I’ve never really thought about the Ford Probe in Europe, but it makes some sense that they would export it there from the US, given that the lone run of the Capri/Capri II had ended in 1986, and Ford Europe had no sporty coupe. In retrospect, that seems a bit surprising; after all, the Capri had practically owned that market for almost twenty years.
Here’s a Probe that Corey Behrens found in the Netherlands. But I can’t find any good info as to just what years it was sold over there. One source says that didn’t start until 1994. Really? Why such a long wait. 1994 was already well into the gen2’s run. Hmm. And this Probe is very much a gen1 version.
Anyone got the straight scoop?
As to the Probe’s intended role in replacing the Mustang in the US, that’s an oft told story we won’t bother with again now, but William Stopford did a fine job of it here.
In any case, the Probe apparently was not a rousing success in Europe, selling some 15k units over three years. I suspect European Ford buyers were not quite as willing to buy a Mazda disguised by Ford as were Americans, who couldn’t buy then fast enough, at least in its first year (1988).
I can’t weigh in on the actual answer, but this is timely, as I just watched an old episode of “French Fields” from around 1989 (set in France) with a Ford Probe parked in the background. I asked myself the same question posed in this post – how many Gen 1 Ford Probes were sold in Europe?
I’ll be curious to know.
Good lord! French Fields, successor to Fresh Fields, haven’t thought of that in years!
My memory is that of an amiable and relaxing comedy, nowhere near the ranks of the Brits at their unassailable best, but also not pretending to be other than it was. The expression “It’s only Sonia” is (a bit embarrassingly) an entrenched saying in our family, especially when ringing, and meaning “Don’t panic, it’s only your brother/sister/son”, ie: not some long-talker who you can’t tell to bugger off when tired! I reckon all relatives except me have forgotten where the damn expression even started.
Typically, I do remember that they owned a Rover 3500 in the UK, and one the later Honda-based Rover jobbies in France. Hmm, or did he end with a French car in France?
Right! When I watched “Fresh Fields” reruns for the first time, maybe 20 years ago, I was like, “Meh.” It used to be shown as a series of “Brit-Coms” on Saturday nights on public television here in the U.S., after “Are You Being Served?” and “Keeping Up Appearances”.
Rewatching both “Fresh Fields” and “French Fields” in present day, I think they’re just short of brilliant. It was a modern, English take on “I Love Lucy”, with Hester and her zany schemes and an otherwise chilled-out William just trying to live life. Sonia was endearing.
They drank a lot of alcohol on that show. Like, in ever other scene, someone is pouring a glass of something, like for any occasion. I hadn’t noticed that before when watching.
I’m glad you brought up the cars! The first car I remember the Fieldses having was an early Ford Sierra, even before the Rover. I think their car in France was a Peugeot 405 (?). Definitely a Peugeot of that era.
The photo might have been taken in the Netherlands, but its immatriculation is from Hungary.
Some ex eastern bloc countries are quite fond of US imports so it might be a Gen 1, bought in the USA and imported in Hungary
I think too it’s a grey import, no side blinker and aftermarket white markers in front…
Its my car. It was a grey import, back in the 90’s. I have the car since 2018, and the previous owner had it since 90-91 i think. He worked for the hungarian goverment, and one day when he gathered enough money, he took advantage of the connections he had, and imported a Probe from the States. It was a dealer car in Michigan, the dealer put on the chrome arches and sides. So its an american model. I changed the tail lights so fits the european standards (red blinker-orange blinker). A story told by the previous owner – he wanted to pack something heavy in the trunk, and he dropped it above the trunk. After all, the car wont start. He cannot figure out what was the problem, neither all the mechanics from his neighborhood. He hired a mechanic from Germany, to solve the problem. Turns out, the fuel pump relay went off, the car detected the drop of the heavy weight, thought it was an accident, and shut the fuel pump of.
I’m assuming the Probe Mk1 was LHD only. When the Probe was launched in Europe in ’94 it was launched as a new model-name,Ford never said it was the MK2 – most of us didn’t know the Mk1 existed.
The Mk.1 was certainly never sold in the UK. The Probe wasn’t around long before it was replaced by the Mondeo based Cougar. I have a feeling there may have been a gap between the Probe being discontinued and the Cougar appearing.
I’m pretty sure that the European Probe was “introduced” at the 1993 Geneva Motor Show — not 100% positive, but I tend to agree that the Gen. 1 Probes weren’t exported to Europe.
