The Mustang SVO the History, options, & WHY it was a Sales Failure 

I had a 86 SVO back in the day. Bought it used with 60k miles on it. Absolutely loved the car. All that power and 28 MPG on the highway. Sold it years later with 140k miles for $4k. Only paid $1800. For it. Mine was loaded with leather and sunroof.

I remember those days well, and agree with your conclusions. I bought a new 1986 Mustang GT and the SVO never really entered my mind. The price and lack of a V8 killed it for what I wanted. The one thing about the SVO that I really did like was the cool hood. In fact, I currently have a black 1990 LX 5.0 in my garage with a replacement SVO styled hood!

I had an 86 svo back in high school. My dad knew the dealer, so he had the wastegate adjusted to make 18 psi. Man, it was nice. Excellent handling and braking with a torquey turbo to boot. I loved that car.

I was in high school when these were in production. I loved the look of the SVO but the price was outrageous. That, and a GT with the 302 would eat it alive on the street for a lot less money.

Drove several of these back in the day. They were fun cars. Great car. Wrong time…Gt was cheaper and faster. As you said..16k vs 10.5k was a big difference. Great Review Tony. I really enjoyed the SVO. Wish Ford had reused the name for the S550 Ecoboost Performance pack…

Great information. I think you are right on. Wrong car for what they tried to do, i believe if they would of started with cougars or the Thunderbirds it could of worked well. Thats my thoughts.

dirty secret - Mercury put a turbo on the 2.3 back in 78/9 Capri .... those were available readily during the time the SVO came out - and because of depreciation ... cheap as hell. I picked one up for 2K in 1985 all the suspension stuff bolted right in. nice fun ride - a sleeper that served me well until 2000

You are spot on. I loved the test drive of the SVO but the GT had that grunt and the bigger price tag totally took it out of consideration for me. Drove that GT for 185,000 spirited and trouble free miles! One of the best cars that I have ever owned.

Always liked the SVO. Never owned one, but I did have an 87 Turbo Coupe. Hope to get another some day.

I was a teenager when the SVO came out. I never owned one, but always admired from afar. Ford was ahead of their time with the SVO.

I love when you do these with the vintage commercials 😁👍

I had an 84' and if I won the lottery, I would buy a 85 or 85 1/2 before I bought ANY other car! It was amazing to drive, so much fun! Koni struts and shocks, Hurst shifting, turbo, super light and insanely comfortable. I LOVED that car!

The origins of the Ecoboost... Funny how we are still basically in the same position today as back then. Great info!

I truly don’t understand why your channel doesn’t have more subscribers. You present videos very well they’re not drawn out. I don’t know either way I enjoy your videos, my friend.

I miss my 84 SVO. Great car!

I got an 86 SVO off a dude on craigslist in 2020 for my first car. I love the way old heads get all nostalgic when they see it. Considering how few of them where made I find it crazy how many people got fond memories of one a friend had or they test-drove 20 years before I was even born. To me it speaks volumes of the unspoken legacy this car has.

Price, price, price. I was car shopping back then for my first new car and remember seeing these inside the showroom looking amazing, (they were always red) but seeing the big numbers on the windshield showing the price made them seem like some exotic import. No way I was going to spend that much on a car with smaller engine. Which is clearly how many thought back then.

I’ve seen but a few of these cars. It’s funny to see how the sales of SVOs vs. basically the S550 ecoboosts stack up. Right car, wrong time as though it seems

Nice history lesson. Friend of ours has an SVO mustang that's in pretty good shape he bought last summer. He has several cars that he takes to shows., he's restoring the interior seats.

I have a beautiful 86 SVO I love and have had it since 2019. Had it shipped to Cali from Streetside Classics Atlanta. So much fun compared with the 3 5.0 lx fox body’s Ive owned in my 37 years on this earth.

Great info as always Tony.. Love your videos.......thanks!

This OHC 2.3 4 banger engine was made in Brazil 🇧🇷 and export to USA 🇺🇸 we used them in our Brazilian made F-100 and Ford Mavericks, the original “ ECOBOOST”

The SVO was pretty great, just costly. In 1985 I purchased a heavily used 1982 Mustang GT and couldn't have been happier getting the jump on SVOs at the stop lights. As for the SVO's superior handling/braking, those advantages were rarely realized during straight line racing on the street. I loved my '82 GT, wish I still had it. Great content, thank you.

