SVT Getting The Boot?
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From: Orlando, FL
SVT Getting The Boot?
If this is true I wonder what the hell Ford is thinking?
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/class...tive-headlines
March 2, 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.
SVT has had no dedicated products since 2004. A high-performance version of the 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. The Ford GT supercar, which was developed largely by SVT engineers but was not called an SVT model, will end production later this year.
A new Shelby Cobra GT 500 Mustang is due later this year as a 2007 model. But it will be offered to all 3,900 Ford dealers, instead of SVT's network of roughly 600 dealers.
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 to build and sell high-performance versions of existing products. SVT also set up a separate dealer network, signing up Ford dealers that 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 on 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.
It's likely that Ford will continue to produce special-edition models of several vehicles, but they will not be sold through SVT channels.
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.
SVT has had no dedicated products since 2004. A high-performance version of the 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. The Ford GT supercar, which was developed largely by SVT engineers but was not called an SVT model, will end production later this year.
A new Shelby Cobra GT 500 Mustang is due later this year as a 2007 model. But it will be offered to all 3,900 Ford dealers, instead of SVT's network of roughly 600 dealers.
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 to build and sell high-performance versions of existing products. SVT also set up a separate dealer network, signing up Ford dealers that 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 on 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.
It's likely that Ford will continue to produce special-edition models of several vehicles, but they will not be sold through SVT channels.
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From: Your moms house
Sucks to be a consumer with a lead foot these days. I guess if one has the money, they could always build their own performance-vehicle.
Man, that sucks. I can almost guarantee that if this does happen, I see a lot of people buying Dodge around here.
Sad, but true.
Man, that sucks. I can almost guarantee that if this does happen, I see a lot of people buying Dodge around here.
Sad, but true.
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I think SVT needs to be dead.
Its been proven by many other automakers that you can offer hi-po vehicles from the regular assembly line Dodge SRT, MazdaSpeed, Volvo "R", etc)
Not to mention dealer installed performance parts (Toyota TRD etc)
That and it seems that the only reason for SVT these days is to make super Mustangs... which can be done by existing Mustang team members.
Its been proven by many other automakers that you can offer hi-po vehicles from the regular assembly line Dodge SRT, MazdaSpeed, Volvo "R", etc)
Not to mention dealer installed performance parts (Toyota TRD etc)
That and it seems that the only reason for SVT these days is to make super Mustangs... which can be done by existing Mustang team members.
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From: Blue Ridge Mountains, GA
"Its been proven by many other automakers that you can offer hi-po vehicles from the regular assembly"
Ummmm, that's where the SVT's were built (regular assembly line). This just makes mine worth more.
It is sad to see SVT go away.
Ummmm, that's where the SVT's were built (regular assembly line). This just makes mine worth more.
It is sad to see SVT go away.
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From: North of Dallas, South of Frisco
This will probably be the most chauvanistic thing I ever say, but, that's what happens when you put a woman in charge...
(They don't understand the need for big V-8's, and 400 HP like we do...) (Forgot to say...)
There was a write up in Motor Trend, or another of the myraid of auto magazine I have, that stated there's a female from the Ford Family, that's over the aspect of Ford that truly governs SVT. They went on to say she is not a fan of performance cars & trucks. They went on to make the prediction that with her at the helm, SVT would soon die. Apparently, they were right, if this story becomes true.
Ford is a company that's rebuilding, but, I think it's STUPID, to think that getting rid of the cars that turn heads for you, as a cost cutting measure. That's nothing short of corporate suicide. These cars, whether people purchase them or not, get people interested in Fords, it gets people into the showrooms. Instead of shrinking SVT, they needed to expand it, and create performance variants of a few key vehicles that cam better compete with their european and japanese counterparts.
Some great examples would have been:
Fusion SVT
Five Hundred SVT
Explorer SVT
Mustang Cobra SVT
Lightning SVT
Ford GT
Crown Victoria SVT
They had a good idea, they just didn't take it far enough...
Got-dammit, I need to have some say-so at these American Motor Companies; they need someone with a grass roots perspective, that can light fires in the hearts of Ford's current buyers, as well as something the future buyers that are in 6th - 12th grades, will aspire to own...
