders had a hand in designing and building some of the most iconic production cars in the post-WWII era in order to survive in both Europe and the United States. As the 20th century marched on there was a need by large automotive companies for the great skill and craftsmanship of the old coachbuilders to make their modern designs come to life. Carrozzeria Ghia of Turin, Italy is one coachbuilder that realized this need and became very involved in helping the motorcar leap into the future with building aerodynamic bodies and ideas that wouldn't be used on cars for decades after their creations.

Ghia created some of the most beautiful bodies on chassis supplied from all over the world for many years and was also one coachbuilder that really "grabbed the bull by its horns'', so to speak, by realizing and acting on this need for skilled coachbuilding and design in the production car world which would send them on an incredible journey and to some unbelievavble creations well into the late 20th century. The true coachbuilding era was over for most of these coachbuilders in the post WWII era, the mid-1950's really being the end. A few did manage to survive for decades after and some of these firms still exist today because they were able to find a way to design large numbers of bodies for significant car companies such as Pinninfarina's relationship with Ferrari for example, or by being absorbed by large companies and existing really by name only. But most of the specialty car companies that supplied chassis to customers or that built small numbers of cars every year were gone so the need for special bodies was largely lost. 

Ghia found work with some Americans in the post war years such as their run with Dual Motors and more importantly Chrysler, supplying custom bodies on Chrysler chassis. They were really responsible for sparking Virgil Exners "Forward Look" ideas as they created their Dart series cars in 1955 beginning with the "Gilda", years before Mr. Exner coined the term and started with his big fin ideas. A design actually created by Ghia's own Giovanni Savonuzzi. This is when they really started to influence major car company designs where Ghias attributes could be seen in some large scale production cars, especially in the United States which many Americans still do not know. Ghia was also partially responsible for the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept which later was customized by George Barris into the famous Batmobile, but that's not why it's significant. It's significant because of its incredible complex shapes and beauty, and the fact that it’s design influenced a bunch of details on Ford/Mercury/Lincoln models which all made it into production. While it was designed by Ford's head American stylists Bill Schmidt and John Naajar, Ghia’s extremely high level of skill and coach building abilities were able to make their renderings come to life in an incredible way with refinement and perfect shapes and proportions. Ghia also helped create a few other American concepts such as the Ford Mercury XM Turnpike Cruiser, the Packard Predictor and the Chrysler Plainsman. Their production abilities and designs and design refinement capabilities were very influential in the United States for sure which kept the firm afloat. 

Without a doubt the most important American contract that Ghia received in the 1950's was the one from Chrysler to help design and produce their Imperial model. This was a time when Cadillac was the heavyweight champion of American luxury where they were pretty much unchallenged in the top tier of the American luxury market, so Chrysler decided to compete. Because the cost of tooling up and production was so high, Chrysler turned to Ghia because of their skilled production and design experience. The designs were all penned by the American Virgil Exner with contract supervision by Paul Farago. The cars were shipped to Turin by boat as stock two door hardtops without doors and were stretched and customized at Ghia. The designs were updated every year by the American stylists of course and the contract would last until 1965. During this time Ghia really started to realize the potential to design models derived from regular production cars. They had a few successful designs accepted by companies such as Fiat and Renault, but nothing that was unbelievable. A few examples of note would be the Jolly series cars where they kept it very simple and cheap, they started with a stock Fiat 500 or Renault 4CV and stripped the doors, roofs and seats off and replaced them with wicker seats and a canopy/awning top with fringes. A nautical or beach feel that was easy to produce and was actually quite popular. They were also responsible for the Swedish Volvo P1800, which while it was penned by Swedish designer Pele Petterson, was done under the very close watch of Pietro Frua while they were both working at Ghia. 

Throughout the 1950's and 1960's, Ghia's constant relationship with the Americans paired with their understanding of balance between custom one offs and production car designs is what kept them alive and made them different. They had a strong relationship with Exner and Exner Jr. where a lot of Exner can be seen in a bunch of Ghias 1950's and 1960's one offs. My favorite being the last Bugatti Type 57 chassis that never wore period coachwork and that Exner designed a superb and sexy looking body which Ghia refined and built for him in 1965. So by the 1960's, Ghia was well established in American relations. The next and possibly even more important relationship than the one with Chrysler and Exner would be with the Argentine racing driver Alejando DeTamaso. He came to Ghia because he was looking for a coachbuilder to design and produce the bodies for his new Vallelunga model in 1963. DeTomaso would later head Ghia and lead it to its final and most interesting relationship with Ford. 

In the interim it is worth noting that in 1966 the then head of Ghia, Giacomo Gaspardo Moro, hired Giorgetto Giugiaro who was previously on the design team at Bertone. He went on to design the Maserati Ghibli and the DeTomaso Mangusta for Ghia which both became quite popular and are still iconic designs today. He would even design a few more that would actually make it into production as well.

The most successful DeTomaso by far was the Pantera and was important because it was a car that began a long relationship between Ford and Ghia and one that would carry Ghia for decades more. Designed by Tom Tjaarda, the Pantera was an exotic mid-engined Italian sports car with beautiful lines and driven by a Ford V8 engine and gearbox. Ford actually chose this as a car to be sold through its Lincoln/Mercury dealers in the United States to compete directly with the Corvette, and they sold very well. Whether there was huge competition for the Corvette is another thing, but I can say that it was better quality and certainly had much more exotic style. At this time Ghia was under direct management of DeTomaso and in 1973 DeTomaso sold his minority shares to Ford making them the sole owner of Ghia. From then on Ford used Ghia to create some of the wildest and most futuristic designs of the era as Ghia was no stranger to its relations with American car companies, so they were right where they belonged. They designed some really interesting and sporty one off futuristic show cars as well as designs that were more practical and utilitarian meant for large production. Some of these ideas coming from the Ford-Ghia relationship in this era really had a profound effect on the future of automobile design.

