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Ford and Mazda combined talents and developed the fiberglass Mercury One compact car concept. Outstanding aerodynamics was achieved by the flush glass and smoothly integrated body panels. The Mercury One indicated the design philosophy of future Mercury Tracer and Ford Escort. Source: www.chicagoautoshow.com Images: Lincoln-Mercury Public Relations Photograph; www.chicagoautoshow.com

At the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show, Mazda unveiled the TD-R concept. The off-road vehicle with height-adjustable suspension and four-wheel drive had gull-wing doors - could you think of something more stylish? The TD-R weighed 800 kg, and a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine with 140 horsepower, installed in the center, promised good acceleration. The suspension could change the ground clearance in the range of 10 centimeters. Engine & performance: Position: mid-engined, longitudinally Type: 4-cylinder, DOHC, 16-valve, turbo Capacity: 1597 cc Power: 140 hp Drive: 4WD Dimensions: Length: 3440 mm Width: 1680 mm Height: 1315-1415 mm Wheelbase: 2300 mm Weight: 800 kg Source: Mazda Motor Corporation; motor.ru Images: Mazda; eye-love.jp

The theme was building three mini-cars with different personalities departing from the same chassis and engine. Type A: Styling incorporates typical elements of mid-engine sports cars, such as a low, short front hood and an advanced cabin. Type B: The body looks powerful with its thick nose and protruding front fender. The rear engine hood on deck and black body support this image. Type C: It's styled like a mini Group C racer. Mazda claims people can take the car as a joke. They were first introduced at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show as the AZ-550 with three versions. Type A's first one was a red sports car with pop-up headlights, a front air vent, and distinctive Ferrari Testarossa-inspired side strakes, but the most distinctive design features were: gull-wing doors. Type B, themed as "High-tuned pure sports," was inspired by the trends in the tuning industry and current concept car design, featuring a greenhouse pyramid roof without a rearward sweep to the C-pillar. It had a racing car-inspired interior; unlike Type A, it aimed for the rough and spartan look and was the only model with a more conventional forward door hinging. It featured a pair of bulging headlamps and incorporated dual mufflers. Type C had a more distinctive body design as it was inspired by Mazda's Group C sports prototype racers, incorporating its signature color scheme of blue on white and the number it bore at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It featured a more significant air intake than the former two, venting to the forward-positioned radiator and exiting it along the front rim of the cowl. Many design cues are typical to an endurance racer, such as the wing mirror and BBS-style brake-cooling wheel discs. Compared to Type B, this version was far more spartan in comparison. Source: www.conceptcars.it Images: www.conceptcars.it; www.suzuki-collection.com Pictured Above: 1989 Mazda AZ550 Type A Pictured Above: 1989 Mazda AZ550 Type B Pictured Above: 1989 Mazda AZ550 Type C - Race version Pictured Above: AZ550 Sports Pictured Above: AZ550 Sports (AZ-1) Pictured Above: Design Sketches

The M25 was built to honor Matra's 25th anniversary. The two-seat F25 dubbed a "pocket rocket" was 136.5 inches long and was fitted with a rear-mounted 197-horsepower 4-cylinder 1.8-liter turbo engine giving the car a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 160 miles per hour. With a body constructed of carbon fiber and Kevlar over aluminum honeycomb, the 1,550-pound M25 also provided exceptional handling. Inside were two bucket seats with four-point seat belts and standard analog instruments behind the steering wheel. Luggage space was reserved for behind the seats. The large spoiler and removable glass roof and doors were other notable features. Source: matra-ms.com; Concept Car Central Images: Concept Car Central

The Isuzu MULTICROSS was a concept car built by the Japanese automaker in 1989. The vehicle was designed to have optimal performance on rough roads, fitted with four-wheel drive. The engine fitted was a 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel unit. Source: https://classiccars.fandom.com/wiki/Isuzu_MULTICROSS Images: Isuzu

