Ford Airstream Concept – the Crossover model of the future

For Ford, that trend – plus younger couples starting families later – is fueling a shift to crossover vehicles.

The crossover segment is expected to hit 3 million units by the end of the decade, making it potentially the largest U.S. vehicle segment.

For Airstream, these demographic changes are meaningful as well. RV ownership is highest among retirement-age consumers, and by the end of the decade, 50- to 64-year-old consumers will tally 57 million – a 38 percent increase versus 2000, according to University of Michigan studies. And the number of RV-owning households is expected to grow to 8.5 million during the same period.

Growing Ford’s crossover share means breaking through the competitive and fragmenting segment, and the company is leveraging bold designs to win customers.

Ford’s crossover lineup already features the functional Freestyle, newly launched agile and modern Edge and, in time, will include a more refined full-size crossover based on the Fairlane concept.

Ford designers wanted to push further into the future and tapped inspirations including Airstream’s iconic designs and the optimistic future Stanley Kubrick created and captured in his 1960s cult film 2001: A Space Odyssey. These inspirations are evident – inside and out.

The concept’s bold, futuristic front-end explores a new look for Ford, encapsulating the single-surface grille and headlamps into the same graphic. Each of the concept’s bold orange-trimmed window graphics is a unique shape.

“This reflects the purpose of the vehicle: looking out and remembering that the journey – not the destination – matters most,” said Freeman Thomas, director, North American Strategic Design. “The Ford Airstream Concept is an ultra-modern, optimistic vehicle that allows passengers a pure traveling experience to enjoy with good company, no matter the destination .”

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