Bought an 86 burgandy svo new. Still driving it. 74k miles.

Appreciate all the videos, enjoy the old commercials as well.

I remember this time frame very well...I was out of school in the mid 80s, entering the fulltime workforce and buying my first new car. I was a pony car fanatic and shopping the classic Mustang vs Camaro decision point. Although the SVO was a technology marvel it had two BIG problems to a potential buyer at the time...a turbo four vs. a V8 and an outrageous price tag. That was it in a nutshell...the people who could afford it weren't interested in a Mustang, and the ones who couldn't were looking for better V8 horsepower and straight line performance driven by the recent resurgence of the of the pony car wars in the 80s. Unique and interesting cars and definitely a collector at this point given the low production count, but oh my, they were a sales flop back in the day. Funny thing though, at the time the SVO was failing, the Buick GN was selling like crazy with a turbo V6. That shows that a turbo could be sold successfully at the time, but only IF the price point AND performance were equal to or better than the performance V8s. The same was true for the forthcoming Thunderbird with that same SVO motor, aimed at a different customer and honestly a better price point in that late 80s market. It is interesting to look back and although the HP numbers were low compared to today, all were relative and we were then living though the beginning of a second round of muscle car/HP wars that honestly continue to this day. I still love V8, rear wheel drive pony cars, and my current ride has a 455 HP motor...a far cry from the 80s and their ~200 HP motors. Great content my friend, especially the videos around this era! It really brings back the memories in that truly was a magical time as the malaise of the 70s was gone and fun was back in the automotive world.

I remember going through the Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel with my brother in a turbo coupe doing a buck 30

Had a 1988 t-bird turbo and absolutely loved it. Traded it in for a new stang in 2001 and been kicking myself in the a$$ ever since. I'm not disapointed that i bought the new stang,i'm just disapointed i didn't keep my turbo coupe. This time i bought a new 22 california special without a trade in. They didn't get my 01 newedge. It sits right by my new one in the garage and they both look bad a$$ in my opinion. Thanks for another good one Tony!

Still have my '84 SVO, silver, cloth seats,100% stock, right down to the original AM/FM stereo and cassette player. The bi-plane spoiler has no droop, still looks new👍 I have several modern Saab turbo cars, but the SVO came out at a time where turbo lag was still an issue. It's really cool when you accerate quickly, the turbo spools up and then you feel that power like you were thrown out by a slingshot!😁

A very naughty Jackie Stewart speeding in a built-up area with a 30 mph limit! Thanks for another great video, Tony.

SVOs were faster IF driven properly. The problem was that most salesmen and some journalists drove the SVO like they did the V8. Had to keep it on boost. Different technique. Read my comment to "Boyd..." below for full info.

Very Cool video. I actually own a 1B medium Charcoal metallic 1985 SVO, 1 of 194 with cloth interior. It is a 351w swapped car nowadays. But it’s still a awesome car in my opinion. Thanks for sharing the history of these cars

I ordered an 86 SVO with the rare comp prep option toward the end of production . I got it from a dealership my dad and I had worked for previously for $14, 985..... not bad for all that tech I thought. Well when I picked it up part of the back leather seat was missing, the car had scratches in the paint and the oil pressure gauge wasn't hooked up. Needless to say I was very disappointed and after one year of trying to finally get the rest of that rear seat I sold it. That comp prep option helped me sell it as I was also competing with some dealers that still had new ones with big discounts. Ford did a disservice to a lot of the faithful back in the 80's and my SVO Mustang was the last time I had a new anything from FoMOCo P.S. long before this I had 3 Shelby GT 350's, 1 GT 500 and after this I went out and got a 69 boss 302 so I guess you could say I never gave up on Ford ,just the new ones.