Isuzu adds a new twist to its sporty Costa 4x4 two-seater truck prototype. Push a button, and a motor-driven sliding deck moves forward to cover the rear seats, effectively silencing back-seat drivers or just adding a sportier appearance. The vehicle also explores plastic body panels as a definite coming trend to pickups in general. The powerplant is a 2.6-liter Four cranking out 120 hp and 146 ft.-lb. of torque. Source: Cliff Gromer "Trucks Dream Haulers" - Popular Mechanics, Sep 1990 Images: Isuzu; www.geocities.jp/rabuca2003

The Isuzu 4200R is a mid-engine sports car that Isuzu displayed at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show. The development theme was the establishment of a sporty performance and image, in a traditional European taste. Lotus and Isuzu were connected at the time, both being in the GM group, and Shirō Nakamura, who was with Isuzu at the time (later moving to Nissan) worked together with a designer from Lotus to create a dynamic, elegant style. It is notable that while being a mid engine car, it was designed to accommodate two adults and two children and to be practical enough to use for long drives. The transversely mounted engine was Isuzu's newly developed 4.2L, DOHC 32 valve V8 engine, and its light weight and high power was it strong point. The 4200R had active suspension developed in conjunction with Lotus which balanced both control stability and ride quality. The interior contained a navigation system, a video deck, a high performance audio system and even a fax machine. The commercial sale of the 4200R combining high tech and sportiness was strongly desired by fans. Isuzu also prototyped a 3.5L V12 DOHC engine, and performed test drives with it mounted in a Lotus F1. Isuzu went on to mount this engine in a mid-engine, multipurpose vehicle, the Isuzu Como F1 concept, and displayed it at the Tokyo Motor show of the same year. However, in 1993, Isuzu ceased the development and manufacture of all small passenger cars, and has focused only on commercial vehicles since 2002. Source: wikipedia Images: Isuzu; minkara.carview.co.jp

IAD (International Automotive Design), a UK-based company founded in the 1970s, first unveiled the Venus concept car at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show. For 1990 IAD revealed a working prototype of the Venus, which used a Lotus Elite drive-train transplanted into a unique body. One of the more unusual features of the IAD Venus, apart from its shape, were the wheel coverings which almost entirely encased the wheel Source: TheMotor.Net - IAD - a potted history Images: Mario Buonocunto Concept Cars Page

