THE MALCOLM OYSTON FORD PROBE COLLECTION

Not long ago, we profiled the Ford Probe. So today let’s celebrate the collection of Malcolm Oyston who owns no fewer than six UK-market cars.

Malcolm said: “I have three 24Vs, three 16Vs, four of them show cars, and two are my daily drivers’.

From left to right, we have:

• 1995 Silver Blue Mist 16V with 19,500 miles on the clock.
• 1994 Rio Red 16V with 26,525 miles on the clock.
• 1996 Silver 24V with 112,000 miles on the clock.
• 1997 Lazer Tint Red 24V ‘daily runner’ with 140,000 miles on the clock.
• 1998 Gold 24V with 62,000 miles on the clock.
• 1995 Rio Red 16V ‘daily runner’ with 120,000 miles on the clock.

The 1996 Silver 24V will be familiar to many readers as it is one of the three Probes that starred in the Fly Me to the Moon television advertisements. This was a high-profile campaign, the great Russell Bulgin noted its ‘sepia tones and a deeply enigmatic visual style’. Malcolm acquired this Ford from a club member: “He was going to modify it”, Malcolm reveals. But we told him not to. I bought it off him and had to restore it due to the paintwork’s condition.”

Mr Oyston also regards his Gold 24V as being like a ‘brand new car’ and remarks that each of his collection has a different feel. In fact, it would be fair to say that Malcolm is a major enthusiast of this now rare coupe.
He said: “What is really great about these cars is the fact the 24V is based on a Mazda MX6 and the 16V on the Mazda 626 GE.”

As for the Probe’s road manners, Malcolm reveals: “the V6 models are smooth, very comfortable, and will just eat up the motorway miles. When you feel the need for speed - well, they can really go. They are equally brilliant when in the hills and mountains as you hardly have to drop down the gears.” He is not so much of a fan of a certain 1995 Steve Coogan BBC2 comedy – ‘absolute rubbish’.

Malcolm is the North-East representative of the United Kingdom Probe Owners’ Club, and he finds the public’s reaction to his collection as ‘mixed’.

“There are those who have had them and say it’s the best car they have had – I totally agree – and then you get some people who just say it’s rubbish”, he reveals. “The name doesn’t help, but the word ‘probe’ in the USA means exactly that - a probe into space.”

For too many years, the classic car world neglected the Probe. Malcolm points out that ‘years ago at shows people just walked past, but now they are getting a lot of attention, and even winning prizes. My 1995 16V 1995 Silver Blue Mist won its class and Castle Howard 2019 and came second to the Car of the Show that day. It also won its class at Beamish in the same year’.

Today there are just 321 Probes on the road in the UK and the Oyston collection is a reminder of an ambitious American-Japanese co-production. This was not so much a belated heir to the Capri as an affordable grand tourer in its own right. Take it away Ms. Julie London.

With Thanks To: Malcolm Oyston and the United Kingdom Probe Owners’ Club.

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