The time just wasn’t right- now-days the mustang Ecoboost lives in similar spirit but is not a special package. Ford could re-vamp the SVO name and make something great with the 2.3 Ecoboost, id be in line for it because I like my ecoboost Mustang🙂

Great video well done. I had never seen those SVO commercials before. I also didnt know about the differences between modell years. Great info. The SVO had alot of competition it moved up a class from a GT IMO with the focus on handling and braking. Seems Ford took aim at the Porsche 944 and 928, 300 ZX Turbo, Supra and Corvette. Ford should have carried over the 16" wheels, rear discs, 3.73 gears and Komis to the '87 GT!

I bought a 1984 Mustang SVO in Medium Canyon Red with a leather interior. The 84 SVO was the most expensive sticker priced Mustang ever built at that time. if I remember correctly the car was just shy a $16,000. I will say the car was a blast to drive and handled excellent. However the car was plagued with issues. The gear shift broke of on me, the car would die all of the sudden while on the highway with no warning. I remember pushing the car to a gas station while my girlfriend steered it for over 3 miles so it wouldn't be sitting on the side of the road. Then the turbo started to go out on it. If the car sat for a bit, it would smoke like crazy at start up. I finally had enough of the issues, took it to a Chevy dealer a bought a 1985 Black Camaro Z/28 and never thought about buying a Mustang again. I look back and think if I had bought a Mustang GT, maybe I wouldn't have such a negative attitude on the Mustang. Ford lost out as I had also bought a 1987 Red Trans Am, 1988 Black IROC-Z and a 1991 Black Z/28. My 85 Z/28 was totaled when a car ran a red light and hit it. Only car of those that ever broke was the 87 Trans Am, it actually twisted one of the axles in half. Which is weird as it had a 5.0 TPI and the 88 and 91 Camaros had the 350 TPI and zero issues with them. Wish I had hung onto the 91 Z/28, she was a quick car. Not a single Mustang GT ever beat it.

Just like everyone else is stating, I agree with your conclusions. Even now, today, I would rather have the 5 liter over the 2.3 turbo. If SVO would have done all of that in a different car, a brand new model, in a even lighter car, it would have probably been faster than the Mustang GT. They probably would have sold more. Especially if they could get the price down close to the cost of the GT.

my first car , loved it .... if i could find another .... i,de get another in a heartbeat even despite todays performance new standards .

Fantastic video!

I miss my SVO.. Had an 86!!!!

Love to hear the history of the ecoboost engine.

In 1984 I was looking at a mustang gt and svo side by side at citrus motors in Covina California. I bought the gt for $9,950 because it had a 302 v-8 , more horsepower and many aftermarket parts available. The svo was too much money for the horsepower return at that time for me. Now I know that Lima four banger had so much potential with enough cash, but the v-8 had more bang for the buck. The svo was more sexy though, love to find a clean one now.

I notice that early shift knob looks nothing like my '85.5 knob--but exactly like my '85 ASC/McLaren Coupe knob.

My dad had a 1988 mustang LX. I have a lot of fond memories of that car from when I was a kid. It’d be cool to see a video on later fox body cars at some point. Great content! 👍🏻

My opinion back in the day we looked at it and said where is a mustang? They talked about that European styling. Over those decades a lot of ass in like the mustang but they sure sold enough of them over the decades.

Thought I saw an SVO in the garage in your recent video. I ordered and bought an 85 1/2 ... great car, but about 5 years too late. Won a lot of SCCA autocross running ESP with that car. The 5.0 had already begun its comeback and there was no turning back for most. I loved that it was unique and was one of 439. Sold it to someone in Asheville NC many years ago.

They should have marketed it as a performance specialist car. The limited production exclusivity would bring in more buyers over time. The problem basically is they gave up too early and wanted to sell too many a year.

