Official press release:

FLINT, MICH., June 13 — Ford Motor Company today delivered to Six Flags AutoWorld one of its star concept cars — the Brezza — designed and built by Ford's Ghia Studio in Turin, Italy.

Shown to the news media in company with four of its Ghia stablemates, the Brezza — Italian word for "breeze" — will be in AutoWorld's "Love Affair on Wheels" exhibit when the world's largest indoor entertainment complex opens its doors next month (July 4).

Presenting the Brezza to AutoWorld was Donald F. Kopka, Ford vice president - Design. The sleek, red concept car will be on a six-month loan to the Historic Flint AutoWorld Foundation for display at the spectacular new theme park, after which Brezza will be replaced with another futuristic model.

Six Flags AutoWorld is a completely indoor family entertainment center themed around the automobile, its past, present and future. AutoWorld is built on a 22-acre site in downtown Flint, an hour's drive north of Detroit.

Citing the Foundation for its "vision and capability" in seeing the AutoWorld project through to its completion, Mr. Kopka used the same two words to describe Ford's Ghia Studio in Turin, Italy, where the Brezza was designed.

"Ghia has become one of Ford's key international forward design studios and is helping to provide the design needs of the company's worldwide product development organizations," Mr. Kopka said. "The city of Turin gained fame in the middle ages as a producer of the finest coats of armor to be found in Europe. It is this rich heritage of artistry and craftsmanship that ultimately produced the Brezza and other Ghia concept cars that are here today."

Joining Mr. Kopka in describing the Brezza was Marilena Corvasce of Turin, chief designer of the car in Turin.

Ms. Corvasce designed both the exterior and interior of the sleek two-passenger, mid-engine concept sports car.

The Brezza was designed for maximum aerodynamic efficiency with a partial belly pan and rear wheel fairings. Skirted rear wheels, retractable headlamps, a rounded nose and flush-glazed windshield contribute to the car's low coefficient of drag.

Powered by a 1.6-liter CVH engine, the Brezza has a wheelbase of 91 inches. It is 48 inches high, 65 inches wide and 157 inches long.

Also shown at the Brezza preview today were the AC Ghia, a luxury mid-engine two-seater sports car; the Megastar, an ultra-low five-seat, four-door luxury sports sedan, and the Probe IV, the most aerodynamic driveable passenger car in the world with a drag coefficient of .15.

The all-steel bodies of the Ghia concept cars are handcrafted by the Ghia metalworkers.

Mr. Kopka said the Ghia studio currently produces 12 to 14 concept cars a year. "We think Ghia has injected new excitement into the Ford image around the world," he said.

Engine & performance:

Position: mid-engined

Type: Ford EXP, 4-cylinder

Capacity: 1597 cc

Power: 71 hp @ 4600 rpm

Torque:  121 Nm @ 3000 rpm

Dimensions:

Length: 4000 mm

Width: 1640 mm

Height: 1230 mm

Wheelbase: 2320 mm