The 1964 World’s Fair will forever be remembered by Ford enthusiast as the event where the Mustang debuted, but a very cool concept car was on display with it.
The Aurora was a futuristic station wagon packed with fantastic features, a few of which actually came to fruition.
It featured streamlined styling with a pointy nose that housed a low-profile “minibank” of 12 one-inch headlights instead of the standard pair of seven-inch sealed beams. The lights were positioned at different angles for directed and wide illumination, as required.
The traditional blunt radiator grille most vehicles had was also replaced with dual “catwalks” running along the top of the fenders to reduce its aerodynamic drag, although the exact engine envisioned for it was not specified. The bodyside trim, Aurora nameplate and license plates were equipped with new cool-to-the-touch electroluminescent lighting tech.
The wrap-over windshield wasn’t as dramatic as the one in the Tesla Model X, but it was larger than normal and butted up against a glass roof above the driver that could be tinted through the rotation of a polarized layer, while the rear roof was coated in a heat-reflecting aluminum to help keep the interior cool.
The car was asymmetrical, with just one rear door on the passenger side that provided access to a bench seat that wrapped around the left side to create a lounge-like space. The front passenger seat could fully swivel to face the rear.
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It had a rear console that housed a bar cooler, communications, audio and video system controls. The driver was provided with a variable-rate steering yoke, speed limit information and an in-car navigation system that used a moving map.
The rear-facing third row was accessed through clamshell doors and designed as Romper Room for kids. It had storage for books and toys; climate control, radio and intercom systems; and a soundproofed glass partition to separate it from the rest of the cabin. The designers also suggested the addition of a theoretical electronic tranquilizer the called the “kiddie-quiet ion dispenser” for when things got too rowdy back there.
The car was part of the fair’s Magic Skyway attraction. Nothing quite like it was ever put into production, but it did spawn the more realistic 1969 Aurora II, which was a Ford LTD Country Squire modified with a wraparound rear seat, swiveling front passenger seat and coach-style doors on the passenger side.
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The original Aurora concept car has been lost to history, but Ford has now used modern technology to reintroduce it with an AI-generated promotional video depicting it at the fair and on a road trip through the American west, with fully functioning features.
Ford doesn’t have any station wagons in its lineup today, but it does sell the Explorer and Navigator three-row SUVs, neither of which has a romper room option.
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