Ford Urban / Max by Ghia

The Ford Urban (later called the Max) was a forward-thinking Ghia concept from the early 1970s, built around the compact underpinnings of the Ford Fiesta.

Measuring just 259 cm in length and 137 cm in height, it was conceived as a nimble solution to growing city congestion and the fuel-efficiency demands brought on by the 1973 oil crisis.

Despite its tiny footprint and short two-door silhouette, the Urban offered seating for four, making it a genuinely practical city companion.

Clever packaging was central to its design: along with its compact exterior, it featured an inventive storage compartment positioned ahead of the driver, maximizing usability in a way few small cars had attempted at the time.

Although it remained a concept and never progressed to series production, the Ford Urban represented an insightful look at the future of metropolitan mobility.

Its focus on efficiency, smart space use, and maneuverability anticipated the wave of compact urban cars that would later become commonplace. Today, it stands out as an early pioneer of intelligent city-car design — proof that innovation doesn’t need to come in a large package.