Lincoln Quicksilver Ghia concept heads to auction

Next week at the Mecum Auction in Kissimmee, Fla., bidders will get a chance to take home something truly unique, a Lincoln Quicksilver concept car created by Carrozzeria Ghia in 1983. This radical concept was created at a time when Ghia was a division of the Ford Motor Company. The concept itself debuted in one place where the Lincoln brand was, ahem, somewhat underappreciated: the Geneva Auto Show. But unlike most concepts of the time, the Quicksilver is not a rolling mockup that could barely hold together. This is a real car.

Powered by a Ford 2.8-liter V6 mated to a five-speed manual transmission, the Quicksilver sits on the British AC 3000ME chassis that was stretched by 11 inches. The engine and the transmission are located just in front of the rear axle for better weight distribution, while the airy greenhouse is designed for five adult passengers. As you would expect from just looking at the exterior, the drag coefficient was exceedingly generous -- just 0.30 courtesy of the teardrop shape, tapered rear wheelarches, and small mirrors. It should be noted that Gandini's Citro

By Jay Ramey