Damn!

Taken from: www.planetblueoval.com
Time creeps up on every organization. Some are able to take the lead and bring home the checkered flag; others fall victim to the ebb & flow of modernization and the next best thing. Ford’s Special Vehicle Team (SVT) will be formally disbanded effective April 1, 2006. Not watershed news by any means though, as the fuse was lit back in 1992—it was only a matter of time.

So what is left behind? How did this happen? What is the next best thing?

For starters—or rather, the finishers left behind are: the SVT Cobra Mustang, the SVT Lightning pickup, the SVT Contour, and the SVT Focus—all vehicles that are soon to be the subject for car historians to chat over. SVT’s entire staff has dissolved, as have the executives who founded and spearheaded the group’s activities.

After the yanking of the Adrenalin from the SVT lineup, the drought continued from 2004 to present, with nothing new being released from SVT. The “Way Forward” plan evidently did not align well with the concept, and Thai-Tang’s recipe for shaking up the performance vehicle market soured quickly.

SVT R.I.P.

Speculation as to why SVT is being scuttled remains evasive at best. Some attribute it entirely to executive decision—the “Way Forward” plan’s losing sight of the performance market. Other theories lead to the fact that so many SVT resources were focused on the production and release of the Ford GT, nothing viable ideas or efforts remained. This barrage of setbacks hampered potential development a next-generation Lightning, a faster Focus, and a smooth SVT Fusion. SVT is said to have basically starved of resources; no fuel, no fire.

Ford’s latest card played in the performance segment is the 2007 Shelby GT500—not an SVT endorsement; rather, one blessed by Carroll Shelby. As far as the future goes, market enthusiasts will have to cater to secondary developers and custom crafters (Saleen, Roush, Steeda, Foose, Coddington, etc) for the high-speed addictions…err….needs.

Visit the SVT site; sadly it’s a limited time offer

While its definately sad news, theres never been a shortage of aftermarket tuners for Fords toys.

Yeah right...

A souped - up turd is still a turd.

Bye Bye.

SG

Unless im mistaken the SVT Contour has been gone for a while now.

Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd. Bye Bye. SG

Quoted: Unless im mistaken the SVT Contour has been gone for a while now.

It has.....

Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd. Bye Bye. SG

And a guy that doesnt know cars is still an idiot, regardless of what he says.

If only Ford itself would disband and dissolve.

Quoted: If only Ford itself would disband and dissolve.

+1

They must have gotten tired of sucking so long.

(SVT Contour??? Come on, what's next, SVT Aspire?)

BTW April Fools.

Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd. Bye Bye. SG And a guy that doesnt know cars is still an idiot, regardless of what he says.

I would tend to put forward that the Focus and Contour are both turds, polished by SVT or otherwise...

Same for the Neon, making it 'SRT' does not make it less of a POS...

(I hate compact cars - no matter how much shit you bolt on, it's still what it started out as)....

Meanwhile, I am waiting to see what SLP will do to the 'new' Camaro, performance wise...

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd. Bye Bye. SG And a guy that doesnt know cars is still an idiot, regardless of what he says. I would tend to put forward that the Focus and Contour are both turds, polished by SVT or otherwise... Same for the Neon, making it 'SRT' does not make it less of a POS... I hate compact cars - no matter how much shit you bolt on, it's still what it started out as).... Meanwhile, I am waiting to see what SLP will do to the 'new' Camaro, performance wise...

Disagree.......Evo's and WRXs are kicking ass on highways and racetracks all across the country including f-Bodies

Too bad..so sad...I guess those souped up focus fan club never stepped up.

Go figure, A big 3 with a failure.

I will say this. I have driven an SVT Focus and it was freaking fast. And handled great.

Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd. Bye Bye. SG And a guy that doesnt know cars is still an idiot, regardless of what he says.

Yep. 0-60 in 6 seconds and a top speed of 140MPH. Not bad for a 1989 Taurus.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd. Bye Bye. SG And a guy that doesnt know cars is still an idiot, regardless of what he says. Yep. www.image4u.org/jimtash/2003_01015Image0010.JPG

Too bad that is a Yamaha engine and not a Ford design.


