1978 Ford Fiesta Tuareg Concept Car
The Fiesta Tuareg was a joint design exercise between Ghia in Turin and the Ford Design Centre in Dearborn led by Eugene Bordinat Jnr, Vice President for design in North America. Built in 1978, the idea behind the concept was to create 'a practical, off-road, desert Fiesta' on a unmodified Fiesta floorpan. The Tuareg featured an extended roof line at the rear, creating a compact three-door estate car with more load carrying space than it's fiesta base. The Tuareg measured 147 inches in length with a width of 65.4 inches and height of 59 inches, In comparison to the standard bodyshell the Tuareg was 6.7 inches longer, 3.7 inches wider and 7.3 inches higher.
The Tuareg takes its name from a nomadic Saharan tribe, often known as the 'blue people' for their indigo dyed clothes which often stain their skin.
The car came equipped with a 1.1 litre OHV engine with a four-speed manual transmission. Externally louvers in the hood increase engine ventilation and cooling. The exterior was given a tough look thanks to the addition of black tubular steel bumpers, a heavy-duty roof rack, roof-mounted halogen spotlights and Wire mesh headlights and parking lamp protectors. An enlarged aerodynamic front splitter is extended on the sides to meet wide arches and sideskirts under the front doors.
The Fiesta Tuareg had lifted and stiffened suspension and a wider track compared with a production Fiesta. The Tuareg was prepared for all-terrain performance by the addition of Goodyear Terra 26" off-road knobbly tires mounted on 7J steel rims and improved ground clearance. The car was finished in a desert-beige colour scheme with contrasting orange and brown stripes with black moldings. Inside the Tuareg, a fold-down rear seat provides extra cargo-carrying capacity.
The Tuareg's split tailgate allowed room for extra long loads and the interior was upholstered in hard-wearing tweed fabric for the seats and headlining. The same fabric and contrasting vinyl are used for door trim with the The floor and boot spaces being protected by a thick brown cord matting.
Ford Fiesta Tuareg Image Gallery
