What is it?
Ford Forty-Nine
What's special about it?
Lifting styling cues from the award-winning 1949-51 Ford, the Forty-Nine four-seat concept sits on the corporate DEW98 rear-drive platform (Lincoln LS, Thunderbird, Jaguar S-Type), powered by a 3.9-liter, DOHC, 32-valve V8 mated to a five-speed automatic transmission. In fact, it has "Powered by Thunderbird" badges on the front fenders and under the hood.
Designer J Mays chose to use the '49 Ford for inspiration because the car was a smash hit from the moment it was introduced in June 1948. A stunning 1.3 million orders had been placed for the car before it even arrived at dealerships. Sporting clean, crisp styling that appealed to young and old alike, the slab-sided design won the Fashion Academy Award in both 1949 and 1950, and was a popular subject of hot-rodding projects throughout the 1950s.
Forty-Nine's exterior is characterized by the same swept back, flat-paneled, high-silled look that made the original a hit. Giant, 20-inch chrome wheels (shod with BF Goodrich G-Force T/A KDW tires, sized 245/45ZR20 up front and 275/35ZR20 in back) completely fill the wells, and the FORD lettering on the front of the car is reminiscent of the '64-'66 Mustang. High-intensity discharge projector-beam headlights and sleek, wraparound LED taillights provide illumination at night.
A metal rod splits the windshield, serving as the base for the rearview mirror (which slides up and down the rod to accommodate a wide range of mirror settings) and a housing for the retractable antenna. The greenhouse is all glass, with hidden roof pillars and a smoked-glass roof panel.
Though based on the same platform and drivetrain that supports the Lincoln LS and new 2002 Thunderbird, the Forty-Nine concept's wheelbase is 4 inches longer than the LS'. Under the hood, the engine bay is trimmed in satin black metal, chrome and stainless steel surfaces, while in back dual stainless steel exhaust outlets protrude through the smooth rear fascia.
Inside the cabin, Mays and his team have created a clean look that captures the vision of the future (.meet George Jetson.) common to the '50s and early '60s. The analog tachometer and electronic speedometer are housed in a single, circular binnacle in front of the driver, like the original production car, while a secondary, centrally mounted gauge contains information about oil pressure, engine temperature and fuel level.
Chrome and aluminum nicely accent the two-tone black and caramel (called Sienna by Ford) leather interior. The tall, center console sweeps all the way through the center of the car, separating the rear buckets and hiding the driveline tunnel while simultaneously stiffening the structure. Power adjustable, front lowback buckets are hung above the floor, cantilevered off the center console, and both move fore and aft as a single unit. Front and rear ventilation systems keep occupants cool under the transparent roof. A 200-watt sound system, hidden behind a flip-down panel along with climate controls, includes a multi-disc CD changer and a "massive" subwoofer. Capping off the retro atmosphere is a metal ring on the steering wheel, which pays homage to the old "horn ring" of yore.
Why should you care?
Reportedly, Mays is said to be considering a special niche of "heritage" Ford cars, to include the likes of the new Thunderbird, the upcoming redesigned Mustang, and other modern machines with strong flavors of the past. The Forty-Nine, built on an existing platform and using production drivetrain bits, would make a compelling addition to such a lineup of vehicles. In this day and age of concepts cars becoming reality, don't bet against seeing the Forty-Nine in a dealership near you.
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