In September of 1955, Ford released photos of a futuristic body design for a car that would be propelled by a gas turbine powerplant.
On display during the 1956 Chicago extravagaza, the prototype show car had no engine, although provisions were made to fit one under the rear deck.
Cargo and spare tire were housed under the front hood.A large bubble of glass served as roof, windows and windshield.
Hinged at the back the canopy could be opened up 70-degrees.
Front seats would swivel outward and passengers could easily enter and exit through half-doors.
The scoop at the top of the windshield supplied fresh air into the 4-passenger cockpit. A radiotelphone was housed in a console between the two rear bucket-type seats, and the aircraft-type steering wheel was a “throw-over,” meaning that the car could be driven from either front seat.
Other modern features were pushbutton ignition switch, padded dash and a television set behind the front seat.
The 1955 Ford Mystere was a rear engine concept, the entire glass dome lifted up.
Air flowed into the periscope-type scoop.
The front bumper pods are air cooler reservoirs.
The steering was a control stick and could be swung from one seat to the other, for “dual operation”.
