Ford Libre - Top Down Fun

The Ford Libre blows into the Windy City with the top down for the 1998 Chicago Auto Show. This fun-to-drive, fourpassenger, quad-door concept is a sporty convertible for the entire family.

"Most small convertibles seat two comfortably," said J Mays, vice president-Design. "The Libre provides fun for four while retaining the slick appearance of a two-seat sports car."

Libre is a design exercise exploring the possibilities of a quad-door, four-passenger convertible. The quad-door concept, first introduced on the Mercury MC4 concept car and currently in production on all Ford extended-cab pickup trucks, gives Libre a more open rear seating area and allows for easy ingress and egress.

Built off the versatile B-platform that serves as the basic structure for such European production vehicles as the Ford Fiesta, Ka and Puma as well as the Brazilian built Courier pick-up, Libre is another example of Ford's platform flexibility. The ability to use a single platform for a wide variety of vehicles increases the possibility of developing niche vehicles in a short period of time and at a reasonable cost.

"The creative use of common platforms brings two advantages to our customers: better value and distinctive design," said Jacques Nasser, president-Ford Automotive Operations. "It's well known that common platforms lead to economies of scale when we use the same pieces in places the customer can't see or feel. Bust as Libre proves, our platform strategy also allows us to do strikingly unique designs."

Libre's exterior design is simple and straightforward. The body shape and the contours of the body panels give Libre a strong, clean look. Finished in bright red metallic paint and accented with jewel-like aluminum headlamps, taillamps and exhausts, Libre is the shiny convertible that sports car enthusiasts dream about.

The windshield is set at a 66-degree angle to give the car a sleek, more aerodynamic look without compromising the head room and comfort of front seat occupants. The headlamps feature three individual tubes. The two larger tubes house reflector beam lamps while the third, smaller tube, houses the amber turn signal lamp. Two large round fog lamps are integrated into the front bumper. The taillamps are a geometric shape and sit high on the decklid along with an auxiliary stop lamp.

Libre features two black, egg crate shaped grille openings in the front. The same egg crate design is carried to the rear of the car and is integrated into the lower half of the bumper and houses two aluminum exhaust openings.

The matte, cast aluminum, five-spoke 17-inch wheels and high-performance Pirelli tires are set out to the edges of the wheel openings giving Libre a wide stance.

The attention to detail extends to the red-anodized brake calipers with cross drilled rotors, which lend the necessary stopping power with style.

Libre does not feature a functioning soft top but could be equipped with a variety of different types of soft or hard tops.

The brilliant red from the exterior is carried through to the exposed sheetmetal on the interior. The door panels feature cream colored leather inserts and armrests that compliment the four-tan leather bucket seats.

The brushed aluminum shifter knob is surrounded by black leather and is mounted on the center console along with the hand-brake and climate control knobs. Libre starts up with the twist of a knob and the push of a button that can also be found on the center console. This type of push button ignition eliminates the need for a conventional key.

Safety features include three-point safety restraints for all four passengers as well as front air bags for the driver and front seat passenger. Structural reinforcements such as the bar that extends across the back of the front seats and the full-length center console give the Libre a sturdy look and feel.

The instrument panel is made up of three large tubular structures that form a binnacle and house gauges that are reminiscent of a chronograph watch that monitor all of the vehicles basic functions. The steering wheel is wrapped in black leather with red inserts.

The top half of the dash board is finished in the same red paint as the exterior and includes four air-registers, that feature the same design as those found in the new Mercury Cougar, as well as an analog clock in the center. The bottom half is covered in cream colored leather to match the doors and seats and includes the control knobs for the radio/CD unit as well as a pop-up messaging center and a compact disc storage compartment.

In addition to the brushed aluminum foot pedals, an extra pedal on the left serves as a foot rest for those moments when the clutch is not engaged.

Libre is powered by a 1.25-liter Sigma engine and features a five-speed manual transmission. This fuel-efficient powertrain has an estimated highway fuel-economy of around 40-mpg.

Libre will appear at auto shows throughout the year.

SOURCE: Ford

Anyone who has ever twisted sideways and dragged clean clothes across a greasy door latch mechanism to get into the back seat of a convertible will appreciate the Ford Libre concept.

Built on the Ford B-platform which is the basis of the Fiesta, Ka, Puma and Brazilian-built Courier pickup (utilizing the 16 valve 4-cylinder Zetec SE engine), Libre applies to automobile design the technology developed for extended cab pickups, the rear-hinged short rear door. With no center post, the Libre concept's doors open expansively to receive passengers and groceries without snagging outerwear.

Ford's "new edge" design is apparent in the Libre concept and was largely the work of the late John Hartnell. It features a big open egg crate grille, teardrop covered headlights and a rounded wedge profile with high rear deck. It rides on 17" cast one-piece 5-spoke alloy wheels with 215/45ZR-17 Pirelli P Zero tires in the back, 205s in the front. Bright red brake calipers with cross-drilled discs are visible through the wheels.

The seats are luxuriously upholstered in cream leather which also is used on accent panels on the doors and armrests. Exposed metal painted body color is extensively used throughout the interior in keeping with active lifestyle contemplated for the Libre concept. The analog instruments are located in three large tubes set behind a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Foot pedals are brushed aluminum and there is a rest for the driver's left foot when it is off the clutch pedal. The bodywork is largely fiberglass, although the hood is metal. This concept was built at Special Projects Inc. and clearly demonstrates a high degree of workmanship.

The Libre concept does not have a top, but is provided with a soft tonneau cover. It does not appear to have working side windows. Libre is in excellent cosmetic condition, its innovative doors function well, panel gaps are even and panel-to-panel fits are smooth.

Any concept model from Special Projects Inc. is deserving of close attention.

SOURCE: Christie’s