All  Bowtie vs. Blue Oval behind it always sucks when one of the big three cuts ot part of there performace vehicle programs/projects/cars/divisions.

Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd. Bye Bye. SG And a guy that doesnt know cars is still an idiot, regardless of what he says.

Whatever. (BTW, Most folks know they're wrong resort to name calling.)

Again, no matter how hard you try you can't polish a turd, regardless of what super-duper happy-go-fast nameplate and hopped up factory go fast crapyou put in it.

It's still a Ford, ie: Overpriced Shit. Moreso 'cause it has the "SVT" nameplate on it.

Big Deal.

Shit's shit, even wrapped in pretty paper.

No thanks.

SG

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd. Bye Bye. SG And a guy that doesnt know cars is still an idiot, regardless of what he says. Yep. 0-60 in 6 seconds and a top speed of 140MPH. Not bad for a 1989 Taurus. www.image4u.org/jimtash/2003_01015Image0010.JPG

Still a Ford, regardless of the flashy warapper.

SG

Wait a minute.

Shutting down on 4/1

APRIL FIRST

Is this a long lead time April Fools joke?

Probably is a joke, but like I said in my previous post, if only Ford itself would disband and disolve into thin air.

IMHO, the SVT program is pretty tamed......

They need a better more radical engine, etc.

Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd Again, no matter how hard you try you can't polish a turd, regardless of what super-duper happy-go-fast nameplate and hopped up factory go fast crapyou put in it.

This is pretty dumbass.

No matter what kinda factory go-fast goodies are put on a rig it's still a peice a shit eh?

Guess that covers pretty much everyone

Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd Again, no matter how hard you try you can't polish a turd, regardless of what super-duper happy-go-fast nameplate and hopped up factory go fast crapyou put in it. This is pretty dumbass. No matter what kinda factory go-fast goodies are put on a rig it's still a peice a shit eh? Guess that covers pretty much everyone

Not so much.

No matter what, as long as a vehicle has a blue oval with the name Ford in it, it will always be a piece of shit.     <------------------  FACT

Umm....

no

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd Again, no matter how hard you try you can't polish a turd, regardless of what super-duper happy-go-fast nameplate and hopped up factory go fast crapyou put in it. This is pretty dumbass. No matter what kinda factory go-fast goodies are put on a rig it's still a peice a shit eh? Guess that covers pretty much everyone Not so much. No matter what, as long as a vehicle has a blue oval with the name Ford in it, it will always be a piece of shit.     <------------------  FACT

If ya say so.......

the big 3 are about equal IMO

Quoted: the big 3 are about equal IMO

Nah.. GM is, and will stay #1...

The other 2 are about equal (FORD & Chrysler)

Quoted: Yep. 0-60 in 6 seconds and a top speed of 140MPH. Not bad for a 1989 Taurus. www.image4u.org/jimtash/2003_01015Image0010.JPG

0-60 in 6 seconds? Why does it take so long?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd Again, no matter how hard you try you can't polish a turd, regardless of what super-duper happy-go-fast nameplate and hopped up factory go fast crapyou put in it. This is pretty dumbass. No matter what kinda factory go-fast goodies are put on a rig it's still a peice a shit eh? Guess that covers pretty much everyone Not so much. No matter what, as long as a vehicle has a blue oval with the name Ford in it, it will always be a piece of shit.     <------------------  FACT

So I guess my  86GT with 189K miles on it is a POS, damn how have I been getting back and forth to work all of these years?

Quoted: Quoted: the big 3 are about equal IMO Nah.. GM is, and will stay #1... The other 2 are about equal (FORD & Chrysler)

Uh, didn't the jap's knock Chrysler down to #4?

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd. Bye Bye. SG And a guy that doesnt know cars is still an idiot, regardless of what he says. Yep. 0-60 in 6 seconds and a top speed of 140MPH. Not bad for a 1989 Taurus. www.image4u.org/jimtash/2003_01015Image0010.JPG

The Yamaha DOHC V-6...kick azz!!!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd. Bye Bye. SG And a guy that doesnt know cars is still an idiot, regardless of what he says. Whatever. (BTW, Most folks know they're wrong resort to name calling.) Again, no matter how hard you try you can't polish a turd, regardless of what super-duper happy-go-fast nameplate and hopped up factory go fast crapyou put in it. It's still a Ford, ie: Overpriced Shit. Moreso 'cause it has the "SVT" nameplate on it. Big Deal. Shit's shit, even wrapped in pretty paper. No thanks. SG

No, most folks who resort to name calling realize their dealing with a complete and utter maroon who doesnt have a fucking clue about cars other then to turn the key, how to use the 2 pedals on the floor and to take it in so the mechanic can change the gooey stuff when the number on the sticker matches the number on the dash.

