1981 Ford Shuttler / Optim - AllCarIndex

From official press release:

The Shuttler, which was designed more recently, is another sporty execution of a two-passenger vehicle. It features a semi-fastback aerodynamic wedge silhouette. It also has flush glass and flush-mounted door releases to improve aerodynamics.

It is about four inches shorter than the Super Gnat, but has a more spacious looking passenger compartment. This is accomplished by using a pod type instrument cluster and allowing the rest of the instrument panel to slope away forming an exceptionally large package tray.

The Shuttler has an excellent coefficient of drag. It's .335 rating is equal to that of the Mercury LN7, which has the best coefficient of drag of any production car sold in the United States.

The next vehicle is the Pockar, which is a four-passenger small car. It has an overall length of 129 inches, nearly four inches shorter than the two-passenger Super Gnat. The Pockar is distinguished for its packaging, particularly the innovative side luggage storage. Large wraparound bumpers at the front and rear reflect the outlines of the side luggage compartments and provide added protection when parking in congested areas. The aerodynamic door-mounted rear view mirrors are flared into the bodywork and flanked by rectangular headlight units which incorporate wraparound front turn indicators. The windshield is cleaned by a single wiper.

The interior continues the space-saving theme with the door luggage compartments serving as armrests.

The ultimate in package efficiency is the Aerovan. It is based on an Escort platform, but as I mentioned earlier, can accommodate seven passengers. With rear seats folded down, it has as much load space as today's mid-sized station wagon.

The "fast front" silhouette provides highly efficient aerodynamic characteristics as well as good driver visibility. It also has unique vent windows that further increase the driver's field of vision.

The interior features an ergonomically designed instrument cluster with easy-to-reach controls and an unusually large package tray, which could hold light luggage in a pinch. It has a flip-up seat in the center row for access to the fold-up third seat. The spare tire is mounted in the front engine compartment to maximize rear-compartment load space.

Engine & performance:

Position: front

Type: Ford Fiesta, 4-cylinder

Capacity: 957 cc

Power: 40hp @ 5500 rpm

Torque: 64 Nm @ 2700 rpm

Top speed: 135 km/h

Dimensions:

Length: 3350 mm

Height: 1300 mm

Wheelbase: 2000 mm