On that windy day the stars aligned so I could find a car of a special kind. That car was a Ford Windstar, seen in the suburbs of Beijing on November 30, 2017. The Windstar seemed abandoned and was covered in a thick layer of winter’s dust.
The second generation Ford Winstar was a minivan made from 1999 until 2003 in various sorts and versions. The variant we have here is Euro-spec car, recognizable by the interesting grille design. The Ford oval fits in a larger oval, which fits horizontally into the vertical-bar grille.
It was parked on a dusty field alongside some other abandoned vehicles, including a Mini One and a tricycle.
The Windstar was a large American MPV, albeit made in Canada. It has sliding doors on both sized and seated seven folks. Size: 5103/1946/1679, with a 3066 millimeter wheelbase.
The minivan, or MPV, isn’t very popular in Europe and North America anymore. But the segment is booming in China with a new MPV launched almost every week. Ford would be wise to develop a new Windstar for China.
The interior was well-preserved and very gray. Everything seems to be gray. Hey. The leather seats are gray, the doors are gray, the dash is gray. The gear lever is mounted on the steering wheel column.
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The Ford Winstar was available with two gasoline engines: a 200 hp 3.8 liter V6 and a 153 hp 3.0 liter V6. Power went to the front wheels via a four-speed automatic transmission.
Look how large these windows are! Try to find a modern car with windows like that. One could see out far and further, and kinds rarely got sick. In today’s cars with their high belt-lines and minuscule windows kids puke out before they even get inside, and when they finally get in their seats, they only got their phone for fun. License plates are of Zhejiang Province.
The Ford Windstar was not officially sold in China, and this was the first one I had ever seen. Hopefully it is still around somewhere.