2004 Ford Focus Vignale

NEW FORD FOCUS VIGNALE CONCEPT REVEALS DUAL PERSONALITY

“Great car design touches the emotions and creates desire. Having joined the Ford team in the weeks leading up to Paris, top of my priority list is an even more emotional design language to transform the Blue Oval's future vehicles, carrying on the work that has been done on cars like the new Focus. So I am pleased that, as we reveal the new Focus range in Paris, we also have a surprise – a desirable coupé concept inspired by the new Focus. It is a sporty coupé with a difference though – it can also become a stylish convertible.” Martin Smith, Executive Director of Design, Ford of Europe

PARIS, September 23, 2004 – A surprise star headlines Ford’s La Collection Focus at the 2004 Paris Motor Show: a concept car inspired by the new Ford Focus.

“The Ford Focus Vignale Concept is an elegant, stylish design model with a dual personality, design flair and contemporary details that hint at classic Italian sports cars,” says its chief designer, Ehab Kaoud.

Sitting alongside the all-new Focus production range as it makes its debut in Paris, the Focus Vignale Concept is a one-off design study that explores the potential for future Focus derivatives.

“We believe the dynamic design of the new Ford Focus offers tremendous promise from which we can develop additional models that truly inspire desire in our customers,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s European Vice President for Product Development. “The Ford Focus Vignale Concept clearly demonstrates the intriguing possibilities to expand the all-new Focus family into specific niches.”

The Italian Connection

The Focus Vignale Concept takes its inspiration and name from the renowned Italian designer, Alfredo Vignale (1913 – 1969), who has an historical connection with Ford’s European design heritage.

His Carrozzeria Vignale company produced many stylish, coachbuilt sports cars during the 1950's and 1960's and joined Ford Motor Company’s De Tomaso Automobili in 1969.

Metamorphosis of Mood and Function

“Imagine. You get up early in the cool of a summer morning for a spirited drive in your coup é around those empty mountain roads . Then you head down to the coast for lunch, where the sun is hotter and the promenading crowds soak up the atmosphere watching people go by in their convertibles. That is exactly the kind of day this car is made for!” Chris Bird, Director of Design, Ford of Europe

The Focus Vignale Concept is actually two cars in one – ideal for changing moods and environments.

Regardless of the weather, the Focus Vignale Concept conveys a strong emotional appeal that Ford designers believe will inspire longing and a touch of envy. As a stylish and sporty coupé that is just as appealing in autumn and winter months, the car brings elegance combined with rational attributes of luxury, comfort and safety.

Its profile is dynamic and distinctive, and promises the rewarding driving experience that comes as standard in all Ford cars.

Yet at the push of a button, the coupé transforms effortlessly into an open-top convertible. Its bootlid silently tilts open and its retractable hardtop folds backward to stow cleanly in the boot, morphing the vehicle to inspire carefree emotions of open-top, wind-in-the-hair motoring.

As the car assumes its open-top role, the quality of craftsmanship and premium materials is clearly evident, highlighted by well-executed design touches inspired by the heyday of the Italian sports car.

Just one of these design facets in the Focus Vignale Concept’s sweeping profile is the door handle. A modern execution of designs found in Alfredo Vignale's spyders from the Sixties, it is elegantly sculpted in a lozenge shape of polished aluminium. Yet, unlike the Sixties original, a simple, intuitive finger push now activates the doorcatch electronically, allowing the door to be pulled open with style and attitude.

“The surfacing is fluid and appealing, punctuated by neat details,” said chief designer Kaoud. “Your fingers want to caress its surfaces.”

Striking lines and bold body sections clearly build on the design language of the Focus production models. This foundation provided the concept design team with an opportunity unprecedented in the C-segment to create a stunningly attractive coupé derivative without making awkward design concessions to the practical packaging difficulties inherent in a folding-top cabriolet.

“Some are ready to accept compromises in cars of this kind, but we weren’t,” Kaoud added. “Our approach was that this car should be beautiful as a sporty coupé first, because here in many areas of Europe customers drive these cars with the top up more than with the top down. Having a great-to-drive coupé which can then transform into a stylish convertible gives the Focus Vignale Concept its unique dual personality.”

The result of the Ford design team’s work is a derivative model with a high degree of design coherence. Only cut lines visible at the base of the cleanly and fluidly shaped C-pillar betray the fact that the Focus Vignale Concept has a retractable top.

Premium Appeal

Finished in a subtly soft and light exterior colour, Amalfi, which evokes seaside freshness, the Focus Vignale Concept visually communicates sophistication and luxury.

The exterior is highlighted by the use of bright polished aluminium which evokes the chrome of past grand touring cars from Italy. A narrow, polished aluminium strip stretches horizontally along the length of the vehicle at its sills, emphasising the confidence of the vehicle’s stance, and it is mirrored by another horizontal strip at the lower edge of the side window graphic.

The Focus Vignale Concept’s glass panels are uniquely coloured in Acqua, a blue-green tint that adds an air of exclusivity to its personality and elegantly subdues hues inside the vehicle when it is in coupé mode. When the car transforms into a convertible, the resulting contrast when the sun streams onto the interior accentuates the concept vehicle’s dual personality.

A new look grille, finished distinctively in chrome, also evokes a feeling that the Focus Vignale Concept could be from an expensive premium brand. Its horizontal bars clearly differentiate the concept vehicle from the new Focus range, hinting at a possible future design direction.

Lower aluminium touches continue at the front and rear of the vehicle, giving visual emphasis to front air ducts and rear exhaust outlets and adding a bold strip along the edge of the bootlid between the tail lamps.

Deep, passionately sculpted 20-inch wheels with wide, sweeping spokes provide an eye-pleasing combination of polished aluminium outer surfaces with machined aluminium on visible inner surfaces.

Emphasis on Luxury

Inside the Ford Focus Vignale Concept, the emphasis is on luxury and the same attention to craftsmanship found in the production Focus models.

"Leather and suede surfaces in Amalfi Light bring an airy feel that complements the spacious interior, which itself offers more generous rear-seat room than many C-segment cabrios on the market today", said Interior Chief Designer, Narendra Karadia.

Subtle Acqua accents are also featured in the interior. Reminiscent of Italian sports cars’ seat stitching, the contrast of underlying Acqua filetto treatments of Amalfi Light leather seat surfaces are a modern interpretation that conveys luxury and attention to detail. The seat inserts feature horizontal ribbing, another retro feature made more delicate and sophisticated in its contemporary execution.

The upper instrument panel is finished in Black Abalone-coloured leather, while the lower is Amalfi Light suede. Metallic accents on the door panels and steering wheel spokes are another link to the exterior design.

“The Focus Vignale Concept interior benefits from fluid, coherent design, the use of premium materials and the higher level of craftsmanship found across the new Focus range,” said Karadia. “It’s a design execution that we hope will resonate with Paris visitors to generate a unique, inspirational appeal.”

Digital Design

Ford of Europe’s Design Group created a special team at its Dunton, England, design studio to create the Ford Focus Vignale Concept. The team took advantage of powerful computer resources to design the concept vehicle entirely within the digital environment, and in record time.

“Its four-season character was created in record time to demonstrate the potential we have in the new Ford Focus range to design future niche derivatives,” said Chris Bird, Director of Design for Ford of Europe. "We are looking forward to hearing the reaction to the car – we believe the Ford Focus Vignale Concept builds on all the strengths of the mainstream Focus, but has extra appeal in an emotive and visceral way. This, we believe, will be an especially appealing trait of future Fords.”

SOURCE: Ford