Just the Facts:
CHICAGO — A rare "presentation" model of the 1961 Ford Gyron fetched $40,000 at a December auction, commanding nearly four times its estimate.
The buyer was not identified. The model was estimated to fetch $10,000-$15,000 and belonged to Joe Oros, the chief designer of the original Ford Mustang.
The futuristic concept car debuted at the 1961 New York Auto Show and featured two wheels mounted along the car's centerline and a gyroscope for stability. Wright auction house noted in a statement that the full-size Gyron was destroyed in a fire at the Ford Rotunda in 1962 in Dearborn, Michigan.
The car was never produced because the cost of the gyroscope was "prohibitive," according to Wright.
The Gyron predicted the advent of satellite navigation systems, car phones and automated highways. It also featured foot pedals for the driver and passenger to share in the operation of the vehicle.
The Gyron concept was conceived by designer Alex Tremulis, the man who also crafted the Tucker, a rear-engine sedan with a Cyclops Eye — a third headlight — that has become the stuff of automotive folklore.
Edmunds says: It may have only been a scale model, but the Ford Gyron at auction is a significant piece of American automotive history.
- A rare "presentation" model of the 1961 Ford Gyron fetched $40,000 at a December auction, commanding nearly four times its estimate.
- The futuristic concept car debuted at the 1961 New York Auto Show and featured two wheels mounted along the car's centerline and a gyroscope for stability.
- The car was never produced because the cost of the gyroscope was "prohibitive," according to Wright auction house.
CHICAGO — A rare "presentation" model of the 1961 Ford Gyron fetched $40,000 at a December auction, commanding nearly four times its estimate.
The buyer was not identified. The model was estimated to fetch $10,000-$15,000 and belonged to Joe Oros, the chief designer of the original Ford Mustang.
The futuristic concept car debuted at the 1961 New York Auto Show and featured two wheels mounted along the car's centerline and a gyroscope for stability. Wright auction house noted in a statement that the full-size Gyron was destroyed in a fire at the Ford Rotunda in 1962 in Dearborn, Michigan.
The car was never produced because the cost of the gyroscope was "prohibitive," according to Wright.
The Gyron predicted the advent of satellite navigation systems, car phones and automated highways. It also featured foot pedals for the driver and passenger to share in the operation of the vehicle.
The Gyron concept was conceived by designer Alex Tremulis, the man who also crafted the Tucker, a rear-engine sedan with a Cyclops Eye — a third headlight — that has become the stuff of automotive folklore.
Edmunds says: It may have only been a scale model, but the Ford Gyron at auction is a significant piece of American automotive history.
