The Ford Probe was a coupe produced by Ford, introduced in 1989 to replace the Ford EXP as the company's sport compact car. It was sold in the European, Australian, and North American markets. As sporty coupe, the Probe was intended to fill the market niche formerly occupied by the Capri in Europe, and although it was intended as the replacement to the Ford EXP.

It was also considered a possible replacement for the Ford Mustang in the North American market as a direct competitor with the Acura Integra of the time. During that time, Ford's marketing team had deemed that a front-wheel drive platform (shared with the Mazda MX-6) would have lower costs for production, and also because the platform had been gaining popularity with the consumers. Fans objected to the front-wheel drive configuration, Japanese engineering, and lack of a V8, so Ford began work on a new design for the Mustang instead.