In 1986 I had a white SVO purchased from Petersen Ford Lynn Mass. It had about 1,200 on the odometer when I bought the car. Interestingly enough after I drove the SVO off the lot I realized the Speedometer and the odometer were both in Metric. I was concerned about it. So idea if that SVO was supposed to be shipped out to another country but some how I got that car. The car had every options leather, sunroof power this power that a cassette deck and air conditioning. My older brother by 2 years bought a 1986 red SVO same options but his instruments were not metric. We were both very young I was 18 and my brother was 20. We took those SVO’s and drove them hard. I’m not talking about burning up our tires doing donuts like the kids do today I’m talking about serious driving into rotaries obstacle courses and we also took them down to New England dragway up in Epping New Hampshire. That car was probably one of the best handling cars and my brother would attest to this also that we have ever driven up until that time. Also I can say that it did a respectful 14.9 1/4 mile. My brother got his to do a 14.7. Those were very respectful quarter-mile times in 1986 .Yes it was a lot different than the mustang with the 5.0 I later purchased a 1991 LX 5.0 notchback in dark green. The biggest issue with SVO was the price. I remember the sticker price was in ball park of $17,200. I raced many Mustang GT’s and it was very close on the streets. I can’t say I was ever victorious but can’t say if the GT was victorious. They were both very close in a race and it really came down to driving skill. Also the GT had optional automatic that really hurt it’s performance. Anyhow it was a great car but in 1987 faster car hit the street and my Dad bought one. The Buick Grand National and the T-Type Turbo. Now that was a fun ride. I snuck my Dad’s Buick out of the Garage with a couple of friends the 2nd day after he bought it. We were heading towards Revere Beach to look for a race. I got on Salem Street in Medford floored that Buick at a 5mph roll and those tires just lit up as she fish tailed down the street almost hitting a few parked cars and trees. Luckily unscathed and my Dad never found out by the grace of God. 🙏

I had a chance to buy a svo 85 but I was to busy partying, but I had a 84 Capri turbo rs with the tops and still do at the time good luck finding another one

A lot to say. Video coming in time. I had one in 1984. Was involved w/SVO as a target buyer.

At the ford dealer with my older brother in 1986 he walked in to buy a mustang GT I saw the Sv0 and fell in love with it I begged him to buy it he said, are you crazy I’m not paying $6000 more for a 4 cylinder. I told him youare getting a much better looking more advanced handling car he could care less. It was ahead of its time, and everybody on the streets called it the SVslow 😢

Agree with everything. I have always thought a mustang should be powered by a v8 and loud. Thats why it became my first love. I'm glad i came across your channel, its very informative. I love the old commercial, have you driven a Ford lately? Just everyday since my 1st car (90 GT) in 1998. Great jingle. May the Mustang always be powered by a v8!

Great video...always had a soft spot for this car. But after graduating college in 1984 and needing a new car, I went for the GT instead for the reasons you mentioned...cheaper and quicker. Minor nitpick about the shock setup. The 84 SVO had four shocks with slapper bars, same as that on the 82/83 GT's. They switched to the six shock system mid year or possibly for 1985. Personally, I thought the slappers looked really cool hanging off the rear axle. Kind of the old school way to keep the leaf springs from winding up when launching hard.

In 85, I was a new grad and could barely afford my GT, but I knew the SVO was the better car.

I had a 85 SVO, i loved the car! I remember laying crushed ice on top of the intercooler,.it (seemed to make a difference) lol. I would love to buy another one.

I had an 86 and multiple 5.0s and surprise, surprise, the 2.3Twas under 50 pounds different than a 5.0 V8, fully dressed.

I bought a new GT in 85 for the obvious reasons everyone agrees upon. I loved that car….for a year. That’s when a new 86 with FI humiliated my Holley 600. FI was still rather primitive but it worked well enough to piss me off. I was gonna slap a B&M low profile blower on it but accidentally traded my Gold Wing for a cammed and piped GS1100. 😳 Suddenly all cars seemed crippled and crawling so the GT was traded for a winter 4WD. The biggest FI shocker for me was redline. My 85 GT was 5800. The 86 injected model was 4000. 😮

I believe Monogram made a 1/24 model kit of the SVO Mustang... I wouldn't mind finding one to build someday...

I agree with your point of the price being a huge drawback. A few other points, The 2.3 needed a DOHC 16 valve and a balance shaft. Smoothing out that 2.3 would have been huge as many people still equated the turbo 4 to the '79 - 82 2.3. And lastly were the little details like the Bi Wing rear spoiler that flapped like a drunk pigeon at anything over 100 mph. this in a car that could easily do 140 mph. As demonstrated by the Silver SVO at the 5:30 mark, someone backyard engineered a pair of braces to cure this.

The engine wasn’t balanced and shook the car at idle. Car magazine reviews often stated that. Engineers considered using a V6 initially but went with the old little 4 cylinder from decades prior.

