Special Vehicle Operations
|
|
- See also Special Vehicle Team
In 1981, Ford formed the Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) group to design and develop performance parts and accesories related to the company's racing programs.
The group also built a special model to showcase these parts, the Ford Mustang SVO. The SVO Mustang was designed to compete directly with European sports sedans like BMW's 3 Series. To reduce costs, they used the existing 2.3 L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine from the Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. The car added an intercooler, Borg-Warner 5-speed manual transmission with a Hurst shifter, Koni shock absorbers, and 16 in wheels, a novelty at the time. The car produced 175 hp (130 kW) for 1984 and 205 hp (152 kW) for 1985 and 1986. About 10,000 were built.
SVO/Ford Motorsports was later renamed Ford Racing Technology (FRT).