Remember When the Ford Probe Almost Replaced the Mustang?

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Күн бұрын

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Do you remember when the front-wheel-drive, Mazda-based Ford Probe almost replaced the iconic Mustang? Sounds unthinkable today right? But it nearly happened. And it stands as a fascinating case study in brand identity, changing trends, and consumer influence. Today, let’s talk about it.
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Table of Contents:
0:00 - Probe!
0:22 - Mazda and Ford!
1:01 - Oil Crisis!
2:20 - Mustang Concept!
3:14 - Pushback!
4:36 - 1st Gen Probe!
6:31 - Mustang Future?
7:15 - 2nd Gen Probe!
10:18 - New Probe?
10:46 - Probe Legacy!
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Music used in this episode:
- Selected tracks from the KZfaq music library
- Selected tracks by Kia Orion ( • Video )
- Modified photo of 1980s living room with television by Steven Miller on Flickr, Creative Commons license

Пікірлер: 129

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

What do you think of the Probe?

@rightlanehog3151 2 ай бұрын

The only time I have been in a Probe was in England. Would it be fair to evaluate a car with its steering wheel on the wrong side? 🤔

@p.informatico1320 2 ай бұрын

You should restore the paint... or even change it to my favourite mazda colour "Sparkle Green".

@kxpes 2 ай бұрын

I was owner of 2, still sad that i sold second, really good car to drive. But now i would put standalone, pc and different triggering/ignition system. It was trash.

@WanderingAroundAZ 2 ай бұрын

0:40 Missed opportunity for a pun. Could've said "...not all red wine and Rose's" (rose-ays)!

@LOSTAUTO 2 ай бұрын

I think this Probe would look good in my driveway 😉

@FlowStateNewOrleans 2 ай бұрын

In 1988, I got a 1981 Mustang with that 2.3 liter 4. It was the absolute base model when it was new. No AC (in north Florida), AM radio, etc. What an absolute dog. It made my first car, a 79 Regal V6, feel like a muscle car by comparison.

@rightlanehog3151 2 ай бұрын

Ethan, In fairness, I don't think Motor Trend Car of the Year is universally accepted as a badge of honor. 😉

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

Yeah this tracks. Vega, Citation, Mustang II were all winners!

@rightlanehog3151 2 ай бұрын

@@HelloRoad And those were the high points....

@kyliandc9276 2 ай бұрын

@@HelloRoad Renault Encore / Alliance

@DD-dj4jr 2 ай бұрын

@@HelloRoadAs well as the Renault Alliance….

@281cobracar7 2 ай бұрын

I bought a used 74 Mustang II V6 auto. Trust me, it was no car of the year. The only good thing I can say about it was girls thought it was...cute.

@ProductBasement 2 ай бұрын

Things really started going downhill when we stopped being able to buy stock purple cars. Coincidence?

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

Truth!

@damyanpopov1341 2 ай бұрын

Great video! As a Probe owner and enthusiast, I already knew majority of this information but I watched regardless. Very well put together. I've been getting compliments, questions and stares in recent times when I drive mine around town lol. You just don't see them much anymore!

@patricklinkous 2 ай бұрын

I now refer to the 90s Mercury Cougar as the Multiverse 6th gen Mustang

@palkarsai3668 2 ай бұрын

OK, the intro is like a self-therapy group intro for a die hard car enthusiast group... Genius ;)

@bamboosho0t 2 ай бұрын

In college during the late 90s, I had a '91 Mazda RX-7 and a friend had a '94 Probe GT. We would get together on the weekends and wash/detail our cars. You can't find ANY Ford Probes for sale now these days. Even it's cousin, the 2nd Gen Mazda MX-6.

@tonywellington7854 2 ай бұрын

very interesting history ~ never realized that and very nicely presented brother!

@zmoorer 2 ай бұрын

I liked the second generation a lot. First gen was lacking to me.

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

Yeah I prefer the 2nd gen design as well, though I wouldn't say no to a clean 1st gen GT if I could find one!

@alextsichlis4858 2 ай бұрын

@@HelloRoad The '89 GT bumper was the nicest for the 1st gens. 1990 had a less appealing redesign

@kevinsomarriba5780 2 ай бұрын

Hey Ethan, great video! Love hearing about automotive history in this format.