And you are one of those maroons who probably doesnt know much beyond the 2 pedals on the floor and saying hi to your mechanic.

The big blue oval will be sticking around for awhile folks.   It's nice to see some people want an american company which directly and indirectly employs alot of americans to die off.     I suppose we'll all be better off if the companies YOU work for are disbanded too.   It'll be great days when YOUR job is outsourced.  


I have never worked for the UAW nor have I ever known anyone who does.   The UAW is killing off the american auto industry.    The US will lose it's status as a major player in the world because of people who insist on buying foreign goods.   A Subaru or Toyota built in the US is still made of japanese parts.   Hell many of the Subs and Toys, Nissan, etc are built in Mexico.  ( heading off the buy a mexican ford/chevy comments!)


If you think american cars are junk you havent been paying attention.   I've got 4 that prove you dont know what your talking about.    All have been trouble free.

Quoted: Quoted: Yep. 0-60 in 6 seconds and a top speed of 140MPH. Not bad for a 1989 Taurus. www.image4u.org/jimtash/2003_01015Image0010.JPG 0-60 in 6 seconds? Why does it take so long?

That was pretty damn fast in 1989.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: A souped - up turd is still a turd. Bye Bye. SG And a guy that doesnt know cars is still an idiot, regardless of what he says. Whatever. (BTW, Most folks know they're wrong resort to name calling.) Again, no matter how hard you try you can't polish a turd, regardless of what super-duper happy-go-fast nameplate and hopped up factory go fast crapyou put in it. It's still a Ford, ie: Overpriced Shit. Moreso 'cause it has the "SVT" nameplate on it. Big Deal. Shit's shit, even wrapped in pretty paper. No thanks. SG No, most folks who resort to name calling realize their dealing with a complete and utter maroon who doesnt have a fucking clue about cars other then to turn the key, how to use the 2 pedals on the floor and to take it in so the mechanic can change the gooey stuff when the number on the sticker matches the number on the dash. And you are one of those maroons who probably doesnt know much beyond the 2 pedals on the floor and saying hi to your mechanic.

Not for nothing, why is it so bad NOT to know about cars? To me a car is a car. It gets from point A-B...they all do it the same. I never give a car a 2nd glance. I could care less about how souped up a car is nor do I ever fall for marketing when it comes to an expensive purchase. I am sure I am not alone in this country.

I do not change my own oil, I can get that done for me for 15.00-20.00 and not have to worry about the mess. I do not hold onto car's long enough for them to fall out of warranty. If something goes wrong, I take it in and say hi to the mechanic.

I guess, in my best Bugs Bunny voice I am a 'Maroon'.

A car is an appliance; it is a Kenmore with wheels.  Real men are not measured by their autos.

Quoted: The big blue oval will be sticking around for awhile folks.   It's nice to see some people want an american company which directly and indirectly employs alot of americans to die off.     I suppose we'll all be better off if the companies YOU work for are disbanded too.   It'll be great days when YOUR job is outsourced.   I have never worked for the UAW nor have I ever known anyone who does.   The UAW is killing off the american auto industry.    The US will lose it's status as a major player in the world because of people who insist on buying foreign goods.   A Subaru or Toyota built in the US is still made of japanese parts.   Hell many of the Subs and Toys, Nissan, etc are built in Mexico.  ( heading off the buy a mexican ford/chevy comments!) If you think american cars are junk you havent been paying attention.   I've got 4 that prove you dont know what your talking about.    All have been trouble free.