October 27, 1987. In the studios of GMC Truck, under the direction of Kim Neilsen, Assistant Chief Designer William Davis draws out a sketch of a conceptual white S-15 as an idea to present for a show truck. It would be two years before approval, and in 1989, a sketch started to turn into reality. GMC quietly stuffed a turbocharged 3.8L V6 engine from the already legendary 1987 Buick Grand National into the engine bay of an all-wheel-drive equipped GMC S-15. GMC took the completed concept truck to the January ’89 Chicago Auto Show, which generated favorable interest and left people wondering if a production version was coming. 1987 Syclone Concept SketchWilliam Davis Concept Drawing – October 27, 1987 GMC set out to impress. Modifications included a flush tonneau cover and built-in wing, a red and back interior trim, pearlescent white paint with hand-painted striping, and Monza tipped dual exhaust outlets. The Syclone concept was GMC’s interpretation of a future high-performance sport pickup truck, thus helping begin the sport truck revolution. Even as a concept, the 1989 Syclone boasted features that you now see in the production Syclone. Items such as a center console, integral front bumper with built-in fog lamps, and sport bucket seats with lumbar support were kept and made into the final design of the 1991 GMC Syclone. William David would be promoted to Design Studio head for exterior compact trucks through 1989 and early into 1990. He is also credited with designing the Firebird hood logo for Trans Ams, all show trucks and regular production square body S/Ts as well as new GMT-325 and 330s (all-new rounded designs). He was also exterior chief for the production version of Chevy SSR. Design News, July 3, 1989 | The Syclone, based on the S-15 compact pickup, offers higher performance via a turbocharged, intercooled 3.8l V6–an enhanced version of the Buick Grand National engine. The engine generates 270 net hp and 370 ft-lbs of torque with sequential port fuel injection. GM spokesmen say the low-riding truck can accelerate from 0-60 mph in under 6 sec; its quarter-mile performance comes under 14 sec at about 103 mph. AutoWeek, January 23, 1989 | GMC’s Syclone should be the star of a movie called The Engine That Wouldn’t Die. The S-15-based pickup is powered by a 270 hp, 3.8-liter V6 version of Buick’s Grand National engine. Sitting on P245/50VR-16 Eagle GT tires, the truck will romp from 0-60 mph in under six seconds and run the quarter-mile in 14 seconds at 103 mph. GMC has no firm production plans for the Syclone. Chicago Auto Show, 1989 Syclone Concept | With an announcement of nearing production, another version of the 89 Syclone concept was released and displayed at the SEMA and LA Auto Show. This time, the truck was showcased in a monochromatic black paint job, which would later become the production of Syclone’s signature look and only available color. This concept version started to showcase even more information that the Syclone would be nearing production. The description for promotion listed more features and performance items that the truck would be built with. At this point, it was noted the truck was to be powered by a 4.3L turbo V6, have an AWD drivetrain, and its focus was to be built at a performance level that surpassed even top-level platforms. To further entice consumers, marketing promotion was written as the following: The Syclone has built upon the exciting styling and performance of the original show truck and adapted it into a more production-oriented package. Vehicle specifications include: Aggressive aero body applique package with front air dam and road lamps Tw0-tone black exterior (flat black lower/high gloss black upper) 16″ Sport aluminum wheels 16″ High performance rated tires Four-wheel anti-lock brakes Analog instrument cluster with tachometer Unique center console with floor shifter and storage compartment and boost gage High-performance bucket seats with a headrest 700 R4 4-speed automatic transmission with a unique calibration Leather-wrapped steering wheel Rear bed tonneau cover Front and rear suspension enhancements for improved vehicle handling All of these high sport features are coupled with a host of standard options that make the Syclone a truly well-contented truck, including: Power windows and door locks Air conditioning AM/FM cassette radio Tilt steering wheel Pulse wipers Tinted Glass Cruise control Heavy-duty battery The powertrain and driveline make the Syclone a true world class performance vehicle. “We at GMC Truck see the Syclone as the state-of-the-art in high technology and high performance with an appeal aimed straight at the upscale performance segments of the market,” said Rick Lee, Director of Marketing for GMC Truck. Sources: Kim Neilsen, Former Program Manager GM (Creator of the Syclone) for accurate historical information. Pete Matesevac for providing the 1989 GMC Syclone Concept Press Release paperwork. Tim Houlihan, Former GMC Truck Product Planner for providing info & pictures of the 1989 Concept Truck. via https://internationalsytyregistry.com/historical-truck-info/protos-concepts/1989-gmc-syclone-concept/

For a pre-production preview of the 1999 four-door Jimmy production vehicle, GMC released the Kalahari concept at auto shows throughout the United States in 1999. Unlike other sport utility vehicles, the Kalahari was designed with luxury in mind. Light graphite pearl paint covered the ground effects panels, fenders and surrounded the 17-inch Goodyear GR tires with custom-designed "flower" wheels. A sunroof and luggage rack completed the package. Inside, cognac-timed leather and African rosewood trim upgraded the environment. A slide-out platform aided in loading luggage into the vehicle. Source: Concept Car Central

This one-off Ford concept car was built by Ghia, the same Italian automotive design and coachbuilding firm responsible for other cool stuff, including the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia. Designed by a team that included Ian and Moray Callum, the Via concept made its North American debut at the 1990 Chicago Auto Show, where it undoubtedly turned a few heads. This Ford concept car still looks pretty darn futuristic today, over three decades later. The fiberglass body is said to have a few imperfections, which is to be expected, but everything works, including the fiber-optic lighting and two of the four doors, both on the left side for whatever reason. This is the second time the Via has gone up for sale after being originally placed in public hands back in 2002. The concept has many excellent features, including an “active” rear spoiler, two roof-mounted photosensitive glass panels, and a pair of aircraft-style fuel filler caps. The headlights, mounted at the windshield base, are composed of nine individual elements each and are individually programmable as fog or driving lights. This Ford concept car is more of a paperweight than an actual functional driving vehicle. The interior is quite attractive, with sleek styling and a nice combination of taupe, black, blue, and turquoise. Everything looks pretty normal on the surface, and there’s instrumentation, climate controls, a shifter, and everything else we’d expect from a real car. Yes, sadly, there’s no drivetrain present in the Via concept. No engine, no transmission, no working gauges or climate control. The car is wired up to showcase its lighting system, but that’s it. The steering wheel isn’t even hooked up to the wheels. And there’s no telling if it’s possible to make this a running and driving car at all. It sold for $11,000 on BaT (6/15/20). Source: https://fordauthority.com/ Images: Ford; Mario Buonocunto Concept Cars Page; www.chicagoautoshow.com

