We traditionally think of the Mustang GT as Ford’s top performer during the 1980s. With the third-generation pony car’s light weight and the healthy selection of aftermarket modifications, the V8-powered Mustang become a performance icon of the time. But in 1984, Ford unveiled another performance variant of the Mustang called the SVO, or Special Vehicle Operations. While the SVO sported half the cylinders of the GT model, its turbocharged four-cylinder motor coupled with its comprehensive handling package allowed the model to supplant its V8-powered brethren for Blue Oval performance supremacy during its production run.
Fast-forward to today. As fuel economy and emissions regulations continue to tighten, the use of turbocharging in modern performance cars is on the rise. Turbocharging a downsized power plant is the centerpiece of Ford’s so-called EcoBoost package. But today’s consumers probably don’t realize that the Mustang EcoBoost can trace its lineage back to the SVO.
Smaller Engine, Same Power
A combination of skyrocketing insurance premiums, tightening government regulations, and the Arab Oil Embargo all contributed to the death of the first muscle car era by the mid-1970s. In 1979, another oil crisis prompted Ford to drop the 5.0 for the 1980 and 1981 model years, and it was replaced by a 4.2-liter V8 that made 120 horsepower—the lowest power ever offered on a V8 Mustang. Suddenly the fuel efficient yet similarly powerful turbocharged four-cylinder motor started to look more appealing.
At the same time, Ford was determined to revitalize its performance image. By fall 1981, the company formed the Special Vehicle Operations division, which was assembled to oversee both the company’s motorsports efforts as well as the development of limited-edition high-performance street cars using technology derived from the racing program.
By late 1983, the team had a turbocharged high-performance Mustang ready for showrooms. The SVO’s shifting duties were dispatched by a Borg Warner 5-speed manual gearbox with a Hurst shifter that sent the power to a limited slip differential. And while its engine was rated at 175 horsepower—or 10 ponies more than the top-spec V8 in that inaugural year—the SVO team’s development emphasis was on handling.
The four-cylinder motor’s smaller size gave it an inherent weight advantage over the V8. To capitalize on that opportunity, the team tapped performance-suspension supplier Koni for the shock and adjustable struts and gave the SVO stiffer bushings, uprated springs, and beefier front and rear sway bars. These suspension modifications, along with four-wheel disc brakes, Goodyear high-performance tires, and a quick ratio steering rack gave the SVO the handling prowess to match its straight-line performance.
The SVO package included a handful of unique aesthetic tweaks as well. Offered only in the three-door hatch configuration, the SVO sported flush-face 16×7-inch all-aluminum wheels, a functional cold-air induction hood with an offset scoop that fed the engine’s intercooler, and a subtle but unique body kit that help set it apart from other Mustang variants.
The Making of a Cellectible
The production run of the SVO variant would last only three model years with just under 10,000 examples made. Ford’s efforts to further develop its fuel-injected pushrod 5.0-liter V8 in the later part of the decade resulted in that motor becoming a staple of domestic high performance, and the four- cylinder SVO Mustangs quickly faded into obscurity.
However, in recent years, collectors have been turning their sights toward this relatively rare and unique performance variant. Incredibly well-preserved SVOs like this museum-quality example from the final year of SVO production can still be had on the cheap—at least for time being.
While it may not have enjoyed the same level of popularity as the GT did in its day, the SVO’s advanced engineering signaled the path we’re headed toward now—one that sees Ford’s upcoming GT supercar powered by a V6 with a pair of turbochargers rather than a big displacement V8. We wouldn’t be surprised to see the SVO moniker find its way back into Ford’s performance playbook in the near future.
See 1986 Ford Mustang for sale on eBay.
