TG’s guide to concepts: the imposing 2006 Ford Interceptor

You could make a case for the 2006 Ford Interceptor concept being about the most American-sounding car of the 21st Century. I mean, for a kick-off, it’s got a big V8. Of course it’s got a big V8. A 5.0-litre, E85 ethanol-drinking V8, mounted up front – so far up, in fact, that the top of the heads poke through the Interceptor’s clamshell hood. Or bonnet, if you prefer. That delivered 400bhp. We’re off to a good start.

Said power was sent through a six-speed manual gearbox. Yep, Ford’s ultra-saloon concept for the Noughties wasn’t interested in dual-clutch this or paddleshift that. It was a noble and proud stick-shift.

Naturally, the Interceptor was rear-wheel drive. It’s a muscle car, really. But that classic powertrain was covered in a stout, square body that reeked of toughness and a foreboding sophistication. And its designer, Peter Horbury, summed it up thusly: "The Interceptor concept is much like a Marine in dress uniform. He looks smart and elegant but you can see the raw power that lies beneath." You wouldn’t mess.

Inside, the Interceptor was terrifically minimalist. The heater controls were built to fold away into the brushed metal dashboard, while the headrests retracted into the roof, leaving one-piece seats gloriously reminiscent of the 1960s land yachts that partly inspired this boxy mafiamobile. It had inflatable rear seat belts too. Sounds like typical concept car fiction, but this safety-improving technology is now available not just in the current Mercedes S Class, but Ford’s own Mondeo.

If we’re making the Interceptor sound a touch too sophisticated, then don’t worry. Underneath, it was based on a chopped-about Mustang, so a live rear axle connected the 22-inch rear wheels. The engine was in fact a bored-out version of the old Mustang GT’s 4.6-litre motor. If a Mustang is a tearaway teen, the Interceptor was its older brother done good, back from college with a degree and job offers.

The Interceptor never made production. The go-to boxy American saloon of the early 2000s become the Chrysler 300C. We’re just saying Ford, this still looks modern, and well, it’s never too late for a rethink…