Built by Ghia of Turin, the aerodynamic, seven-passenger Ford Ghia Saguaro concept featured a steeply raked windshield angle, fastback roof, and flush door glass and door handles. Wraparound taillights accented the rear, and the liftgate draped over onto the roof. The Ghia Saguaro had its debut in Italy a year earlier, then arrived in North America to be exhibited at the 1989 Chicago show. Capable of seating seven passengers, the Saguaro featured flush four-sided glass on the side doors, flush exterior door handles, and a sleek windshield angle. The unique 19-inch wheels were placed farther from each other than on standard vehicles. Air intakes were placed inboard each headlight for improved engine cooling during off-road driving. The interior featured two seats up front, three in the middle, and two in the back. Both rows of rear sears could also fold flat to create extra luggage space. The rear hatch was hinged on the roof, enabling larger objects to be loaded into the car. Electronic digital instruments lined the dashboard. Silver blue mauve with ice blue leather trim and grey cloth interior. The Ghia Saguaro concept pushed the SUV envelope in a different direction. Designed on the Ford Mondeo platform, it focused on the car-like attributes of successful SUVs, emphasizing straightforward daily use and enjoyment while retaining some design characteristics of SUVs. Giuseppe Delena, who was Design Manager at Ghia at the time, worked on the Ghia Saguaro and recalled, "The concept was to take the idea of an SUV - but remember, this was 1988 - but rather than the rugged aspect we wanted to concentrate on a street version of the SUV...the high position...and combine it with the sleekness of a sporty car. ...Shade the rugged sportiness more toward road sportiness. We came up with the idea of a hybrid. ...It was particularly interesting, with big wheels and tires. We had to get a fast windshield to get the appearance of a very slick vehicle. The front end was particularly similar to other later vehicles with the horizontal louvers and interrupted by fog lamps." The Ghia Saguaro concept presents a wedge profile behind a distinctive oval grille with horizontal elements. It is interrupted by fog lights wrapping around the front corners under elongated ovoid headlight covers. A fastback, the SUV look, and utility are preserved by the Ghia Saguaro concept's high tail. 19" wheels wear tires with an outside diameter of over two feet, communicating the Ghia Saguaro concept's all-elements capability with their massive presence. The side windows are flush with their frames, and the door handles are recessed for lower drag and reduced wind noise. Interior seating is unusual for 1989 but highly functional, a 2-3-2 arrangement with individual front seats, a modified bench second seat, and backward-facing seating for two in the rear. Both back seats fold to convert the Ghia Saguaro concept into a spacious cargo carrier. The hatch-style rear gate was hinged well up into the roof to make room even for tall items when it is open. A vertical glass element lies below the spoiler that terminates the wedge line. This lower glass gives the driver a better sightline behind the Ghia Saguaro concept. Delena commented on the interior form development, "The front seats were integrated into the console - they seem to be coming out of the console - to form a cocoon around the driver and passenger. The colors - a cool light green - are fresh and interesting." The Ghia Saguaro is a full-interior platform concept constructed of fiberglass. The doors do not open. The wheel covers are plastic, and the tire treads and sidewalls are custom cut. The front wheels turn by pushing them, a function known in the car show world as "kick-steer." The paint and interior show their age and are not in good condition. The left rear quarter window is missing. Today, the Ghia Saguaro concept might be known as a "cross-over" model, a term that had yet to enter the auto design lexicon when this concept was created. Taking the most popular SUVs and family sedans features, it was an early foray into a segment that is still evolving today, over a decade after the Ghia Saguaro concept was built. Source: www.chicagoautoshow.com; Concept Car Central; www.christies.com Images: Ford; Concept Car Central

