| Ford Forty-Nine Concept
The Detroit show sees the unveiling of the Ford Forty-Nine concept. Based on a classic, this concept was a pet project for J Mays. It stands out as a sleek American sportscar but looks rather more like an old car constructed with modern methods than a timeless concept revisited. Ford are confident that this latest retro-concept will grab the attention of the car buying public and believe it will bring back the enthusiasm for the brand that existed in the '40s and 50s.
"The inspiration for the Forty-Nine concept comes from the passion and excitement of the original, combined with the imagination of people across America who customized the car and turned it into what they thought a really great car should be," says J Mays, Ford Motor Company vice president of Design.
As soon as it was introduced in New York City in June 1948, the '49 Ford became a great success. As the first all-new, postwar Ford design, the car attracted 1.3 million orders even before it officially went on sale. The design won the prestigious Fashion Academy Award in 1949 and repeated the rare honour again in 1950.
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| J Mays (left) with Jac Nasser. |
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The original '49 had a modern slab-side design, with front fenders, body sides and rear quarter panels forming one continuous line from head to taillights. It boasted a "dream car" silhouette as well as a simple grille and balanced greenhouse. The car's advertisements heralded its "mid-ship" ride, "hydra-coil" springs, "picture window" visibility, "Magic Action" king-size brakes and "sofa wide" seats built for living-room comfort.
To create the all-new concept Forty-Nine, Ford designers went back to the car's roots - simple shapes, clean body panels and modern conveniences. The concept's smooth appearance is achieved by an all-glass upper body structure with totally concealed pillars and windshield wipers. The exterior finish is black with chrome trim around the greenhouse and modest chrome accents elsewhere, such as its badging and 20-inch wheels.
The interior also is a modern interpretation of the original car's simple design cues. A cantilevered, bench-style front seat is power-actuated. A floating centre console runs the entire length of the interior, giving the impression of four-passenger bucket seating. The floating console houses the 5-speed shift lever and ventilation. Totally new and modern features include the hardtop door construction and electronic/ mechanical door, hood and deck releases.
The interior colour theme is two-tone: black and terracotta. The black leather seats have terracotta leather seat backs. Terracotta leather also accents the upper door trim panels, instrument panel and package tray. The armrest is leather wrapped in charcoal. The lower door trim panels are finished in metallic silver paint.
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The car's primary gauges are contained within a single round instrument binnacle - similar to the hot rods of the era. The analogue tachometer takes centre stage and is surrounded by the electronic speedometer, temperature, oil and fuel gauges. Audio and climate controls are displayed across a flip out panel at the base of the windshield.
Clean, simple, design cues are conveyed in the rounded high intensity discharge (HID) and projector-beam front lighting. In the rear, sleek, narrow, wrap-around LED tail lamps make a distinctive statement. A two-tone, leather-wrapped steering wheel features cruise and radio controls on a metal ring, reminiscent of the "horn-ring" popular in the 1950s.
The rear view mirror is positioned along a prominent "wind-split" rod, which extends from the instrument panel to the front header. The mirror can be adjusted up or down along the length of the rod, which serves multiple purposes. It adjusts to the needs of drivers of all sizes and also looks striking. The rod also serves to house the radio antenna, which extends through theroof.
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