Ford's Start car

 
Ford’s Start concept, unveiled at the Beijing auto show, is imagined as a car for the “megacities” of the future, with a three cylinder version of the turbocharged engine Ford calls Ecoboast.

 

Presenting it,  J Mays, Ford’s group vice president for design and chief creative officer,  appeared to take a swipe at concepts for the future such as GM’s EN-V two wheel , two seat Segway.  “We didn’t set out to design some sort of utilitarian appliance to save the world,“ he said.  “What we did set out to do was design a personality driven car that exudes warmth, charm and aspiration.”

 

The Start name plays off on Smart car and like Daimler’s small car, Ford’s has a frame with interchangeable panels.   Design was directed by Freeman Thomas, who did the Volkswagen New Beetle and Audi TT. 

 

FRONT:

 

The nostril like grille opening echoes Ford’s current signature trapezoidal or as Freeman Thomas calls it “mushroom” grille.    Slit like headlights and taillights are lasercut LEDs, the coming fashionable green tech.  Front and rear are similar, keeping it simple. . 

 

SIDE:

 

The teardrop inspired roofline, for aero, is echoed underneath with underbody pane.  A drag smoothing roof fin carries the high stoplight.   The silhouette appears to merge the arched roof of Mr. Thomas’s Volkswagen New Beetle with the caplike roof of the Mini, for a double dose of small car charm.  Character lines keep the sides from looking blobby and lend it highlights.