According to the press release for the Windstar Solutions, this one-off vehicle was borne from Ford and Maytag research that delved into the lifestyle demands of busy parents. Record numbers of working mothers were a myopic fixation for project coordinators and as a result, the coolest Windstar of all time came with a similarly focused series of press shots. I’m not sure whether this photo set was meant to depict the freedom and responsibilities that come with single parenthood or the hectic schedule of a business dad that sees him working long hours away from the family, but hey. Still, let’s take a minute to appreciate the sheer amount of things Ford and Maytag crammed into this Windstar. One refrigerator would be just too common, so they threw two refrigerated compartments in this swagger wagon, one in the cargo area and one between the rear seats. Also molded into the cargo area is a combination washer/dryer, a microwave, and a trash bin. How was water supplied to that washer/dryer? I have absolutely no idea and Ford didn’t say, although it’s not the only bit of hand-waving going on in this van. These N64 controllers are part of the Windstar Solutions’ entertainment package, which doesn’t actually sound like it included an N64. As per Ford, “Individuals can choose between viewing movies or playing CD-ROM interactive electronic games. Game controllers and CD storage are built in.” Now I don’t know about you, but I used to own a Nintendo 64 and it definitely didn’t use CD-ROMs. What sort of proprietary hellscape is going on in this thing? Honestly, it doesn’t really matter because any agents of chaos riding in the back, like eight-year-old me, would try and feed discs into the built-in trash compactor. I’m not kidding. Who on earth thought it was a bright idea to put a trash compactor within reach of children? I’ll admit, I was a particularly difficult child, but I couldn’t have been the only one who’d have fed by brother’s copy of Toy Story into the trash compactor should he whine one more time about me hogging all the AA batteries (do you know how power-hungry portable CD players can be?), using the interior light to read my latest car magazine or simply being on his side of the passenger compartment. Still, a trash compactor is a solid flex of Maytag’s appliance capabilities and maximizes the amount of stuff you can fit in the Windstar Solutions’ trash bin. Granted, for everything in the Windstar Solutions that didn’t make production, or indeed sense, there was a feature that would eventually be put in a car. The cooler in between the front seats came to production in the Pontiac Aztek, and what a brilliant bit of kit it was. Heated and cooled cup holders for keeping tea piping hot and Slurpees frigid ended up in Chryslers, Mercedes-Benzes, BMWs and other vehicles. Even the built-in vacuum made an appearance in the 2014 Honda Odyssey, although the Windstar Solutions had a leg up on the Honda with wet-vac capability. As for the Windstar Solutions’ tray tables, well they weren’t anything new. A long-wheelbase Jaguar XJ offered beautiful walnut picnic tables, although the Windstar Solutions’ durable plastic tables should’ve caught on in the minivan and SUV market. They’re honestly just so handy. Perhaps more important than all the appliances was the Windstar Solutions’ pioneering perspective on the Internet of Things. That’s right, welcome to hell, this van linked to your home. How exactly did that work? Well, voice-activated telematics could theoretically let Windstar Solutions drivers monitor their home’s fire alarms, check what’s in the pantry, and even pre-heat the oven. Let’s be honest, controlling your oven through voice commands in a notoriously janky vehicle sounds a bit like storing home security footage on reel-to-reel tape. Thanks, but no thanks. Besides, there are many reasons why the Internet of Things is terrible, from dead-end support to critical updates at bad times to surveillance capitalism. Hey, the future can’t be all unicorns and rainbows. Strangely enough, the Windstar Solutions didn’t debut at an auto show, instead first appearing at the National Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in Chicago on April 7, 2000. While Ford Windstars can rarely be described as innovative, nifty and desirable, this one-off show car packed enough positive attributes to win a bronze Design Strategy award from the Industrial Designers Society of America. Honestly, there was no other time when the Windstar Solutions could be made. It needed optimism, futurism, a still reasonably successful minivan market and an absence of service apps to really take off. Nowadays, it works out cheaper in the long-run to order food than pay to have a microwave installed in a van, plus the repair costs on all of these appliances must’ve been tremendous. Still, I’m thankful that this slice of minivan weirdness existed, for it truly represents the sheer possibilities of a van. Lead photo credit: Ford A developer prototype for the US N64DD was found a few years ago. I’ll see myself out. Tip your waitress. Although there’s not a whole lot Ford (or most anyone else for that matter) made in that era that I consider overly desirable, this is the worst by far. Same goes for GM’s FWD minivans, pure garbage. The Aerostar and Astro were no match for the Caravan/Voyager (especially as the Chrysler vans evolved and became more and more refined) but they were useful, durable and well-loved. Their FWD replacements were junk, pure and simple. The bad taste it left seems the main reason why now, nobody who doesn’t own a small business wants to buy a Transit Connect. Which is too bad. (But I have a sneaking love of the GM U-body vans b/c the styling…THE FUTURE IS HERE!!) But in fairness, I guess I’m not the target market for minivans so I don’t really actually know…do people want more luxury in them? What’s the minivan market like these days, esp. with the SUV competition? Mind you, none of them own a Saturn NOW (does anyone?)
- It’s a half size smaller so it’s either third row OR giant stroller storage, not both. 2) Consumer minivans have power sliding doors that have safety reverse features. 3) Power hatches are nice to have, especially with the safety reverse feature. 4) Something about the HVAC vents in consumer minivans keep the third row cooler than a TC. 5) Perceived lack of power out of that 2.5 compared to those in the consumer minivan class. 6) Those 19 cupholders, lol. holy shit i thought i was the only one who didnt want stupid things like my attic fan controlled by a smartphone. Then again i dont even like my “smart” electric meter 1: In the 80ies 4WD boom, a pickup truck was taxed cheap, but a regular station wagon like the Land Cuiser was expensive. So someone found out to cut the roof off the back of the SWs and put it back on, and voila, you had a pickup with a “loose” hardtop. Naturally that helped it rust a lot easier, but people got themselves a cheaper 4WD. 2: We have a lot of bicycle lanes everywhere, and thats clean and wonderful. Slow mopeds are also allowed in the bicycle lane, which is kind of annoying. But if you take a Piaggio Ape or Tuc-tuc kind of thing and make it a slow as a alow moped, you suddenly have a higly polluting fossil fuel powered commercial truck, that drives in the bicycle lane! Love your writing. Shades of Pratchett. Keep it up! I’m more interested in how they plumbed for the dryer than the washer, honestly. A washer that size can be self contained. The dryer needs a lot of power and air.
