Team spiritless: Ford's SVT concept is history

[TrainTrac]

It's sad that Ford is just going to let the SVT program die... I don't know what they're thinking in Dearborn.

Ford kills SVT - 2007 Shelby Cobra Mustang to be performance division's swan song



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 ef

 

[Nelson Atwell]

I guess Dodge won the battle and war on this muscle car competition, since Ford just waved their white flag and surrendered. I guess their partnership with the French to build our ST transmissions has rubbed off on them. I wonder how gutless people digest food? :unsure:

 

[Phill R]

Can we have a moment of silence please?



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



.



Thank you.

 

[Travis Munday]

Ford is smoking some bad herbs these days. Someone, please, give em the stuff DC is smoking.

 

[ChrisW Vincent]

That just plain sucks! SVT may you RIP!

 

[Gavin Allan]

What ever happend to the SVO (Special Vehical Operations)?

 

[Gypsy me]

Yep, looks like Dodge won the war. "there's your sign FORD"



oh and....THANKS for Listening.

 

[JK II]

My next truck is a Dodge.

 

[TrainTrac]

What ever happend to the SVO (Special Vehical Operations)?

That became SVT.

 

[Gypsy me]

I think the folks attending the National STmeet should wear black arm bands with white lettering: SVT This will show support of what was and silently make a statement.



I tell ya the news really disappoints me.

 

[Larry Phillips]

I agree on the armbands GM. I'd wear one. This is horrible news.

RIP SVT...

 

[Travis Munday]

Jo(h)n....just say no to Dodge.



I'm hoping mine will be a Toyota. Hooray for dependability!

 

[Gypsy me]

Larry I totally understand. I was soo looking forward and holding faith. It was not that far away in Dallas my hopes and dreams were built...only to be let down.





whose going to National and willing to Sport a black arm band SVT lettering?



I know Larry would, how bout you JK? anyone else.

 

[Nelson Atwell]

I would wear one. However, I wonder if it would offend our hosts to do so. Seems the only reason why we continued the National Meets is because Ford agreed to host them. If you remember, Ford gave us a small number of times/places which we chose from. ToddZ made it clear that a meet would not occur without Ford's approval and a sufficient number of willing participants. If we piss them off, we might not see another.



Personally, I don't give a rat's patootie whether Ford participates in OUR meets, but some here think it is important.

 

[Gypsy me]

How is "silently" stating how we feel offensive? I would think FORD would want to know.



and it just might help for the "future"

 

[Deleted deleted]

Dropping the SVT program and selling Hertz just shows how desperate Ford is for cash. While the SVT program didn't sell a lot of cars, it was there as a marketing tool for Ford to show the tuners what is possible with a vehicle. Sad to see it go...