Which production car was previewed by the 1981 Ford Probe III concept?

The 1981 Ford Probe III previewed the Ford Sierra. It was the third in Ford’s series of futuristic Probe design studies, developed with Italian design house Ghia to explore aerodynamic styling and future production-car themes.

Probe III had an unusually smooth, aerodynamic shape, including covered wheels and a steeply sloped body. Ford did not transfer its dramatic appearance directly into a showroom car, but the design work evolved into the more practical Ford Sierra, launched in Europe in 1982. The Sierra retained important aerodynamic ideas while using a conventional body suitable for mass production.

The Probe III is often confused with later Ford Probe concepts or the unrelated Ford Probe coupé sold from 1988 to 1997. The production Sierra was a European Ford model; in North America, a closely related version was sold as the Merkur XR4Ti. Some Probe III styling ideas also influenced the Ford Taurus, but the Sierra is the production car it most directly previewed.