@randomquickness 2 ай бұрын

I have a mint 89 GT. They are such cool cars.

@robertngreen6 2 ай бұрын

Great video, very informative, and I just LOVE your faded purple Probe!

@jonathanjones4566 2 ай бұрын

I had a 90 Probe. Great little car.

@mexicanspec 2 ай бұрын

What is important is it was a really good driving car. Also I never heard any of the PROBE jokes at the time nor did it occur to me to make that connection between the car and probing.

@ActuallySanFrancisco 2 ай бұрын

i wonder where you lived back then. the name of this car was a constant running gag / source of mockery around literally everyone where i grew up. a shame cause it was otherwise a pretty cool looking car. but yeah the name was awful and rightfully derided.

@mexicanspec 2 ай бұрын

@@ActuallySanFrancisco Well I was an adult at the time.

@ActuallySanFrancisco 2 ай бұрын

@@mexicanspec i mean, i wouldn't say that actually would make much of a difference. it wasn't just other kids i knew who made a running gag of the car's name - it was just the same with adults, teachers, etc. it was a running joke in a lot of stand up comedy routines as well. multiple comedians had entire bits about it. i guess you somehow lived in one of the few places where people didn't care. lol

@mexicanspec 2 ай бұрын

@@ActuallySanFrancisco I was in the car business at the time and I never heard any of it. I guess I was lucky. I have only thought of the car as a good driving Mazda with pop up head lights.

@klxboy9994 2 ай бұрын

My first car was a 1989 Probe GT and it was the best car I ever owned and I would give anything for the chance to own one again

@Dwilso621 2 ай бұрын

Yasss, more Probe content!! You are the man! Making us Probe fanatics proud!

@mrjsv4935 2 ай бұрын

Nice and futuristic looking cars, both generations.

@chriswillman5829 2 ай бұрын

I think the probe seems to be underrated. It has a cool history and it’s a good looking “sporty” car. I am glad it wasn’t the mustangs replacement however.

@lizzy8787 19 күн бұрын

I bought the 89 Ford Probe. This car is responsible for my love for Mazda. It was the most incredible car. It had to be replaced in 95, with another Probe. However, it didn’t have the same personality or performance as its big brother. Automatic transmission after the 5-speed, could have been the reason. Magnificent car, still miss it. Now have a 2013 Mazda CX5, which I bought new. Still thrilled with the impeccable reliability of this phenomenal brand.❤️

@Smitup95 2 ай бұрын

Love it Ethan! Great stuff!!!

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

@CarlosGuzman-bq8fr 2 ай бұрын

I love ❤ your Probe. Love the color and design 😍 💕 buddy

@garethmccash5986 2 ай бұрын

Great car. Also the mx6 was also a hoot to drive. Pity there wasn’t nearly as much outrage when Ford stuck the iconic mustang name on an overweight electric suv.

@mackeysgarage 2 ай бұрын

I had a 94. I loved that car. It was my high school car in 96-97. I blew the clutch twice and the motor once. I also jumped it. It was a great high school car for me. Good ole days 😢

@chrisjenkins3149 2 ай бұрын

when these came out when i was a teen i really wanted one.

@SmackdownsRKO2024-xk9ew 2 ай бұрын

It lived on in the first gen 2006-2012 Ford Fusion as it was also a Mazda 626 mid sizer car that replaced the old midsized Taurus

@topofthepalm 2 ай бұрын

Great video! A probe was almost my first car....but I got my mom's camry instead lol

@markburley3418 2 ай бұрын

Yet another hello road video I would watch twice. Makes me like the Probe even more. How was that Ferrari type grill on that white probe?!

@gregorysmith3763 2 ай бұрын

Excellent automotive history lesson 🎓

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

😀😀😀

@dougstrahler7815 2 ай бұрын

I had a 89 LX with a 5-speed Loved it I kept it for 10 yrs till the transmission went out.

