Ford Airstream concept (2007) CAR review

Airstream. Isn’t that an American caravan?

Indeed it is. The sort that even people who hate caravans have to admit looks quite cool. Ford decided they represented the ultimate American journey so it designed a car version and this is it. In the metal – or rather fibreglass as this is a concept car – it’s stunning. That silver paintwork shimmers in the sun and it’s impressive up close purely for its sheer size (its dimensions are roughly the same as a Range Rover Sport). You certainly wouldn’t lose it in the car park at Sainsbury’s on a Saturday afternoon. And if you drove it down the local high street people would probably start sending camera phone pictures to the tabloids as proof that aliens had landed.

So apart from those outlandish looks what’s the Ford Airstream all about?

Its designer Freeman Thomas describes it as ‘the ultimate MPV’ and he’s probably right on the money. It’s the Ford design team’s idea of what future MPVs might be like and if they’re right, motoring in the next decade’s going to be anything but bland. It’s a bit like a widened bubble car that’s been massively elongated and given room for five people to relax in comfort. Rather than seats in two or three rows, the interior has been laid out so the three rear passengers can sit around as if in a small sitting room – or a caravan even.