Picture the cold metallic nature of titanium, mixed with the warmth of bamboo. Now add in machined aluminum and lightweight carbon fiber, with nary a weld to be found. Innovative materials choices and production methods are just two of the more unusual facets of one of Ford's newest concept cars, the MA. Even its unveiling was a refreshing departure. Instead of a turntable appearance at a major auto show, it broke cover at the opening of "Retrofuturism: The Car Design of J Mays," a Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art exhibit dedicated to the work of Ford's global design chief.
"[The MA] is an amazingly different form, but it still has the wind-in-your-hair feeling you might find in a sports car of the '50s, all done in a very architectural, elemental way," notes Mays. Unlike many of today's concept cars, which are often marketing-driven pieces intended to gauge the production viability of a particular look or model, the MA is pure fantasy. Penned by Ford Design staffer Jose Paris, the rear-mounted, electric-motor-powered roadster represents what a Lotus Super 7 might be like if it were invented 10, 15, or 20 years from now. The MA shares another similarity with the cycle-fendered Lotus in that it would be sold to the customer in kit form, Mays adds, "from a dealership, hardware store, or via the Internet. Then you and your son or daughter or other family members construct it, and its creation becomes part of the ownership experience."
The MA's target weight is just 900 pounds, some 200 of which is the bamboo that forms the car's horizontal surfaces. The multi-element seat, steering wheel, and simple gauge stalk all fold away. Few parts are painted, and the car's chassis, brake, and suspension components are all clearly visible as design elements. Don't even ask about production possibilities: The MA is a concept in its most pure form, simply an exercise to stimulate creative futurethink. It's hardly practical, but it does look like good fun. Well, at least until it rains.