I owned one of the last productions of the 86 SVO. It only had a single rear spoiler due lack of parts. I bought it to Autocross. Its was ok. The Chrysler Conquest crushed it in Autocross so i sold it in 1992 for a 1988 Conquest. I did get 14.2 at the drag strip on a cool night out of it

These came out when I was in college and weren’t in my budget. Only recall talking to one guy who had one. It was at a gas station. He was blue collar guy. I asked how he liked it. He didn’t, but not because it was a piece of junk but because it needed premium gas and the NCTs cost more than he wanted to pay. Furthermore he said he was upside down enough on his loan to have to keep it for a fair spell longer until it was paid off. I think that the price might have been a bit deceptive as it obviously appealed to a guy working and living pay check to pay check. Whereas at least the impression of a more expensive Porsche was that anyone who could afford to buy one also could afford to maintain them. Then again, that’s pure speculation on my part. I thought they were neat cars and wouldn’t have minded having one, especially the 205 horsepower version. Then again, at the time I could afford the occasional Cooper Cobra but not Goodyear NCTs. I always wondered if the 2.3 turbo in the T-Birds was too little motor to be fun. Apparently it was sufficient for most due to the numbers and with a five speed. Great summary of the SVO.

#1 It is NOT an Emergency Brake!!! (All cars and trucks) It is a parking brake! I won a court case over this as a mechanic in the early 80's in Michigan.

I'd have to agree with your points about the sales failure. The 302 was faster and was a V8, which is the engine an enthusiast would want. And seeing you said how much more the SVO costed makes me say that Ford was going too far and the Mustang wasn't the right car to do so with.

My brother was a career car salesman for ford. He always said it's too expensive and BMW choosing them over him

Thorough and interesting. I think you can see Ford's attempt at something similar when they ended up with the Probe later in the decade. People were not ready (nor should they be, if you ask me) for a FWD non-V8 Mustang, so they ended up opting for a different model. (Which was a great car - loved my '90 turbo GT.) I think they try to attach too much to the Mustang cachet. Just build a different car and give it a different name. I'm looking at you, "Mustang" Mach-E.

I've had an 86 (Jalapeno Red) since 1992 and have constantly updated the car as better parts became available. I have no desire to keep it stock as cars are made to be driven. If Ford had continued production into 1987 the SVO may have gotten the better looking 87-93 aero front end and possibly a 16-valve engine (there was a test engine installed in a T-Bird). It would have been expensive but a much improved car. Incidentally, Kranefuss is pronounced Cran' uh fuss and the engines were originally produced at the Ly' muh (like the bean) Ohio plant.

Am I a humble opinion the SVO 2.3 Turbo should have gone into the 83 to 86 Ford Thunderbirds all along and its evolution should have increased with horsepower through 87/ 88 run of the Thunderbird Turbo coupe ....plus it could have been a performer option for the All new '86 Taurus / Sable.

I liked the SVO but I decided to buy the GT instead because it offered T-Tops and yes it was a V-8, sorry T-Top need to come back. Can you do a show why they have disappeared?

In my 82 GT that had a pretty hyped up following my brother onto the Georgetown parkway and SVO he attacked the Corvette and kicked his ass and I couldn't keep up with either stupid pinto 308. What was that rear end. 7.5?

Ford should have put the Yamaha Taurus SHO V6 in it.

Is this the same engine in the Turbo coupe T-Bird?

I had both, an 88 GT and an 86 SVO. The SVO was much more upscale in feel and design, braked and handled better but unfortunatly had essentially an on /off switch for a throttle, slow down low and then all of a sudden lots of power which made it VERY difficult and tricky to drive fast, especially anything but a straight line and in the wet. On the other hand, the GTs powerband was very linear, way easier to modulate and control. It had both good power down low, up high and everywhere in between and at full boogie felt like you were aiming a missile. Both great cars, but after having both Id still take the SVO any day.

