1985 Ford Mustang SVO

Description

This is the classic pony car that earns its dark style with a very different kind of performance heart. The 1985 Ford Mustang SVO took an American icon and borrowed a page from the Japanese and European cars from the era and boosted its ponies with turbo power. It makes for a rare and unique classic that's also a ton of fun to drive.

Ford's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) was the division where the engineers were enthusiasts. They helped develop the best components for the racing programs and those who wanted to get more power out on the streets. And for a few short years, they also got to unleash their ideal car: this SVO Mustang. It's instantly recognizable as a special coupe with features like a unique front end, offset hood scoop for the turbo's ram air, distinct tail lights, and dual rear spoilers don in gray to match the rub strips. All of these unique elements are present today on this fastback, and it's even a factory black car. It was given a respray later in life so it retains gloss to show off the good body gaps and well-respected panels. Still overall, this also never loses the driver-ready attitude that's essential to owning a fun car. When these special SVO cars were new, they were about double the price of the base Mustang LX, and so you can understand that this is a rare model with only about 2k examples produced in 1985.

Just like the exterior, the interior shares many premium Mustang GT elements, but has enough unique pieces for the SVO to be all its own. It includes sport bucket seats with added adjustable supports, a cool SVO three-spoke steering wheel, and a performance shifter. Because this came at a premium price, it also came loaded with features. This includes power windows, power locks, electric rear defrost, and a digital clock. It all looks quite stock and well-preserved on a car where the odometer is believed to represent the full actual mileage. In fact, there are full stock details, like the factory radio that's there for display, the working dome light, and the privacy cover for the rear hatch. The A/C controls are still on display, but the full components were traded for added power - after all, this is a driver's car. That's why you get the full gauge pack, including a large tach and a turbo gauge to really let you enjoy the boosted motor to the fullest.

The advantage of getting a car from the SVO team meant it was built by engineers who wanted to make the best performance machine around. They started with a base of the 2.3-liter turbo that was utilized in the special edition Thunderbird, and they reworked it to get the kind of power figures that rivaled the Mustang GT. But this one also has its own secret. An adjustable fuel pressure regulator and an adjustable boost controller let you unlock the SVO team's full intentions whenever you want. The SVO's aim was not to replace the Mustang GT, but instead tap into a level of European flair and acceleration that the V8 wasn't offering. And so they continued this feeling in the suspension with an upgraded/lighter front end, thick sway bars, upgraded shocks, and four-wheel power disc brakes. Plus, there were other great driving features such as the Borg-Warner five-speed manual transmission, versatile 3.73 limited-slip rear, and power-assisted rack & pinion steering.

This classic SVO remains a lot of fun, and the price for this low-batch collectible is hard to beat. Call today!!!