Ford Revealing Dozens Of Never-Before-Seen Concept Images

Ford Motor Company has released a large batch of extremely rare photos showcasing exceptional concepts and classics that few people outside the Blue Oval know exist.

One hundred new images of Ford concept cars (covering 45 new vehicles) have been uploaded to the Ford Heritage Vault. The site is a digital paradise for Ford fans and automotive historians and contains more than 1,800 images from 1896 to 2021, plus brochures and news releases for these concepts.

"Those are what you can't find anywhere," Ford archivist Ted Ryan said of the latest images, speaking with the Detroit Free Press. Regarding some concepts, Ryan noted that "the designers were given free rein to imagine what 'could be' rather than what was current. Many of the innovations that were showcased often did come to be."

Take the Ford Seattle-ite XXI designed for the 1962 Seattle World Fair. According to the original press release, it has four steerable front wheels and interchangeable power packs that would allow someone to use a 60-horsepower motor for short commutes and a 400-hp engine for performance driving. Other advanced features include a travel-programming computer.

Ford mentions a separate engine compartment that "could accommodate either highly sophisticated fuel cells operating electric motors or compact nuclear devices." That must have sounded like the stuff of science fiction novels in the early '60s. Fast forward six decades, and Ford sells three electric vehicles in America, including the popular Mustang Mach-E.

Some of these iconic cars, such as the Ford X-100 and Lincoln Futura, haven't been seen in decades. "We changed that by loading more than 1,600 photos and brochures of over 300 different concept cars from Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury into the Ford Heritage Vault," said Ryan.

The 1958 Nucleon is a nuclear-powered car Ford designers envisaged traveling around 5,000 miles without recharging. The "atomic-powered" Ford was designed around the assumption that the size and weight of nuclear reactors and shielding would be reduced in the future. We're thankful this idea didn't take off, but it's interesting.

If the Ford Aurora concept had seen reality, station wagons may still have been popular family cars today. This futuristic longroof took cabin design to a new level with a lounge-style L-shaped lounge, front swivel chairs, and a TV, to name a few of the home-like features.

Other jaw-dropping cars include the 1954 FX Atmos, 1976 Antser, Europe 021C, 1992 Bronco Boss, and the all-electric Ford Comuta. If you've got a few hours to spare and a fondness for concept cars, it's well worth ogling these incredible creations. While Ford still creates concept cars, they've got nothing on the things you'll see in the Heritage Vault.