Ford Model U

Last updated
Ford model U concept 3 (2210090695).jpg
Ford Model U 01.jpg
Ford Model U 02.jpg

The Ford Model U was a concept car created by Ford. This vehicle was first introduced at the 2003 North American International Auto Show. This concept is one of a kind with its automatic features and recyclability. Ford wanted this vehicle to be a modern 21st century interpretation to the original Ford Model T.

Contents

Engine

The Model U uses a 2.3-liter, four-cylinder supercharged, intercooled hydrogen internal combustion I4 engine which also uses a hybrid electric transmission. With this type of engine and transmission, this engine lived up to PZEV standards.

Design

The Model U's exterior is soy-based and the interior is highly automated. It has a power-retractable canvas roof and can go from an SUV to a pickup truck with its automatic retractable behind. The interior features a slot system[ clarification needed ] to reduce clutter.

Related Research Articles

Ford Explorer Range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company

The Ford Explorer is a range of SUVs manufactured by Ford Motor Company since the 1991 model year. The first four-door SUV produced by Ford, the Explorer was introduced as a replacement for the two-door Bronco II. Within the current Ford light truck range, the Explorer is slotted between the Ford Edge and Ford Expedition. As with the Ford Ranger, the Explorer derives its name from a trim package previously offered on the Ford F-Series pickup trucks.

Lincoln Continental Motor vehicle

The Lincoln Continental is a series of mid-sized and full-sized luxury cars produced by Lincoln, a division of the American automaker Ford Motor Company. The model line was introduced following the construction of a personal vehicle for Edsel Ford, who commissioned a coachbuilt 1939 Lincoln-Zephyr convertible, developed as a vacation vehicle to attract potential Lincoln buyers. In what would give the model line its name, the exterior was given European "continental" styling elements, including a rear-mounted spare tire.

Dodge Charger Series of automobiles marketed by Dodge

The Dodge Charger is a model of automobile marketed by Dodge in various forms over seven generations between 1966 and today.

Ford Escape Sport utility vehicle manufactured by Ford

The Ford Escape is a compact crossover SUV sold by Ford since 2000 over four generations.

GMC Envoy American mid-size sport utility vehicle

The GMC Envoy is a mid-size SUV that was produced by General Motors from the 1998 to the 2009 model years. Adopting a nameplate used by GM Canada, the Envoy was the direct counterpart of the Chevrolet TrailBlazer SUV; two generations of the model line were sold.

Mercury Mountaineer American car model

The Mercury Mountaineer is a mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was sold by Mercury from 1996 until 2010. Sharing many of its features with the Ford Explorer, the vehicles were virtually identical in terms of hardware. Externally, they were styled somewhat differently, and the Mountaineer was positioned with a more upscale interior, with the Mountaineer's MSRP coming in at $1,000–$6,000 more than the Explorer. It was last redesigned for the 2006 model year with a new frame, looking very similar to its previous model.

Mercury Mariner Motor vehicle

The Mercury Mariner is a compact crossover SUV that was introduced in 2005. It is a sibling of the Mazda Tribute and Ford Escape, although it is more upmarket than the other two. The Mariner is Mercury's first car-based SUV, and is slotted below the Mountaineer in the lineup. When Ford eliminated the Mercury brand, the Mariner ended production in October 2010.

Ford Expedition Motor vehicle

The Ford Expedition is a full-size three-row SUV, manufactured by Ford. Introduced for the 1997 model year as the successor of the Ford Bronco, the Expedition was the first full-size Ford SUV sold with a four-door body. For its entire production life, the Ford Expedition has been derived from the corresponding generation of the Ford F-150 in production, sharing some body and mechanical components. The fourth-generation Ford Expedition began production for the 2018 model year. Similar to the configuration of the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the Ford Expedition is sold in regular and extended lengths ; sold since 2007, the latter functionally serves as the replacement for the Ford Excursion.

Ford Aerostar Motor vehicle

The Ford Aerostar is a range of vans that was manufactured by Ford from the 1986 to the 1997 model years. The first minivan produced by Ford, the model line was marketed against the Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari and the first two generations of the Chrysler minivans. Introduced shortly before the Ford Taurus, the Aerostar derived its name from its slope-nosed "one-box" exterior.