@callumstandish4782 2 ай бұрын

God a purple second gen gt with a stick is such a dream car

@squiggysrevenge2060 2 ай бұрын

My first car was an 89 GT I bought from my grandfather in 2000. It was never the fastest, but it handled well, and was incredibly useful as a hatchback. I moved with it 4 times. I had that car 13 years. Sold it only to buy a ring. Miss that car every day. I hold this next to my e46 as the best/funnest cars I ever owned.

@shibe32 2 ай бұрын

my dad used to have a 2nd gen probe with the 2.0L

@nutandboltguy3720 2 ай бұрын

I’ve owned 3 foxbody Mustangs but also owned a 2nd gen Probe GT. I still like the 2nd gen, not so much the 1st gen. I bought mine with a bad automatic trans as flip car. I later found out most automatic Probe GTs had problems with the same problem and the recall came too late, which was basically just adding an external trans cooler instead of the radiator incorporated cooler. The 5 speed manual would be way better. Now I have to start shopping marketplace.

@nutandboltguy3720 2 ай бұрын

Btw I only kept that Probe GT for 6 months and sold it for what I had in it.

@RetroCarsForever 2 ай бұрын

Fascinating, had no idea this was designed by a woman, very cool! I think the ultimate reason it failed was compared to the Mustang, the Probe was around the same cost, but had worse performance stats. Not to mention (as you're well aware) how much harder they were to fix.

@Antoine-kc5vw 2 ай бұрын

Haters will hate. This was and still is a cool car.

@landyachtfan79 2 ай бұрын

1:44...............AWESOME call!!!!!

@johnnyg9804 Ай бұрын

When I drove my E31 BMW 850i to work for the first time, one of my coworkers asked why I put BMW badges on my Ford Probe!😂

@carlseiler6441 2 ай бұрын

Had a 1985 four cylinder Mustang in the late 80s. Would have preferred a Probe. 😄

@arcticfox6808 2 ай бұрын

I liked it. I also liked the SVO. BUT... most hardcore Ford enthusiasts did not. The slow sales of the SVO were a tale-tale sign that the Probe was not the way. And to this day, the Mustang GT can still be purchased with a V8. With Pontiac dead, and the Camaro and Challengers about to be cancelled... there is something to be said for the dedication and clear perseverance of the Mustang due to Ford's strong leadership. I was a Pontiac Trans Am guy all through my younger days, and I drive a WRX today. But I have to say Ford's leadership is so much greater than GM's. It is a fact, and it deserves respect.

@bensabelhaus7288 2 ай бұрын

Friends used a first gen GT for group 2 (or 5 I forget) rally racing. Cheap to fix / maintain, reliable and competitive. What else do you need?

@TheDarkPhoenix23 2 ай бұрын

I had a 94 GT that I loved, until the harmonic balancer fell off........

@FDNY101202 2 ай бұрын

My mom had a first gen MX6, what a great car it was.

@subfloor2022 2 ай бұрын

89 GT, my first car 👍

@jefferysmith3930 2 ай бұрын

On the heals of the 2nd fuel crisis a low power 4 cylinder Mustang was no big deal. All cars were weak kneed back then given the available technology and the need for fuel economy. Plans were made. Then the landscape changed: fuel got cheap again by the mid 80’s. Suddenly the fun was back and a thirsty high power V8 was a good idea. If fuel prices had remained high I don’t think many would have had a problem with this car being the new Mustang. After all, Ford sold a ton of midling Mustang ll’s in the 70’s.

@arcticfox6808 2 ай бұрын

Don't forget GM's shameful Iron Duke Camaro and Firebird in '82. Ford won in the end, as Pontiac is dead and the Camaro is cancelled. With the Challenger going electric, you can still buy a V8 Mustang GT. I've never been a Ford guy, but you have to admit that Ford won the Pony car race.

@nicholasfield6127 2 ай бұрын

@@arcticfox6808Mustang is the only Pony car to be in continuous production.

@Ogd5O5LO 2 ай бұрын

I almost got a second gen probe in a trade but backed out last second. Always regretted it.

@ActuallySanFrancisco 2 ай бұрын

the probe was such a cool looking car for its time from a design standpoint… with a truly awful / embarrassing name that literally everyone i knew growing up constantly made fun of. no matter how cool it looked, no one wanted to drive something called the “probe”

@jaybee6477 2 ай бұрын

I had four ford probes, 2 Mazda mx6s and 2 Mazda 626s which are all the same car

@GregZentTrumpetMan Ай бұрын

I had s couple Probe GT’s, They were cheaper, got better mpg and more reliable than Mustangs of the day. I liked them-cheap fun.