The Megastar

Ford used Ghias very well seasoned skillset to produce some practical concepts for commercial production, but the other purpose for owning Ghia was for Ford's young designers to learn and express their true abilities and ideas which resulted in creating some really wild one off show cars that screamed future, just as Ghia was originally intended. One of the most significant show cars built in this era of the Ghia-Ford relationship is the Megastar. With a very exaggerated "greenhouse" feel on the outside and inside with amazing visibility, the sides of the car are 80% glass! Aerodynamics were in full effect with a wedge shape, low centre of gravity and round smooth sides, this was the beginnings of the modern supercar age where this shape defined the futuristic supercars of the era. It certainly was influenced by a few previous Italian designs such as the 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo concept by Bertone, the Ferrari P5 and P6 by Pininfarina and of course Ghias own DeTomaso Mangusta and Pantera designs. Based on the Ford Granada chassis, the Megastar is powered by a pretty powerful 3 liter V6 and an automatic transmission for comfort. It even has dual exhaust that has a pretty aggressive tone. The inside certainly has an italian feel with a leather wrapped dash and italian sport steering wheel, but the shapes are very futuristic with a mid-century twist with square shaped gauges and a mechanical analog clock smack center of the dash. Four color keyed bucket style seats with very defined futuristic cushions give it a very spaceship feel. Originally upon its completion, the Megastar was revealed at the 1977 Geneva motor show where I am sure it gained some big attention. It was also shown at the 1978 Chicago auto show on the Ford stand. From then on the Megastar disappeared into the storage facilities of the Ford Motor Company. 

The Altair 

In 1978 as part of Ghia and Ford's full custom show car program, Ghia wanted to create a car that competed in the European sport luxury sedan market which was really beginning to gain a large popularity and would really take off in the 1980's and 1990's in Europe and in the U.S. as well. A four door sedan with a very low profile, leather interior, alloy wheels, V6 engine, 5 speed manual transmission and sleek Italian coachwork, the Altair is a full blown Euro sports sedan that would certainly challenge the likes of the Maserati Quattroporte, the BMW 3 or 5 series sedans or even a late 70s Ferrari 2+2. Featuring a crazy headlight treatment with multiple square bulbs and a tinted glass covering it really looks slick. It also has a bronze stripe that goes down the sides of the car, but where it goes across the doors it actually has tinted plexiglass so when sitting inside the car it gives the impression of openness and is really quite cool. Another car that had the then new aerodynamic wedge shape that allowed it to cut through the air for the most speed and efficiency and for supercar looks. The side view mirrors are also way ahead of their time and are incorporated very well into the sides of the car. The mechanicals were just gone through with new brakes and gas tank and it runs and drives extremely well. The Altair is a really nifty and high quality euro sport sedan on a Granada chassis that really could have worked if it was actually put into production and it certainly would have given some European companies a run for their money. Another show car that would dissapear into deep Ford storage. 

The Probe IV

As the 1980's rolled around the idea of the future, space and technology were hugely popular. The advent of the computer pushed this as well as movies like "Star Wars" and "Back to the Future" really encapsulate this 1980's infatuation. The early 1980's also saw the major gas crisis so efficiency was also something on the minds of the big auto manufacturers. The Probe series cars, although don't wear Ghia badging, are in fact a product of Ghia and Ford. The Probe IV was actually the third car in the Probe series and was hugely advanced in aerodynamic design. Ford and Ghia went to great lengths to make its outside surfaces as smooth as possible as well as a low ride height to have the least amount of under car airflow possible. Extremely advanced for its time, it also is equipped with a speed sensitive ride height control system where at certain speeds Probe IV would actually adjust its own ride height so at high speed the rear would raise up six inches and the nose would drop four inches for maximum nose down attitude. The front air dam is also designed to adjust depending on the nose attitude for maximum efficiency. Super smooth panels with recessed emblems, door handles and windows as well as a full belly pan for maximum air flow efficiency. Mechanical innovations were also required to meet Probe IV design requirements including a highly sophisticated short MacPherson strut front suspension. Its front engine, rear drive chassis is powered by a 1.6 liter 4-cylinder turbocharged engine which was actually canted 70 degrees to the side to lower the hood. It also features four fully skirted wheels and tires that have a membrane between the inner and outer wheel wells that actually flex when the wheels are turned to allow for normal driving, but they reduce wheel well turbulence drastically.  It actually achieved a drag coefficient of 0.152, the same as the F-16 fighter jet! The Probe IV was an unbelievable accomplishment for Ford, again using the excellent and old coachbuilding experience of Carrozzeria Ghia. Another concept that the Ford Motor company used technology and ideas for its future production cars, but would ultimately put into storage not to be seen for decades. 

Ghia had a long journey and a story that cannot be told without explaining how they so drastically influenced both show cars and iconic production cars from Europe and the United States. The Megastar, the Altair and the Probe IV are historically significant show cars, but also are excellent representations of the end of the coachbuilding era and where their strong ties to American car companies lead them and how Ghias' coachbuilding expertise influenced the modernization and design of the automobile. These three important Ford-Ghia show cars were put away by the Ford Motor Company for decades and ultimately sold off in 2002 to a private collector where they have been hidden away. They have now been mechanically awakened to running and driving condition and all are in amazingly well preserved original condition as they left the Ford Motor Company storage facilities 20 years ago. They are now offered publicly for the first time in 20 years and are exceptional pieces of automotive design history. Contact us today for more information. Selling all three separately or together.