Ford 021C

Ford 021C

The Ford 021C by Marc Newson combines clean, simple shapes and forms with innovative packaging ideas and clever technology. Conceived as stylish urban vehicle, the 021C is built around elements of Ford's next generation small car platform. Although shorter overall than Ford's acclaimed city car, the Ka, the 021C rides on a 2485mm wheelbase.

Compact yet roomy, the 021C has been designed to be easy to live with thanks to ingenious features such as rear hinged rear doors, swivelling front seats, a slide out luggage tray, and push button four speed automatic transmission. Constructed from carbon fibre, the exterior features clean, simple shapes and surfaces with minimal decoration. The cabin is set back slightly on the body to give the 021C a classic sedan proportion which complements carefully designed details and striking single lamp front and rear graphics.

The single headlight features an innovative white light emitting diode (LED) and fibre optic display developed by industrial lighting company Isometrix specifically for the Ford 021C. The LEDs use a phosphor coating to shift their colour from blue to white, and have twice the output of previous white LEDs. The rear lamp uses conventional red LEDs in a complex array which, like the front light, is programmable via a ROM chip. Unlike conventional bulbs, which take a fraction of a second to react to an electrical input, the LEDs respond instantaneously, giving valuable extra warning time to following traffic, particularly at motorway speeds.

Slim pillars and a large glass area give the cabin a spacious, airy feel. The roomy interior features a completely flat floor which curves gently to meet vertical surfaces such as the door trims and mirrors the way the roof integrates into the window surfaces. Thus the 021C's occupant volume is housed within the body structure like an egg in an eggcup.

The spacious feel of the interior is heightened by the pedestal mounted front seats - which also swivel through 90 degrees to facilitate entry and egress - and the unique mounting of the dash, which appears to float between the front passengers and the windscreen.

The front seats, built by prestigious Italian furniture manufacturer B+B Italia to Marc Newson's design, appear one piece, but the squab pivots inside the backrest to allow adjustment. The entire dash panel can be moved - along with the steering wheel - on its vertical axis to allow for different height drivers. The twin Ikepod instrument dials in the centre of the dash can be rotated in their sockets via a joystick control to the optimum position. The interior is finished in a startling combination of orange, silver and white and features a variety of textures and materials, including aluminium and rubber. Virtually every element, from the specially woven carpet to the analogue instruments made by the Ikepod Watch Company, has been designed by Newson.

The Ford 021C is powered by a 1.6 litre Ford Zetec-SE engine driving the front wheels through a four speed automatic transmission. Gear selection is via push buttons on the specially designed steering wheel. Front suspension is MacPherson strut, while at the rear is an innovative and compact double wishbone system which features horizontally mounted coil springs and dampers. Brakes are disc all round, and large 16 inch wheels fitted with bespoke graphite coloured Pirelli tyres give the 021C a sporty stance.

The rear suspension layout ensures minimal intrusion into load space area, and has allowed Marc Newson to develop the 021C's unusual sliding tray luggage compartment. The whole rear bumper assembly slides back to reveal a roomy luggage tray at the rear of the Ford 021C. The luggage area can also be accessed via a conventional bootlid.

Year:
2000
Engine:
1.6 litre Zetec
Power:
100 ps
Transmission:
Four speed automatic
0-60:
n/a
Top speed:
n/a


Related Links

The Ford Website
http://www.ford.co.uk