Ford Experimental -Concept Vehicles

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Is it a Econoline, Red Wagon or Deora ?

No it's a Ford Explorer

Ford revealed a concept vehicle at the 1973 Chicago Auto Show. It was called the Explorer, and it very much looked like it was patterned after the Deora.

Interestingly, a period press release describes the 1973 Explorer as "a foretaste" of what the full-size "Ford F-100 pickup could become," not as a potential replacement for the car-based Ranchero utility vehicle. It's quite possible, therefore, that Ford's Deora-esque show truck was intended to promote the Explorer option package. Either way, this 1973 concept was the first Ford vehicle known as an Explorer.

Interestingly, a period press release describes the 1973 Explorer as "a foretaste" of what the full-size "Ford F-100 pickup could become," not as a potential replacement for the car-based Ranchero utility vehicle. It's quite possible, therefore, that Ford's Deora-esque show truck was intended to promote the Explorer option package. Either way, this 1973 concept was the first Ford vehicle known as an Explorer.

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Both the Explorer and the Deora rely on some sort of mid-engine layout, though the Ford's is more extreme. The Alexanders moved the Deora's six-cylinder only 15 inches; to create the Explorer, the Ford designers moved the truck's (or van's) V-8 back a full five feet.

When it came to speed, the Deora wasn't much of a hot rod. Chrysler's venerable slant-six engine probably deserves a plaque in the engine hall of fame, but most folks don't regard it as a performance powerplant. For the Explorer, Ford chose V-8 power, selecting its 429-cubic-inch big-block in the 375-hp / 450 lb-ft tune of the contemporary Thunderbird. The Explorer and the Deora differed in transmission design, too: The Explorer's two-pedal interior indicates an automatic gearbox. The Deora had a three-speed manual.

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Ironically, though the Deora came from the radical world of custom cars and the Explorer from a relatively staid corporate culture, the Ford was theoretically the higher-performance vehicle. I say theoretically, because I haven't been able to determine if the '73 concept was operational or just a show-car pushmobile. If any reader recalls any contemporary coverage clarifying the matter, please let us know in the comments.

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Although there's no indication that Ford ever intended to put the Explorer concept into production (it was still selling the Ranchero ute), the Explorer's design is more practical than the Deora's. The latter has no side doors; the windshield flips up and the lower front panel swivels open, allowing the driver and passenger to get in and out via the front of the vehicle, in the style of the Isetta microcar.

The Deora also relied on a complicated linkage to swing the steering wheel out of the way when passengers were entering or exiting, and the steering "wheel" itself is actually a dragster-sourced yoke. In contrast, the Explorer had a more user- (and production-) friendly interior, with conventional driver- and passenger-side doors.

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That interior, by the way, indicates how quickly trends changed between 1965 and the early '70s. The Deora's cab is upholstered mostly in black vinyl, while the Explorer's is very, very orange—down to the roots of its shag carpet and the spokes on its Torq Thrust–looking wheels. Even the truck bed is carpeted in orange.

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It would be nice to credit the team responsible for styling the Explorer, but Ford archivists say that fact isn't recorded. They were, however, able to locate studio photos dated April 29, 1971, of two clay models with 1974 license plates. Apparently, Ford was considering two alternatives as theoretical replacements for the F-100 pickup: a more conventional pickup with a separate bed and a rearward driving position, whose front-end styling may have influenced the 1986 Aerostar minivan; and what appears to be a fully formed version of the cab-forward Explorer concept, wearing a slightly different grille.

Interestingly, that second clay model bore a "Caribou" nameplate. If you zoom in on the first, you'll see that designers used a truly generic placeholder badge.

There is no indication that Ford ever exhibited the Explorer after its brief display in Chicago and at auto shows and state fairs in 1973. While Ford archivists have graciously provided Hagerty with period publicity materials, they were not able to find any record of what happened to the Explorer concept. Details of its ultimate destiny are not in Ford's corporate collection, as far as I have been able to determine. Most likely, it was crushed years ago.

The Deora is currently owned by Detroit-area collector Tom Abrams, who operates the Reliable Carriers service used by many to transport their vehicles to shows and to new owners. The 1973 Ford Explorer concept survives in name only.

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Mercury Messenger Concept (2003)

The 2003 Mercury Messenger Concept is a sporty coupe that was designed to breathe new life into the now-defunct brand prior to its discontinuation in 2010, and like the MK9, is the work of Gerry McGovern, who oversaw design at Lincoln and Mercury for a short time in the early 2000s. The Messenger debuted at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show, repelling down from the roof as part of an elaborate Blue Oval display at that particular event.

The idea behind the Messenger was to usher in a new era of styling for the mid-priced brand, one that would help differentiate it from its Ford-based brethren. However, it was just that – a design exercise, not a functioning car – even though it's equipped with a fully adorned exterior and interior. The concept was built with no engine or transmission, though an electric motor was added later on to make it easier to move around the various shows it attended.

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Unlike many other concepts that have been crushed or lost to history, the 2003 Mercury Messenger Concept is alive and well after it was purchased by Chicago-based restaurant and night club developer Joe Bortz a few years ago, who owns a rather large collection of concepts – including the MK9. Bortz later upgraded the Messenger's electric motor and added bigger batteries to enable it to cruise at speeds of up to 35-40 mph, keeping this little slice of history alive for future generations to enjoy.

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2004 Lincoln Mark X concept car 


The retractable hardtop and 1963 Continental–inspired egg-crate grille would bring excitement to the brand in the same way the folding-droptop genre was benefitting the likes of Mercedes, Cadillac, Lexus, BMW, and Infiniti during that time.

But this concept car was more than a Thunderbird with a Continental grille. The  chrome strip running across the Mark X's belt line is a nice throwback to yesteryear's slab-sided Lincolns. Or. as the press release said, "The Mark X concept is designed to demonstrate the potential of the Lincoln brand by stretching its DNA to a sophisticated roadster."

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The Mark X's interior was a concept car dream that looked close to production, as sharing bits with the Thunderbird meant you could do a fair amount of implementation behind the scenes and nobody would be the wiser. But the "lime sorbet" leather interior paired with Corian accents was likely never in the cards, the latter being the preferred finish for high-end kitchens, not cars. (This was before everyone demanded granite countertops in their McMansions).

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Introduced in March 1964 as a "rolling laboratory of new ideas in styling and engineering," the Ford Aurora concept car featured a unique lighting system, special seating arrangement, clamshell tailgate, and electric door locks. While on display at the New York World's Fair, the Aurora caught the attention of producers for "2001: A Space Odyssey," who considered, but ultimately rejected, using the car in the now-iconic science fiction film.

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The Elegant and Always Lovely Mercury Cyclone 1990 

Mercury's Cyclone concept car featured extreme cab-forward design, and a transparent, electrochromic glass roof that changed tints depending on the lighting. Inside the four-passenger cabin was a television screen that showed what was behind the car via tiny rearview TV cameras, eliminating the need for sideview mirrors. No one power source was specified, but the concept was enginieered to house a V-8.