Another "I am right, you are wrong"----Ok you are right, everyone here has no clue, and you are right. Silly them. IF they are all so good, why do you need four of them

Dont get angry at American buying stuff from other countries. Get angry at the people who shipped those jobs off, get angry at the suppliers who supply those goods here to us and get angry at the people who make it so easy due to trade laws (but then we would have to bring up saying something bad about GWB, and we can't do that here on ARFCOM.

Dont forget there are goods exported from this country as well.

Sucks that the 2007 SVT Cobra is being called a Shelby. Like that old sell out had anything to do with the car.

I hate to interrupt a perfectly good "Ford is crap", "No it's not" debate but

You've all been had.

April Fools.

That SHO engine is still one of the best engines ever made.

So far ahead of it's time.

Everything that was Ford in my SHO broke, anything that was japanese worked fine.

I personally don't think ford cars suck any worse then the other american cars, they all suck equally.

Quoted: I hate to interrupt a perfectly good "Ford is crap", "No it's not" debate but You've all been had. April Fools.

Ford has killed of the Adrenaline Sport Trac, Lightning, GT is ending production, no Cobra R, and calling the new Cobra a Shelby.
What does SVT have left??

Quoted: Quoted: I hate to interrupt a perfectly good "Ford is crap", "No it's not" debate but You've all been had. April Fools. Ford has killed of the Adrenaline Sport Trac, Lightning, GT is ending production, no Cobra R, and calling the new Cobra a Shelby. What does SVT have left??

Just noting the timing of the article is all. I'm no Ford fan but it would be stupid for them to get rid of the SVT group.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I hate to interrupt a perfectly good "Ford is crap", "No it's not" debate but You've all been had. April Fools. Ford has killed of the Adrenaline Sport Trac, Lightning, GT is ending production, no Cobra R, and calling the new Cobra a Shelby. What does SVT have left?? Just noting the timing of the article is all. I'm no Ford fan but it would be stupid for them to get rid of the SVT group.

Here's another article

www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Columns/articleId=109512

Team spiritless: Ford's SVT concept is history
Date posted: 03-06-2006

Quietly, Ford Motor Co. has been dismantling SVT — the Special Vehicle Team — and sources inside the company suggest that as of April 1, SVT as we've known it since 1992 will cease to exist.

Just over a year ago, I wrote a column titled "SVT: A near-death experience?" It was more prophetic than I'd hoped. SVT, responsible for such products as the SVT Cobra Mustang, the SVT Lightning pickup, the SVT Contour and the SVT Focus, no longer has a dedicated marketing staff, a dedicated public relations staff, an independent engineering team, a press fleet or an events trailer. The dealer network that was painstakingly assembled among Ford's top dealers has crumbled, and some dealers reportedly are talking about a class-action lawsuit.

SVT's longtime executive staff is gone, and, oddly enough, so are the Ford executives who developed and executed SVT's demise.

Yes, the 2007 Mustang in Shelby Cobra trim is still coming, and yes, it was developed by SVT. And yes, it'll have SVT badges, because it's too late to take them off. But it is the last genuine SVT product.

By "genuine," I mean it was developed by SVT, from concept to execution, then sold through the network of 600 dedicated Ford SVT dealers, who paid to be part of SVT, sent employees to SVT training and stocked SVT parts. Any future Ford products that carry an SVT badge, and it is unlikely any will, will be more of a "suspension tuned by SVT"-type vehicle. And the 7,500 Shelby Cobra Mustangs sold for 2007 — more, if they can get enough transmissions — will be offered to all 3,900 Ford dealers, not just SVT participants.

SVT has had no dedicated products since 2004. A high-performance version of the new Sport Trac, called the Adrenalin, was shown at the New York auto show in March 2005. At a preview for journalists, SVT Director Hau Thai-Tang said that the Adrenalin "is going to turn the performance vehicle market upside down" when it goes on sale as a 2007 model. Then, last month, the Adrenalin was canceled as part of Ford's "Way Forward" restructuring campaign. "As part of our way forward, we are adjusting our product plan and decided not to produce the Sport Trac Adrenalin," said Ford spokesman Jon Harmon. The Ford GT supercar, which was developed largely by SVT engineers but was not called an SVT model, will end production later this year.