My first brand new car was an 1986 Mustang LX with the GT options. Paid $10,250 for it and the cheaper insurance. While waiting for my ordered car to come I still shopped around and saw a black 86 SVO in a showroom. It had been marked down to 14,000. It looked nice inside, not gonna lie, but we all felt the 4 banger was close to topping out while the 302 was barely huffing and had potential to hotrod. Using a blow dryer, I took the 5.0 emblems off and stop light raced for days! That extra $4 grand SVO seemed like a silly thing to waste money on. IROCs and TAs learned to avoid me

SVO shouldve had the V8 standard. it wouldve lowered the price, but make it premium over the GT for the handling and brake upgrades. That wouldve made it an early Rousch edition.

Easy answer, 5.0 was cheaper and faster and sounded like a muscle car. As opposed to a 4 cylinder that was offered in Tempos

Ford screwed up when they used a 4-cyl. engine. Maybe Buick was paying attention when they turbo-charged their 3.8L engine in the Grand National.

What's under the car cover behind you?

I think it failed because the front grill enhancments made it look more like an Escort than a Mustang.

price killed it

You got it. The 84 SVO didn't run that good. If it ran like a Grand National or faster than the 5.0, Ford probably would of sold more. The 5.0 is more fun to drive and was much cheaper.

I loved the concept and styling of the SVO. The performance execution lacks something to be desired. For 6,000 more dollars than the GT, one didn't get 6,000 dollars worth of performance.

All they had to do is bump the power up around around 250HP or so and it would of sold better?

If Ford had sold the 10.000 Mustang SVOs it would have been qualified for International Group A touring car racing and would have allowed a Mustang into the BTCC

My big brother always said. They should have made an s h o wagon. Would have kicked Volvo's ass

The SVO would've sold better if they added another 20 or more horsepower.

Cuz it was $6,000 over the price of the V8

Why did the SVO flop ? Easy - the 5.0 Mustang GT was much cheaper and faster not to mention easier to modify at the time.

One problem with the 85 and newer SVOs was the old school front and rear bumpers. The 85 and 86 GTs got new bumpers front and rear including side moldings which made the 85 and 86 svo look somewhat dated, even with the unique front end. When the 87 gt was announced it really made the 86 svo look outdated, even though the svo had originated the 87 look. The thick gasket around the 86 headlamp looked prototypeish compared to the new front end of the LX and GT. I got a leftover 86 SVO in 87 as dealers were trying to unload them without much luck. And yes, the new GTs were more expensive by 87. My memories of the car when I first got it was one of quality with a thick leather wrapped steering wheel and shifter. Fat Goodyear tires and 5 lug, 16 inch rims. Porsche like rims too. Rear spoilers. Even the sound was exciting. The overall quality impression was superior to the 86 GT or LX. People who never owned one back in the day are so called experts on how shitty they are. Mind you, I haven’t driven one since 1989 when I sold mine before college. So perhaps today one might feel janky. But back in the day they were fun to drive. Acceleration from 20 to 120 was insane. Regarding that fuel switch: selecting premium meant you could easily utilize the waste gate of the turbo whereas selecting “unleaded” or non premium would keep the boost at say 10psi all the way through the rpm range without over boosting. I found the premium selection unusable. Would love to hear what other owners did when using the premium switch. I hope my comments made sense. I have very fond memories of the svo.

If Ford had install a cam that allowed the engine to peak @ 5500 rpm. It would have been more fun to drive. Yes the car was fast but running out of air @ 4500 rpm, sucked.

Totally agree. They priced it too high. Should have have been same price as a GT.

My LONG LOST HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEART. I WAS INTO THE WIERED GIRLS

Dealerships mark-up that's why, the same thing with the turbo trans am, dealerships were doubling the MSRP. Take your BS excuses and shove it. It was greed killed the best cars Detroit ever made.

Too. expensive was the bottom line

Do you know what ford stands for "fix it again tony"

I never understood why they never gave the Mustang a finished biplane spoiler like the XR4Ti. All the SVOs had a crappy textured black wing.

Great cars but honestly electrical system aint the greatest on turbo 4 cyl fox cars including the tbird turbocoupe, id recommended you rewire it with proper gauge wiring especially for the switches for the headlights and what not...i had an 88 turbocoupe and id take that anyday over an svo

Also, the SVO Mustangs were butt ugly. 🤮

They would have sold more if the SVO had a V6.....

NOBODY wants a 145 HP four cylinder with a 345 axle!! 🤮