Photo: Cars & Bids
If only Ford had a crystal ball when they mulled over replacing their original pony car, the Mustang, with a front-wheel-drive car based on a Mazda platform. Although you’d think they wouldn’t need any metaphorical magic device to figure out of terrible of an idea that would be.
Even still, when you take the Mustang out of the equation (trust us, it’s a tough thing to do), the Ford Probe is an automotive curiosity. But, unlike most Mustangs, the near-universal hatred the Probe received in its day means their value’s stayed relatively low. Even listing one on YouTube celebrity Doug DeMuro’s hip new auction website couldn’t net five figures.
It isn’t like this particular example doesn’t have the receipts to prove the condition it’s in. Sporting 112,100 miles (180423.5 km) on the odometer, the car was sold from an anonymous private seller in St.Louis, Missouri, with a complete service history and a carfax report confirmed accident-free.
To the Probes credit, the 2.2 liters turbocharged Mazda engine found under the hood was a nice change of pace from the emissions choked American V8 and V6 engines still floating around in many American cars in the late 80s and early 90s.
145 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque don’t sound very fantastic. Still, with the addition of a five-speed manual transmission and a relatively lightweight chassis, it was at least a true to form light sports car, although clearly not the one Americans wanted to buy at the time.
This notable oddity from a time when the American car market was trying to re-invent itself ultimately sold for $5,100 before taxes and fees. Expensive for an early-late 80s American car, but not at all more valuable than that. Being that an equivalent model year Mustang likely cost triple the price, the Probe was at least a decent bargain in this scenario.
It isn’t like this particular example doesn’t have the receipts to prove the condition it’s in. Sporting 112,100 miles (180423.5 km) on the odometer, the car was sold from an anonymous private seller in St.Louis, Missouri, with a complete service history and a carfax report confirmed accident-free.
To the Probes credit, the 2.2 liters turbocharged Mazda engine found under the hood was a nice change of pace from the emissions choked American V8 and V6 engines still floating around in many American cars in the late 80s and early 90s.
145 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque don’t sound very fantastic. Still, with the addition of a five-speed manual transmission and a relatively lightweight chassis, it was at least a true to form light sports car, although clearly not the one Americans wanted to buy at the time.
This notable oddity from a time when the American car market was trying to re-invent itself ultimately sold for $5,100 before taxes and fees. Expensive for an early-late 80s American car, but not at all more valuable than that. Being that an equivalent model year Mustang likely cost triple the price, the Probe was at least a decent bargain in this scenario.
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