Colani's Ford prototype was equipped with a turbocharged 3.5-Liter Ford V8 block engine. It broke a speed record at 407 km/h (252.9 mph). Since 1989 it has seen three different paint jobs. Source: www.colani.de Images: Colani Design

Fiesta Urba was built around the idea of a city shopper vehicle. It offered everything the customer would require for a day of power shopping in town. This ultimate city car concept had two doors on the near side and one on the vehicle's far side, plus parking aids, built-in garage door openers, a refrigerator in the boot, and innovative interior storage areas. Finished in a distinctive shade of yellow, the Fiesta Urba was an attractive model. Its interior carried the yellow signature color and accented grey materials with bright colors. Source: Ford Media Site Images: Ford

Based on a Testarossa, but boasting 700bhp-plus and aerodynamic bodywork by Luigi Colani, the one-off Testa d'Oro has to be seen to be believed. Let's start by saying that it's not just an art installation – it's driveable – but not always easily. For a start, the front spoiler is so long and low that taking it anywhere on the roads requires careful planning. Hence, when Classic Driver's Rémi Dargegen went to Maranello to photograph it, he made do with static pictures. The Testa d'Oro (named for its gold cam covers) was built to set speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats by German designer Luigi Colani. Its organic, aerodynamic shape is typical of Colani's radical designs, as is the not-entirely-practical front splitter. At the same time, German tuning house Lotec was responsible for the (recently fully rebuilt) twin-turbo engine. First, put together in 1989 (but with at least two subsequent body changes), it never did fulfill Colani's dreams of setting a new World Record for the highest speed attained by a road-legal car, but it did win its class at Bonneville in 1991, with a speed of 218mph. "Made by a crazy man." Style-wise, it isn't everyone's cup of tea. But to quote Rémi Dargegen, who, as a renowned photographer, isn't easily overwhelmed by a car's visual impact: "The car has unbelievable presence. It's a real UFO, a veritable flying saucer – but a real-life one that you might actually see on the road one day. It's a concept/show car of the 1990s, made by a crazy man, so the measurements are very approximate, but the shape is unique. And very, very impressive. Every time you look at it, you discover a new detail, an angle, a curve. Colani's creations are out of this world." Source: Charis Whitcombe - www.classicdriver.com Images: Colani Design; www.ferraridatabase.com; www.speedheads.de

The Ferrari Mythos is a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive concept car based on the mechanical underpinnings of the Ferrari Testarossa. Designed by Italian design house Pininfarina and developed by automobile manufacturer Ferrari, its world premiere was at the 1989 Tokyo Motor Show. The design was implemented on the platform of the Ferrari Testarossa, which dictated the car's wedge shape and large air intake ahead of the rear wheels. The design of the Mythos later evolved into the Ferrari F40's successor, the F50. The show car is stored at the Pininfarina style center at Cambiano (Italy). The Mythos is powered by a 4.9 L Tipo F113 B Ferrari flat-12 engine sourced from the Testarossa. The engine has a power output of 390 hp (291 kW; 395 PS) at 6,300 rpm and 354 N⋅m (261 lb-ft) of torque at 4,500 rpm while having a power to weight ratio of 308 hp per tonne. Power is sent to the rear wheels through a Testarossa sourced 5-speed manual transmission. The car utilizes a helical coil suspension system with transverse arms on the front and rear. Acceleration figures of the car remain unknown, but the car has a projected top speed of around 290 km/h (180 mph). Although not intended to be sold to the public, the current Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, has commissioned two Mythos, with one being red and the other being turquoise. However, it is unclear which cars in the Sultan's collections belong to family members as clear records do not exist. Though never officially produced, the Mythos was prominently featured in the 1990 award-winning arcade racing game video game Test Drive III. Source: wikipedia Images: pininfarina spa.; www.ferraridatabase.com

