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THE ITALIAN COACHBUILDER SITE

Ford Trio

1983Coachwork by Ghia

THE VEHICLE AT A GLANCE

Model dossier

Production period
1983
Body style
Hatchback
Engine
Inline-2
Type
Concept

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE CAR

Coachbuilding, design & conversions

PRICE & SALES RECORD

Vehicle value

Original price
Not documented
Latest recorded sale
Not documented

01 / THE STORY

History & context

The Ford Trio by Ghia made its debut at the 1983 Geneva Motor Show as a striking city concept car, showcasing innovative design and engineering elements. One of its most distinctive features was its seating arrangement, which consisted of three seats positioned in an arrowhead configuration within a remarkably narrow width of only 53 inches. To achieve such a compact design, the Trio incorporated advanced materials and construction techniques. The floor was crafted from a honeycomb sandwich of glass fiber and Kevlar, providing lightweight yet robust support. Similarly, the seat frames were constructed from a combination of aluminum and glass fiber, ensuring strength and durability while keeping weight to a minimum. Powering the Ford Trio was a rear-mounted 250cc twin-cylinder two-stroke engine, delivering propulsion to the rear wheels through a continuously-variable belt transmission. This unconventional powertrain layout contributed to the Trio’s compact footprint and unique driving dynamics, offering agility and responsiveness on the road. Overall, the Ford Trio by Ghia represented a bold exploration of automotive design and engineering concepts. Its innovative seating arrangement, lightweight construction, and rear-mounted powertrain showcased Ghia’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of automotive innovation. While the Trio remained a concept vehicle and never entered production, its forward-thinking design elements undoubtedly left a lasting impression on the automotive industry.

02 / TECHNICAL IDENTITY

Specifications & construction

Production & construction

Production type
Concept

Engine & performance

Engine configuration
Inline-2

Design & manufacture

Coachbuilder / Body Builder · Documented
Ghia
Manufacturer · Documented
Ford

06 / EVENTS & AWARDS

Events & awards

Geneva General · legacy_preserved
Date
1983
Chassis
General

Preserved CI 1.0 relation. Evidence field: _al_listing_engine_location. No award inferred.

08 / FROM THE ARCHIVE

Archive

References held in the vehicle dossier. Their inclusion does not establish that every historical claim has been independently verified.

ReferenceSource type
AllCarIndex — Concept Car of the Day: 1983 Ford Trio www.allcarindex.com Independent concept history with period context
AllCarIndex — 1983 Ford Trio www.allcarindex.com Independent concept registry
CarStyling.ru — 1983 Ford Trio (Ghia) carstyling.ru Specialist design archive

10 / CONNECTED HISTORY

Timeline

Chronological history1 dated records
  1. Unassigned chassis · Event

    Geneva

THE CONVERSATION

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