Ford created a phenomenal and advanced concept car in 1983 that spear-headed a lot of the features cars have today
Published on Apr 06, 2026 at 4:15 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Apr 02, 2026 at 2:12 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
Once upon a time, a relatively well-known car company by the name of Ford came up with an advanced concept car that inadvertently set some of the blueprints for today’s cars.
It would become one of the most influential concepts of all time, and preview a whole host of advanced features for modern motorists.
Enter the 1983 Probe IV Concept by Ghia, a striking car that still looks modern even as we write this in 2026.
Here’s what makes this car so special.
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This is how Ford created the advanced concept car
Ford wanted to push the envelope of what was possible with cars at the time.
It had already done this with cars such as the Ford Nucleon from 1958.
The Probe was actually part of a series of concept cars, with Probe I making its debut in 1979.
Probe II and Probe III soon followed, before Probe IV arrived in 1983.
This is the car that pushed the series to the absolute limit.
Shown at that year’s Detroit Auto Show, it had an ultra-low drag coefficient of 0.15.
This was as low as the fighter jets of the time.
The Probe IV had an automatic attitude-control system, lowering the car on the highway.
On city streets, the ride height would rise from three inches to six inches.
Ghia worked on the styling, leading to an incredibly dramatic-looking concept car.
The Blue Oval built two examples of the Probe IV.
Why the Probe IV was the blueprint for modern cars
Efficiency is the name of the game in 2026, especially when it comes to EVs and hybrids.
So Ford and Ghia were really ahead of the curve with the Probe of 1983.
Also prominent are the headlights, front bucket seats, and a digital instrument display.
Back in the early 1980s, analogue displays were still the norm.
The overall appearance of the car was also more advanced than the concepts that had come before it.
For example, the Probe I was constructed using a Mustang Fox-body muscle car.
Probe II was far more conventional, while Probe III was remarkably similar to the Ford Sierra.
But it was Probe IV, which did come up for sale recently, that really caught the eye of the public.
Incredibly, this advanced concept car still looks futuristic today, some 43 years after it was built.
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Henry joined the Supercar Blondie team in February 2025, and since then has covered a wide array of topics ranging from EVs, American barn finds, and the odd Cold War jet. He’s combined his passion for cars with his keen interest in motorsport and his side hustle as a volunteer steam locomotive fireman at a heritage steam railway.
