Ford Concept Car Auction

Some were dead on-target and Ford Motor Company sold millions inspired by them. Others were dead on arrival and spent most of their lives locked up tight and alone in a dark warehouse.

They're 51 different dream machines, conceived and most often constructed by the world's second-largest automaker, as well as Ford's Ghia studios. And they're gone: Christie's International Motor Cars auctioned them off at the Ford Product Development Center in Dearborn, Michigan, in June. All proceeds--more than $3.8 million--went to the Ford Motor Co. Fund, supporting non-profit education, community development, and environmental organizations.

Why sell off these irreplaceable pieces of the company's design history? To kick off its 2003 centennial celebration and to get the cars into the hands of collectors. "The alternative of putting these in a warehouse or, God forbid, crushing them--this is better," according to J Mays, Ford's vice president of global design. "At the end of the day, we'll find them very secure homes in a car lover's collection and return these concepts quickly to the show circuit."

Auction prices were all over the map as reserves (minimum bids) weren't imposed on any of the concepts. Christie's put catalog estimates on all these extraordinary Ford cars, trucks, and something-or-others, and, in most cases, they were significantly below the winning bids. "The values were based on which cars were the more interesting and recognizable," Miles Morris, senior vice president of International Motor Cars for Christie's explains. "And though they're not being sold as road legal at all, the ones that have a motor and can actually drive or move will intrinsically have more value to car collectors, obviously. We've been getting a lot of interest from Ford dealers, of course--they can put them in their showrooms and attract the public."

Multi-marque collectors were interested in the Ford and Ghia concepts as automotive sculpture, and Morris also saw some crossover from Christie's clients who collect 20th-century art and sculpture. "Some of the Ghia cars may have extra interest from Italy, and maybe a few will head back home." That old Ford populism extends far beyond the well-heeled individuals who can afford the concepts, though; the company figures the auction will give the cars much more exposure.

"I think J put it into perspective by saying these vehicles weren't being shown and displayed," Morris says. "They were literally sitting in a dusty, old warehouse. Actually, only one or two were in a dusty one. Many were in temperature- and climate-controlled facilities that cost a lot of money each month."

Morris adds that it's important to understand Ford isn't selling everything in its design study collection. Some concepts on the original list of those to be auctioned were donated to other people and to museums. Many are one of two or more versions built. The '99 Thunderbird concept, which yielded $88,000, is one example.