The 1989 Ford Probe Was More Than An Almost-Mustang

After the 1979 Ford Probe I concept car’s untimely demise this week, perhaps we should step back and re-examine the vehicle that took this forward-thinking nameplate into production. We all likely know the story by now: Upper management types at Ford benchmarked Japanese manufacturing to the point of obsessiveness. It was going great when they made the Taurus, but they officially jumped the shark when they nearly killed the V-8, rear-wheel-drive Ford Mustang.

But a popular uprising from employees and fans ensured the Mustang remained, and instead, the company christened the production-ready vehicle the Ford Probe. The Probe was never a pony car, but rather a sports coupe worthy of a global stage. The globalistic Probe was undoubtedly a worthy successor to the Ford EXP, itself based on Ford’s World Car from 1982-88.

The Ford EXP’s independently sprung suspension and 1970s wedge racer styling had merit at the tail end of the Malaise Era as a city car for two working professionals and their cargo. But the style rang up a tab that Ford’s crude CVH engine couldn’t pay. The EXP deserves a deeper dive article in the future, but the Ford Probe took this solid effort and turned it into a far greater success. Over two generations, the front-wheel-drive Probe capitalized on the burgeoning FWD sports coupe market while allowing the Mustang to continue as the pony car standard bearer.

Enter the 1989 Probe GT, an example of which is currently for sale on Hagerty Marketplace finished in black paint and paired with a tan interior, rather than the more common gray. It has all the stuff the Mustang wouldn’t get till years/decades later, from ABS brakes, tri-mode suspension dampers, variable assist steering, and even a trip computer on the dashboard. Aside from the lack of an in-dash CD player for maximum Radwood vibes, this Probe has everything a collector of this era would appreciate. The original owner even avoided the option of an automatic transmission, ensuring the turbocharged and intercooled engine stayed in-boost with a proper stick shift between the bucket seats.

The interior shows a vehicle that’s been meticulously cared for, even with 151,538 miles on the odometer. This Probe GT appears to be have been driven but not abused. The auction also shows a large number of spare parts will be delivered to its new owner via its spacious hatchback: replacement powertrain and brake components in new or NOS condition, an NOS power window regulator, and even a spare gauge cluster. The owner also has the factory service manuals, which is another sign of a properly loved classic.

The three-valve, turbocharged, and intercooled Mazda F2 engine appears all original aside from a K&N filter decal on the factory air box. Its condition isn’t presented as “radioactive Mop & Glo clean” like a stereotypical used car dealer, instead showing an honest life with no leaks or period incorrect modifications performed on this Probe. (I’d wager this engine bay could greatly benefit from a dry ice detail, but I have an inherent bias in that regard.)

And perhaps an honest life is one of the best ways to describe this Probe GT, and all the history that comes with it from the previous owner. There are cleaned-up stone chips in the paint, likely performed with the touch-up paint bottle included in this car’s cache of parts. The shift knob has worn leather, and the turbo boost gauge stopped working. These are telltale signs of a well-lived life, ready for a new owner and possibly a very light restoration.

A modern emerging classic with revolutionary design, steering, suspension, and braking technology, might seem complicated even when compared to its Ford contemporaries, but this particular Probe presents as well cared-for and a standout example of a fresh direction for Ford in the ’80s. As of writing, bidding for this slice of controversial FoMoCo history is $2000, with six days to go. We shall see how far the bidders will go to have an almost-Mustang coupe from Ford’s performance portfolio.