Concept Car Of The Day: 1955 Ford Mystere - AllCarIndex
Support our project
Help us to keep our content free by donating.
Your contribution helps cover technical costs and continue our research.
Help us to keep our content free by donating.
Your contribution helps cover technical costs and continue our research.
In the summer of 1954, Bill Boyer of the Advanced Styling Studio created the futuristic "Mystere" show car for Ford. This space-age dreamboat was a full-size car with an operating canopy, fully trimmed interior, and made of static fiberglass. Originally intended for the 1955 January Detroit Auto Show, the Mystere ended up influencing the design of Ford's 1957 Fairlane 500, with details like the 'swash' bodyside molding and fin development on the quarter panel and taillights. However, the Mystere didn't debut until 1956 or 1957, as an idea car before the release of the 1957 Ford models.
Around the same time, in September of 1955, Ford also released photos of a futuristic car design powered by a gas turbine engine. This prototype show car, showcased at the 1956 Chicago Extravaganza, featured innovative design elements like a large glass bubble roof serving as windows and windshield, a hinged canopy, swiveling front seats, and half-doors for easy passenger entry and exit. Modern features included a radiotelphone, pushbutton ignition switch, padded dash, and even a television set behind the front seats.
The Ford Mystere concept car, created by Boyer in 1954, was ahead of its time and set the stage for the futuristic designs that would become iconic of the late 1950s. From its influence on the Ford 1957 Fairlane 500 to its own groundbreaking design elements, the Mystere remains a notable piece of automotive history.