But when Ford did begin exporting Probes, they did make a RHD version, and sold them not just in the UK but also (in very small numbers) in Japan. Maybe T87 will find an example of one of those lurking in a Tokyo alley?
The RHD Gen 2 Probe was sold new in New Zealand too. The first ones had optional colour-flip paint which proved difficult/impossible to match when touching up. The local car groomer here where I live has an immaculate Gen 2 with ‘PROBE1’ on the registration plate.
Definitely the grey import: the external rear-view mirror housings are fixed and do not yield when pushed. See the photo below of European-bound Probe’s mirror housings.
According to the German-language Wikipedia, Ford Europe began selling Probe in December 1990 for 1991 model year. That coincided with the mid-cycle facelift that incorporates the fog lamps with front parking lamps. Weirdly enough, the motorised shoulder seat belts were left intact for European-bound Probe…
The second generation Probe was designed and engineered for Europe, including right-hand-drive. It was offically sold in Europe from 1993 to 1997 before being replaced by third-generation Probe, rebadged as Ford Cougar, in 1998.
Interesting about the 1st generation Probe being sold in Europe — I had no idea! I went looking for information after reading this, and found a few German ads from 1991-92. This ad below (from 1991) shows a 1st gen. Probe, but it has the mirrors of the red featured car here:
Showing the US versions of North American vehicles in European publications or sales brochures is very common for many years. They didn’t always have big budgets to redo the photo shoots to show the ECE versions for the tiny sales volumes. Sometimes, the lead-time for advertisments is weeks or months in advance. The US version is probably the “placeholder” until the photo shoots of ECE version are completed.
That has become a moot point with Photoshop app and skillful retouching nowadays.
It is same with ECE versions of European vehicles in American sales brochures with “European Model Shown” or “Some features might not be available in the United States. Please see your dealer for further information.”
The official brochure (below) has different mirror housings.
Yup, the mirror was an immediate giveaway. Also, the red car has side marker lights and reflectors (allowed outside North America but not required and usually not present), and it has had white front position/”parking” lights crudely attached to the turn signals (US-style amber front position lamps are allowed in some other countries, but not many).
FWIW, eBay-UK has Probe sales brochures beginning 1994, and then this “I’m Interested” brochure and reply card, dated sometime in 1993 re the “Spring 1994” launch. And Autocar magazine, Feb. 1994, announces the car “here at last” for UK.
Auto Express trailed the Probe’s arrival (as the “New Capri) seemingly for years.
IIRC they showed sketches of the Gen 1 so perhaps believed that was going to be officially imported.
This, along with national mourning (or at least Essex mourning) for the end of the Capri might explain the “at last” part.
1994 looks the likely date in the UK. Article here recounts its fate.
Would hardly call it a cult classic. Haven’t seen one in a decade.
httpss://www.carandclassic.co.uk/magazine/the-ford-probe-cult-classic-not-best-seller/
The 2nd generation Ford Probe made enough of an impact on the European market for the German 1:87 scale model company Busch to produce them. I’ve got a silver one in my collection. Photos of Busch Probes at link.
http://www.fordprobe24v.com/index.php?page=dad_gen/maquetes&lang=en
15,000 sold in 3 years, 350 still registered.
A friend in England picked up a UK version of a probe, RHD. It was a few years old, and he picked it up for a couple of hundred Quid because the rear hatch glass was shattered. He said the glass was only available in Europe or UK as part of the entire hatch assembly, glass not available alone, so he asked me to check availability in the USA.
I checked with glass suppliers here in the USA, and found the same situation. My cost wholesale was almost $2,000, plus shipping to the UK. Nothing available in junkyards, here or in the UK. Seems the first part to disappear off a junked Probe was the hatch. Last I heard he had traded it to another repair shop owner for a different car. I never did hear if they found a rear glass for that Probe.
I can’t recall ever seeing one in Amsterdam when I lived there ’94-’96. The big US models at the time were the Chrysler minivans and the Jeep XJ Cherokee, both of which were assembled by Steyer in Graz, I believe. They may have also assembled Grand Cherokees. All the Fords I saw were European models.
Chrysler had a big dealership on Overtoom, one of the major streets in Amsterdam Oud (Old) West. The US imports I remember best were the final gen LeBaron sedan, rebadged as a Saratoga, and the new LX cars.
How many 94 ford probes was there sold new in new Zealand less then 40 left registered now mine is American assembled new Zealand new but can’t find the sales numbers anywhere