Official press release:

FORD LYNX CONCEPT CAR

The Ford Lynx concept car is the latest illustration of Ford’s B-class platform evolution, and its potential to meet the future demands of global customers. The design for the Lynx was derived from the platform of the Ford Fiesta, launched in Europe in 1995.

The Lynx is making its Canadian debut at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, February 19-28, 1999.

Richard Parry-Jones, group vice president - product development, explains “the Lynx concept car illustrates just one of a number of vehicles we could build using this platform. In fact it is perfectly feasible that we could offer four or more distinct B-class products in the near future.

Lynx features large, open-spoked 17-inch alloy wheels fitted with ultra-low 215/40 tires that reveal special 12-inch titanium racing brakes behind. The tires are a close fit inside the fender eyebrows, providing a ground-hugging side view, while the bumper shapes emphasize the wheels and tires in the front and rear elevations.

A unique styling feature for an open-topped car, is the two longitudinal roll-bars, which extend the A-pillars in a flowing curve all the way to the tops of the rear fenders. These would form the frames of the side windows and act as guide rails for a fold-away roof panel. The bars are moulded in carbon-fibre reinforced resin.

Although the Lynx is a compact car, it has been given a very sleek appearance by an extended spear-shaped depression below the doors and a rising wedge-shaped feature line, that runs around the car from the tops of the front wheels each side. This is smoothly integrated at the rear into large almond-shaped tail lamp clusters below edge at the right of the rear bumper, to make a feature of the exhaust tailpipe, which emerges in its centre.

The front view has a narrow, upper oval-shaped intake slot with a wide opening below. This is filled by a row of exposed cooling fan motors, for the engine radiator and air conditioning condenser. Advanced projector headlamps with turn indicators behind a single moulded lens cover blend smoothly with the body, bumper and hood surfaces.

The interior is based on the Fiesta’s facia moulding and instrument panel with the addition of metallised bezels, that match a spherical polished aluminum gearshift knob. Special experimental fabrics are used for the seat covers and sidewall inserts. The side doors have no exterior handles. They are unlocked by swiping a smart card between contacts hidden in the door shut line aperture. The same card is then used to disarm the passive anti-theft System.

Although the Lynx is a concept car, it is a clear indication of Ford ’s desire to explore new concepts and research niche products.

Key Dimensions:

Overall length    4075    mm
Width    1648    mm
Wheelbase    2446    mm
Front track    1449    mm
Rear track    1392    mm
Tire size    215/40 - 17

A recurring theme among the concepts from Ford is the creation of sports or sporty cars from the mechanical systems and platforms of mass market 2- and 4-door sedans. Sedans sell in big volume and big volume supports the massive effort required to develop, engineer, tool and produce them. Once they're on stream, peeling off a small number of chassis to feed a low-volume assembly and finishing operation is a cost-effective expedient that marginally increases volumes but more importantly attracts a new generation of customers who may become loyal long term patrons.

Conceiving and developing sports cars also keeps designers' juices flowing, a welcome change from designing door handles or wheel arch trim, and spawns the kind of new ideas that can spark a breakthrough design. Ford has traditionally rotated its designers through its several design studios, including Ghia where the Ghia Lynx was created.

Gary Braddock, who designed Ghia Lynx, is a good example. An American, he graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art then spent five years at the Ford Design Center in Dearborn before embarking upon a rotation to Ford's European design centers. It was there, in response to a challenge to create a sports concept on the new Fiesta platform, that he came up with Ghia Lynx.

Ghia Lynx, which debuted at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show, is built on the new Fiesta vehicle's standard wheelbase of 96.3 inches but its overall length was increased to 160.4 inches giving it sufficient span to develop a sleeker and lower profile. The overall package is still compact, however and is neatly accented with profile features to give it character.

The Ghia Lynx concept's distinguishing characteristic are the two arches which continue from the windshield posts to the rear deck. They form both the side window frames and a track for a folding roof which is designed to retract into a compartment under the rear deck to create a fully open convertible. The arches improve the body-chassis unit strength without requiring extensive, and expensive, chassis reinforcement.

While "Lynx" is an established Ford model name, the profile of Ghia Lynx, with its high rear deck and upswept covered headlights, has more than a little suggestion of its namesake crouching and ready to pounce. Ghia Lynx is a non-operating platform concept built at Ghia in Turin. Its doors do not open and there is neither a folding roof nor side windows. It does have a full interior, trimmed in grey cloth with contrasting grey patterned seat inserts and accented in blue. The front wheels steer enough to facilitate moving the platform for display. It rides on 5-spoke alloy wheels with 215/45-17 tires.

The Ghia Lynx concept's paint is good although there are some scratches on the right side. The interior, as would be expected for a concept with non-operating doors, is pristine.

SOURCE: Christie’s