If you check the official SVT Web site, there remains a glowing story about the Adrenalin, and when it's coming to market. "I guess we're a little behind on that Web site," said one Ford executive. Yes, I guess.

This is the second such embarrassment for SVT: The company showed a concept version of a new 500-horsepower Lightning in 2003 and promised to produce it, but in late 2004, pulled the plug.

SVT was founded in 1991 by Robert Rewey, Ford's vice president for marketing and sales, and Neil Ressler, Ford's chief technical officer. The idea was that SVT would consist of a small group of engineers, designers and marketing professionals who would work inside Ford, charged with building and selling high-performance versions of existing products. SVT also set up a separate dealer network, signing up Ford dealers who had an interest in selling performance products.

In 1992, the first two SVT products were launched: the 1993 F-150 Lightning pickup and the 1993 Mustang Cobra. In 1997, the SVT Contour was introduced, and in 1999, the second-generation Lightning went in sale. In late 2001, the '02 SVT Focus went on sale. By 2004, when production of the Lightning, Mustang Cobra and SVT Focus ended, the company had sold about 145,000 SVT products.

So what went wrong?

It appears that the balls-out effort to build the Ford GT by the company's 100th anniversary took its toll on the SVT staff, slowing development of more mainstream future products, such as the next-generation Lightning, an updated SVT Focus and an SVT version of the Fusion. The Ford executives who oversaw SVT, group vice presidents Steve Lyons and Phil Martens, didn't give SVT the resources it needed to rebuild.

Martens is gone; he's running Plastech, a company that supplies spoilers and scuff plates and other bits and pieces to the manufacturers. And Lyons retired March 1 to move to Arizona and run a Ford dealership. Reportedly Lyon's replacement, Cisco Codina, likes SVT, but it's too late.

Why? Because SVT's top executives are gone, too. John Coletti, the bulldog engineer who was the heart and soul of SVT, retired at the end of 2004. Tom Scarpello, Coletti's counterpart on the marketing side, moved to Jaguar. Chris Theodore, a Ford vice president who spearheaded the Ford GT, is gone. This leaves the talented, personable Hau Thai-Tang to run SVT. Essentially, he's a captain without a ship.

It's painful to see what has happened to SVT, especially when you look at the success of Chrysler's SRT program, which in many ways mirrors what SVT was. In the grand scheme of Ford's problems, botching SVT is a small one. But to enthusiasts, it speaks volumes.

Nearly 10 years ago I was in Las Vegas, the first to drive the upcoming SVT Contour. John Coletti and I, en route to some all-you-can-eat buffet at a casino, were talking about GM's current strategy of hiring brand managers for each model. It was not a successful program, but I was playing devil's advocate.

"Maybe it's a good thing," I told Coletti, "to have someone whose job it is to be excited about the Chevrolet Cavalier."

Coletti thought for a moment. "But wouldn't it be better to just build cars that you didn't have to pay someone to be excited about?"

Yes, John, it would. And you and your team always did.

Methinks that far too many people on this board have had a little too much of the (GM) brand loyalty Kool-Aid.

It's just like my uncle: he claims that Fords are junk and that GMs never have any problems, this nevermind the fact that all of his cars are GMs and they are always broken/lemons.  And he's a mechanic.  Just a little too blinded by brand loyalty.  If any of you think that any one American car manufacturer has a lock on the quality market, you're mistaken.  There are just as many crappy GMs as there are Fords and Chryslers (far too many of all of the above).

I suggest that some of you wein yourselves off of the Kool-Aid and start evaluating things a little more objectively.

If the news about SVT closing up shop is true, it is truly a sad day in the performance automotive industry.

Quoted: Nah.. GM is, and will stay #1...

Quoted: Quoted: Nah.. GM is, and will stay #1...

+1

GM is and will stay number 1, until Toyota takes the title that is.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Nah.. GM is, and will stay #1... +1 GM is and will stay number 1, until Toyota takes the title that is.

And when the US is no longer a major power in the world you can blame the people who gladly support foreign companies to the detriment of american companies and workers.
Thank you Toyota lovers ( among others) for doing your part to destroy our economy.  

Quoted: Thank you Toyota lovers ( among others) for doing your part to destroy our economy.

You're welcome.

Here have a pacifier--->