Test your knowledge: From where did Ford derive the Ghia name?
The Blue Oval's Italian connection
DRIVING’s review of the Ford Mondeo Vignale examines a new upmarket model that is hoped to stop family car buyers deserting the Blue Oval in favour of German makes such as BMW and Mercedes.
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Many motorists will remember that Ford used to offer posh versions of its cars under the guise of the Ghia trim level. Popular models including the Cortina, Fiesta and Sierra have been kitted out with all the trimmings and badged Ghia between 1973 and 2010.
But do you know from where Ford got the Ghia name? Scroll down to see if you know the answer …
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The name came from Carrozzeria Ghia, an Italian coachbuilder established by Giacinto Ghia in Turin in 1916, whose best-known product was the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia of 1955. Ford bought Ghia in 1970.
The design studio contributed to the designs of Ford production cars and conceps, and its name was used for a succession of luxury versions of family Fords, beginning with the Granada 3000 Ghia in 1974.
In 2001, J Mays, Ford’s head of design, began winding down the styling studio, reducing its role to that of a digital studio and cutting the workforce from nearly 50 to just five. The next year the doors were closed for good but the Ghia name was used on posh Fords until 2010, when the Titanium trim was introduced.