@goose4150 Ай бұрын

Considering the 2nd gen Probe, the E89 BMW Z4 and the latest Honda NSX I think I'm not the only one wanting more women designing cars, if not just women especially today

@socksonfeet8125 2 ай бұрын

Probe still looks pretty good, wish they made them RWD, a 4 Cylinder lightweight RWD car is timeless.

@coletrickle-km7cl 2 ай бұрын

3:47--I have that issue of motorweek! Anyone else still have a copy of that motorweek? From this hot rodder perspective, The plus side of making all those 4cyl fox mustangs (atleast in the south where they didn't rust-out) is the unibody chassis didn't get beat on like the 5.0's versions were. That made 'em perfect candidates for v-8 swap. And all us fox mustang enthusiasts we should thank mazda and ford for that almost happened mazda-stang And canceling of the whole deal because that just means they made 3 more years of fox mustangs. And that many more still around to this day. And ther might be a few more 2nd gen probes around if they made it RWD instead of FWD. and the 1st Gen looks the way it does because the styling team started working on the styling way too late in the development of the car. The only cool part of the 1st Gen probe is the Instrument cluster tilts with the steering column like a porsche 928's does.

@geoffreyreuther5260 2 ай бұрын

Oh, come now, Ethan, the SN95 wasn't the worst Mustang. That honor belongs to the Mustang II. But seriously, back in high school, kids who drove 4-cylinder Fox bodies were considered the original "try hards". Would have been less embarrassing for them to show up in an old crusty Chrysler K-wagon.

@nielstielemans152 2 ай бұрын

It was and is so incredibly underrated. It drives so nice and the turbo models feel like you’re in a really fast car (even though by modern standards they are not). I still can’t believe that people keep buying rusty mx5 project cars when a v6 or turbo Probe is half the money (if you know where to look)…. Oh well, might just be me

@nolarobert 2 ай бұрын

I love the Mustang but I thought the design was getting tired in the late 80s. I read about Ford's plans to bring out a front-wheel drive, non-V8 replacement. I didn't think that was the direction Ford should go with the Mustang. It just needed a redesign to modernize it. I thought the look of the Probe was right for the times. The design was fresh and appealing. The name was a bit weird and the late-night comedians had a good time making fun of it. The one that I would have bought (if I had the means) would have been the 2nd generation Probe. It was an improvement over the 1st gen with the smooth lines and sleek look. The GT made good power for the era and the 5-speed would have been engaging to drive. Despite the awkward name, the Probe is my favorite car from the 90s.

@Justin-Hill-1987 2 ай бұрын

I think "Probe" is such a strange name for a consumer-grade car. I can think of so many better names. I think Ford should've went all in on the astrological sign names in the 1980s after the success of the Ford Taurus and after importing the Ford Scorpio from Europe as the Merkur Scorpio. I think the Ford Sagittarius, Ford Pisces, Ford Aquarius, Ford Orion, Ford Capricorn, Ford Libra, Ford Leo or Ford Virgo would've been likely candidates. Or, if they wanted to continue using horse names, like with the Ford Mustang, Ford Bronco and the ill-fated Ford Pinto, maybe they should've went with Ford Colt or Ford Stallion...

@p.informatico1320 2 ай бұрын

Curiously, the Probe never had the 4WS option, as the MX6 had...

@REPOMAN24722 2 ай бұрын

Probe didn't have anything on the 240sx, while not having a CA18DE the 240 was RWD and the KA24 was durable and mod friendly.

@GregZentTrumpetMan Ай бұрын

Probes were cheaper than their competitors

@REPOMAN24722 Ай бұрын

@@GregZentTrumpetMan other than that a bland car

@variousengineering1965 2 ай бұрын

Oo a purple one

@s_for_short2400 2 ай бұрын

I always liked the 1st gen probe more than the foxbody

@Karmy. 2 ай бұрын

I still think the 8th gen Cougar should've just been a 3rd gen Probe

@bdanger0078 2 ай бұрын

It was a good car that got caught in the wash of several bad decisions at Ford. Tying it to the Mustang in particular was a horrible idea. By itself, it compared better to some of the other hot hatches of the era like the Integra, or Celica. I think the 2nd gen body was more attractive then either of those IMO. Take away the stigma of the name and it probably would sold a lot better.

