This is an installment in a series of posts looking back on show cars that we feel deserved a little more attention than they got. If you have a suggestion for a Forgotten Concept topic, please shoot us a line or leave a comment below.
Ford Mustang RSX
First Shown: 1981 Chicago Auto Show
Description: Two-seat Mustang designed by Ghia
Sales Pitch: Appeals to American and European enthusiasts
Details:
First shown at the 1981 Chicago Auto Show, the Ford Mustang RSX was a 2-seat concept car based on the production Mustang that debuted for the 1979 model year. Designed by Italian design house Ghia—then owned by Ford—the RSX was created to give the Mustang a more European appeal. Built on the same “Fox Body” unibody architecture as the production car, the Mustang RSX rode on a 6-inch shorter wheelbase and featured large “all-glass” doors. In reality, the doors were not made entirely of glass, but instead featured a black plexiglass finish which appeared to be deeply tinted glass to the casual observer. The RSX’s powertrain was borrowed from the production Mustang, and featured a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a 4-speed manual transmission powering the rear wheels. Never intended for production by Ford, the RSX disappeared after making the auto-show rounds, and its location today is a mystery.
Forgotten Concept: Cadillac Steinmetz Catera
CG Says:
In researching the RSX concept, I took note of several articles blasting it as ugly and even hideous. What gives? Though the RSX appears to have played little role in shaping the design of future Mustangs, it’s a good-looking, feisty little machine, and definitely pulls off the Euro-look thing. Since this concept wasn’t a runner, I don’t know why Ford didn’t just claim it came with a 5-speed manual. Nothing said “cheap American” back in the late Seventies like a 4-speed manual.
Forgotten Concept: Pontiac Rageous
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Ford Mustang RSX Concept Gallery
(Click below for enlarged images)
