Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General General Ford Contour Concept

Check this out!
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I'm trying to get a picture from them. We'll see what happens. But can you imagine an 8 cyl. and all wheel drive! Look at the final bid. $25000 Terry did you have anything to do with this or did you come in later. Funny how concept and reality can be so different.

Sorry I can't get the http to come up as a link that you can just click on. I guess I'm just challenged!

OK I can't get it to link but this is what they had to say about it at christies.com It's lot no. 11 sale no. 1176 If you want to go looking for it!

FORD CONTOUR CONCEPT
1991

Dark sapphire pearl with light blue leather trimmed interior

Ford vice president of Design J Mays recently described the 1991 Ford Contour showcar as one of the most significant concepts in Ford's recent history. That is high praise indeed when it's considered that the Contour concept was developed and released during the tenure of Mays' predecessor, Jack Telnack.
J Mays describes "design" as the integration of engineering and styling and by this description Contour might rightly be called "High Design".
The Contour concept offered here is non-running and it is non-running for all the right reasons, demonstrating a cornucopia of advanced concepts, processes, materials and layout. It is a proposal for a radical new front-drive package, a "T-Drive" that its inventor, Donald Carriere, patented for Ford. Its chassis frame is a proposal for an innovative chemically-bonded modular aluminum structure invented by Ford and Reynolds Aluminum. Its body panels were designed to be formed composite structures incorporating polyurethane and polyurea plastics and metal framing. Its lighting system was developed to utilize a Light Engine from General Electric, a high efficiency single source system using fiber optic light pipes to illuminate most of the Contour concept's lighting requirements.
The Contour concept is visibly different as well. For starters, it is laterally asymmetrical in an effective and practical layout that complements its goal of being compact and space-efficient. The Contour concept's interior utilizes a fixed bench style front seat that acts as a body stiffening member. The steering wheel, instrument cluster, drivers' controls and pedals are an adjustable assembly to accommodate different drivers.
The T-Drive system proposed in Contour envisions a transversely-mounted straight eight engine with the transmission joining the center of the engine's crankcase and driven from a gear in the center of the crankshaft (Vittorio Jano, who put the camshaft, supercharger and accessory drives of the straight eight Alfa Romeo 8C in the center of his engine, would be pleased with the concept and delighted at the highly integrated structure proposed by Carriere's T-Drive package.) A single large crankshaft-driven alternator resolves accessory drives: everything in the T-Drive concept, even the water pump, is electrically driven. T-Drive also contemplates fulltime all wheel drive with a low-mounted driveshaft passing through a tiny tunnel to the rear differential.
Suspension of the Contour concept is conceived as independent with transverse leaf springs doubling as the upper control arm at each corner. The front spring is located just above the straight eight engine in an area of intense heat. Contour designers dealt with that issue by envisioning forced ventilation of the engine compartment. The front wheel wells are the source of the cooling air... and venting the wheel wells reduces turbulence induced by the rotating wheels and brake discs, reducing aerodynamic drag.
"Contour" also appropriately describes the concept's visible design which seems to have no straight lines, outside or inside. The interior is a pleasing, almost melodious, blending of contours. Ford is known for its Blue Oval trademark, and the Contour concept's design expresses a softly-curving oval theme. The front doors are front-hinged while the back doors are hinged at the rear giving unobstructed access to the interior.
Contour is a non-functional platform but is rendered with great accuracy. It is generally in excellent physical condition and has an outstanding show quality paint job with just one or two minor scratches evident. The driver's doors operate using a key pad entry system and the front-hinged hood opens to reveal a highly detailed mockup of the eight-cylinder T-Drive concept. The bright chromed wheels are plastic, steering is conducted by using a cable box and electric motors.
Ford's 1991 Contour concept is one of the great, pioneering executions of design. It is visually distinctive and pleasing. It is conceptually innovative. But for all that, it never strays from the art of the possible

yeah, it was perty cool..i think someone posted it a few weeks ago. would be neat to have don't ya think

I found the site, but i can't get a pic so i don't know what the commotion is about. I'd like to see what the big report was written about.

How'd I miss that? It does make you wonder what could have been. I do think Ford was a little ahead of the market on on this one though. From reading the description I don't see much from the concept that made it through to the production model except the name.

I emailed Christie's to see if the could send me a picture or a link to one. If the come thru I'll post it.

Only the name is shared with our cars.

Sold for $25,850 on June 16.