@MrRazortimes 2 ай бұрын

They should have named the probe capri in Europe

@C.Fecteau-AU-MJ13 2 ай бұрын

I've always liked the Ferrari 456.

@MyerShift7 2 ай бұрын

Chrysler was ready and had to with the G-bodies

@1985zebulon 2 ай бұрын

Imagine if they'd put the Kawasaki V6 from the SHO in there.

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

Yamaha! Yeah that would've been sweet!!!

@GregZentTrumpetMan Ай бұрын

It didn’t need it. The first gen GT was underrated in HP…car mags said it made around 190. When the turbo spun up it could throw you back. But the second generation was a better all around cat even tho it was slower (I had both)

@alextsichlis4858 2 ай бұрын

If this was sold under a different name, e.g. the ford capri, which was sold in europe until late 70s/early 80s it would have done better. Stacking an I4 or V6 FWD against a traditional recipe of a V8 RWD Mustang was doomed to fail. With that said look at the Mustang Mach-E today. Its anything but a "Mustang". The Probe was a decent car in its own right. Had it been targeted against the Celicas, Preludes, Eclipses, etc. from the get go, it wouldnt left such a bad taste in people's mouths. People would crap on it for wearing a ford badge in the 2000s and turning wrong wheels, ignoring the fact that the engines were quite decent, save for the distributor/ignition issues.. To whoever still has a probe project out there: good luck and whoever can bring one back to stock form will certainly have a future classic

@fartdonkey8290 2 ай бұрын

My proctologist drives a brown Probe

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

🤔

@The_R-n-I_Guy 2 ай бұрын

I only like the 94 Mustang because the Mustang die-hard fans hate the horizontal tail lights The Probe is okay. But I would rather have a Mazda 626

@Rouxenator 2 ай бұрын

What matters is Ford is finally fixing their mistake with the Mustang Mach E. The SN95 should never have happened. It should have been Foxbody -> Probe -> end of story.

@almightymachine9930 2 ай бұрын

Probe this...

@therealandrewwilliam 2 ай бұрын

So based on inflation, gas prices seem to be at the same level during the oil crisis nationally. Does that feel odd to think about? Does my math track or am I wrong?

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

Interesting, I haven't looked at it! Though I think we need to consider wages as well, not just the price of gas

@therealandrewwilliam 2 ай бұрын

@@HelloRoad you’re right on that. I’d be willing to falsify the info if it brings back cars like this!!

@shofan70 2 ай бұрын

Where was that same outrage when Ford put the mustang name on 4 door electric SUV?

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

Oh there was a lot of outrage! 😆

@bc5441 2 ай бұрын

Mustang Classic, like Coke Classic! What could go wrong? I’m not much of a Ford guy, but the Fox body Mustangs seemed ugly.

@MetalTiger88 2 ай бұрын

the ford probe still looks good, never liked the 3.gen and 4.gen mustangs. they look like a ford mondeo...😅

@nicholasfield6127 2 ай бұрын

So, what you're saying is we didn't bully Ford enough about the Mustang Mach-E? 🤣

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

😆😬

@MorkEmperor 2 ай бұрын

Sn95 >>> every probe 😂

@HelloRoad 2 ай бұрын

🫠

@dennisthomas4766 2 ай бұрын

My brother had a 96 probe Gt, the only thing good about it was the 2.5 v6 engine and it would hug the road, the bad thing about them was their Distributors were junk in most of the Mazda brands at that time and their Automatic Transmissions were junk as the cd4e had problems and Ford was stupid enough to put them junk Transmissions in the Ford Escapes!!!!

@callforarchives 2 ай бұрын

Id like to see sketch monkey design what the mustang would look like if they had went this route. Obviously the probe would have replaced it through the 90s, and the early 00s cougar would have been identical/very similar, after that its hard to say!