GHIA MICROSPORT CONCEPT
Mustard yellow with black leather interior
Ghia's Microsport concept was introduced at the 1978 Turin Auto Salon. Created on the Fiesta platform with a 957cc engine and 4-speed transmission, the Ghia Microsport concept simultaneously tested two means of improving efficiency, reducing aerodynamic drag and cutting weight.
The design itself was recognizably Fiesta but the nose is sloped for smoother entry into the air and the headlights are placed behind clear plastic aerodynamic covers. Ghia's refinement of the Fiesta design succeeded in reducing the Ghia Microsport concept's drag coefficient from 0.422 to 0.38.
Ghia's other approach was to reduce mass, accomplishing this objective both by reducing Ghia Microsport concept's wheelbase by 10 inches and by using the highly regarded skills of its craftsmen to construct the bodywork in aluminum. In addition, Ghia constructed lightweight but attractive and comfortable seat frames and interior console, in the end achieving a weight reduction of 10 over the standard Fiesta.
Riding on 13" Canonica alloy wheels fitted with 175/60R-13 Michelin MXV tires, Ghia Microsport concept is an attractive little two-seat coupe with occasional rear seating for two more passengers, combining sporting character, ample practicality and improved economy.
Ghia Microsport has working side windows. The paint is in good condition, especially considering its age, as is the leather/cloth interior. As expected with Ghia concepts, the Microsport concept exhibits very good panel fits and even door gaps.
Image Directory - Click Here for more pictures and articles from the Ford corporate archives before the vehicle was repainted for the Turin Auto Show and on display at the Ford Centennial celebration
Original Italian Prototype build Document from Ford Ghia design studio
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