Ford Bronco American sport-utility vehicle

The Ford Bronco is a model line of sport utility vehicles manufactured and marketed by Ford. The first SUV model developed by the company, five generations of the Bronco were sold from the 1966 to 1996 model years. A sixth generation of the model line is sold from the 2021 model year. The nameplate has been used on other Ford SUVs, including the 1984-1990 Ford Bronco II compact SUV and the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport compact CUV.

Ford Explorer Sport Trac Motor vehicle

The Ford Explorer Sport Trac is a pickup truck that was manufactured and marketed by Ford Motor Company for the North American market. The first mid-sized pickup truck produced by Ford, the Sport Trac was marketed from the 2001 to the 2010 model years. Sized between the Ranger and the F-150, the Sport Trac largely competed against crew-cab variants of the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon, Dodge Dakota, Nissan Frontier, and Toyota Tacoma.

Dodge Nitro Motor vehicle

The Dodge Nitro is a compact SUV that was produced by Dodge from the 2007 to the 2012 model year to compete with the likes of the Ford Escape and Hyundai Tucson. The Nitro shared its platform with the second-generation Jeep Liberty. It was assembled at the Toledo North Assembly Plant in Toledo, Ohio. The Jeep facility is part of an automobile complex which includes the Toledo South Assembly Plant, home to Jeep since the 1940s.

Ford Edge Motor vehicle

The Ford Edge is a range of crossover SUVs manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. Introduced for the 2007 model year, the Edge is the first mid-size CUV marketed by Ford in North America; the model line is currently in its second generation. Deriving its name from a trim package of the Ford Ranger, the Ford Edge is positioned between the Ford Escape and the Ford Explorer within the Ford product line.

Lincoln MKX Motor vehicle

The Lincoln MKX is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV marketed and sold by the Lincoln brand of Ford Motor Company. As Lincoln is phasing out its use of "MK" model names, the MKX adopted the Lincoln Nautilus nameplate as part of a mid-cycle update for the 2019 model year. In production since 2007, the MKX is the first crossover SUV offered by the Lincoln brand; it is currently in its second generation. Initially the smallest Lincoln SUV, it is now slotted between the Lincoln Corsair and the Lincoln Aviator. The Lincoln counterpart of the Ford Edge CUV across both generations, the MKX has been the best-selling Lincoln model line since 2016.

Lincoln MKZ Motor vehicle

The Lincoln MKZ, is a four-door, five-passenger mid-size luxury sedan manufactured by Ford and marketed as the Zephyr and as the MKZ by Ford's Lincoln brand – across two generations in both gasoline and hybrid gas/electric models.

Ford Freestyle Motor vehicle

The Ford Freestyle is a crossover utility vehicle that was sold by Ford from 2005 to 2009. Largely marketed as the successor to the Ford Taurus station wagon, the Freestyle was the CUV counterpart of the Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego four-door sedans. Sharing the Ford D3 platform with the Five Hundred and Montego, the Freestyle was produced with both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations and six or seven-passenger seating.

Ford Thunderbird (eleventh generation) Motor vehicle

The eleventh generation of the Ford Thunderbird is a two-seat convertible manufactured and marketed by Ford between 2001 and 2005 for model years 2002 through 2005. Designed to evoke the first-generation Thunderbird that had been made from 1955 to 1957, the eleventh-generation Thunderbird came with a removable hardtop with prominent circular glazing, a power folding top, and a vinyl tonneau cover. It borrowed its mechanics heavily from the Lincoln LS, being built on the Ford DEW platform with a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout and powered by a 3.9-liter V8 engine with a five-speed automatic transmission.

Mercury S-55 Motor vehicle

The Mercury S-55 is a full-size car that was marketed by the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company during the 1960s. Developed as a performance-oriented version of the Mercury Monterey, the S-55 was the largest vehicle of the Mercury "S" (Special) range introduced in 1962; its Ford equivalent was the Ford Galaxie 500XL.

Mercury Marauder Motor vehicle

The Mercury Marauder is an automobile nameplate that was used by three distinct full-size cars produced by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from the most powerful engines available to the Mercury line, the Marauder was marketed as the highest-performance version of the full-size product range.

Mazda MX-5 (NC) Motor vehicle

The Mazda MX-5 (NC) is the third generation of the Mazda MX-5 manufactured from 2005 to 2015. At its introduction in 2005, it won the Car of the Year Japan Award and made Car and Driver's 10Best list from 2006 to 2013. The NC is the first MX-5 generation to feature a retractable hardtop variant, with its roof being able to fold and unfold in 12 seconds without sacrificing trunk space.

References