Ford came back to the beach/surf theme once again with the Hydro Concept from 1993. Based on the F-150 Stepside, it did away with both the doors and the top and looked like the result of somebody watching a bit too much Baywatch. Source:https://www.drivingline.com/

A "speedsterised" Ford Ranger-based show truck presented at the Los Angeles Auto Show. This 1993 Ford Ranger Jukebox concept truck featured a 2,500 watt stereo system, flashing neon lights, and a dancing truck bed. The chopped top, windows, and wing make it a truly unique concept truck. Source: https://www.therangerstation.com/

Today, almost every pickup truck sold in the U.S. can be configured as a four-door crew cab. In some cases, a crew cab is the only version you can buy, but it wasn't long ago that crew cabs were few and far between. The 1996 Ford Adrenalin concept truck helped change that, setting today's pickups' stage. The tough-looking Adrenalin design study was one of the first concepts to foreshadow the trend of prioritizing passenger space over cargo space for the U.S. market. It featured a shortened cargo box but had plenty of room for five passengers in the four-door cab. Before the Adrenalin concept, most U.S. crew-cab pickups were available only as extra-large heavy-duty trucks. In contrast, similar small crew-cab pickups had long been popular in overseas markets before 1996. "It's really the best of two worlds," Jack Telnack, Ford's vice president of corporate design, said when the Adrenalin was released. "It's a fun-to-drive off-road sport utility vehicle that also expands on the practicality of a pickup." As revolutionary as the segment-busting Adrenalin was at the time, Telnack was used to pushing the design envelope of passenger cars and trucks at Ford, such as the 1983 Ford Thunderbird, 1986 Ford Taurus, 1994 Lincoln Mark VIII, and 1996 Ford F-150. The Adrenalin was aggressively more aerodynamic-looking than the 1996 F-150 and larger than the compact Ford Ranger. It featured a bright amber exterior with custom 32-inch Goodyear off-road tires mounted on 16-inch alloy wheels. A winch was integrated into the truck's front bumper, plus tow hooks at all four corners. The lower rocker panels and front and rear skid plates were clad in nickel plating for extra protection while playing in the dirt or on rocks. The Adrenalin showcased different colors and fabrics inspired by rock climbing and camping gear. Sturdy fabric covered the lower instrument panel, door trims, and seats. Canvas covered the sunroof, and removable day packs and bags were also part of the cabin. An innovative (at the time) GPS unit integrated into the dash could show the driver a real-time map of the crew cab's location anywhere in the world. Similar to what would later become the midgate on the Chevy Avalanche, the Adrenalin's rear window could be lowered into the back panel of the cab, which could then be folded flat (along with the rear bucket seats) to extend the cargo bed's loading area from the tailgate to behind the front seats. The tailgate had a special panel that could be folded out into a cargo bed extender when the tailgate was flat. Special storage compartments in the cargo box housed a water purification system that could be turned into a high-pressure wash to clean the truck up after a long day on the trails. After overwhelmingly positive consumer response to Adrenalin, it arrived in 2000 as the 2001 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, sharing many of the mechanicals of the Ford Explorer and completely separate from the Ford Ranger, which has remained available in the U.S. with only a regular or extended cab. The Adrenalin name was formally attached to the Sport Trac in 2003 when the Adrenalin option package was added. It included a Pioneer stereo with nine speakers, an 8-inch subwoofer, limited paint colors, side step bars, and premium alloy wheels. The "Adrenalin" name appeared on the tailgate and was stitched on the head restraints of the truck's leather seats. But all good things come to an end, even though the Adrenalin's crew cab legacy carries on. Explorer Sport Trac production ended with the 2010 model year.

A concept micro-car with a tiny fifth wheel at the rear to assist parking in tight spots. Supposedly it was an electric car. It was presented at the Tokyo Motor Show of 1989. Source: carsthatnevermadeitetc Images: Daihatsu; eye-love.jp/gg