Oh well, I'm sure some of Ford's exec's read this web page. If they need help reaching the hearts, minds and wallets of America's car buying public, I'm sure they can find me.
I'll relocate to Detroit, as long as I can live well. And, I'm come cheap...
Somebody's gotta do something!
(They don't understand the need for big V-8's, and 400 HP like we do...) (Forgot to say...)
There was a write up in Motor Trend, or another of the myraid of auto magazine I have, that stated there's a female from the Ford Family, that's over the aspect of Ford that truly governs SVT. They went on to say she is not a fan of performance cars & trucks. They went on to make the prediction that with her at the helm, SVT would soon die. Apparently, they were right, if this story becomes true.
Ford is a company that's rebuilding, but, I think it's STUPID, to think that getting rid of the cars that turn heads for you, as a cost cutting measure. That's nothing short of corporate suicide. These cars, whether people purchase them or not, get people interested in Fords, it gets people into the showrooms. Instead of shrinking SVT, they needed to expand it, and create performance variants of a few key vehicles that cam better compete with their european and japanese counterparts.
Some great examples would have been:
Fusion SVT
Five Hundred SVT
Explorer SVT
Mustang Cobra SVT
Lightning SVT
Ford GT
Crown Victoria SVT
They had a good idea, they just didn't take it far enough...
Got-dammit, I need to have some say-so at these American Motor Companies; they need someone with a grass roots perspective, that can light fires in the hearts of Ford's current buyers, as well as something the future buyers that are in 6th - 12th grades, will aspire to own...
Oh well, I'm sure some of Ford's exec's read this web page. If they need help reaching the hearts, minds and wallets of America's car buying public, I'm sure they can find me.
I'll relocate to Detroit, as long as I can live well. And, I'm come cheap...
Somebody's gotta do something!
Last edited by Bighersh; Mar 3, 2006 at 02:49 PM.
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From: Your moms house
Originally Posted by Bighersh
This will probably be the most chauvinistic thing I ever say, but, that's what happens when you put a woman in charge...
Hersh, you are my most favorite person on this site now. I didn't know there was a female in charge, but if there is, that would explain everything "STOOPID" Ford has done.
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From: Your moms house
Originally Posted by 03BLKLTNG
Hello everyone, I'm new here. If Ford does decide to stop the SVT production it won't make me very happy, but I will keep my current Lightning till the wheels fall off.
W-E-L-C-O-M-E If I had an 03 Lightning, I would keep it till the wheels fell off too.
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From: Your moms house
Originally Posted by 03BLKLTNG
Thanks for the welcome. I used to be a Corvette guy till a friend of mine blew the doors off it with a Lightning. Sooooo what did I do? I joined the crowd and bought one LOLWell, welcome to the World of Ford. A lot of people here are real Ford guys (they bleed Ford blue). This is a fun forum, and you can gather TONS of good info here, for just about anything.
Have fun.
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From: North of Dallas, South of Frisco
Originally Posted by 03BLKLTNG
Thanks for the welcome. I used to be a Corvette guy till a friend of mine blew the doors off it with a Lightning. Sooooo what did I do? I joined the crowd and bought one LOL
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From: Michigan
Originally Posted by Bighersh
Yeah, but what were you towing behind the Corvette?
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From: Western Massachusetts
Originally Posted by 03BLKLTNG
...but I will keep my current Lightning till the wheels fall off.
R.I.P. SVT
Glad I got mine!
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From: NH
Don’t really matter to me. I have my 2003 Lightning with little less then 5,000 miles on it...
Nobody buys a performance vehicle with gas prices in mind or gas mileage. Performance is performance and Ford doesn’t have it anymore. Ford got their @ss handed to them by the big boys who stepped up to the plate to play and when they won Ford wussed out…
Give it about 5 more years and Toyota will be the number one truck producer. When that happens Ford won't really have a reason to be around anymore anyway...
Nobody buys a performance vehicle with gas prices in mind or gas mileage. Performance is performance and Ford doesn’t have it anymore. Ford got their @ss handed to them by the big boys who stepped up to the plate to play and when they won Ford wussed out…
Give it about 5 more years and Toyota will be the number one truck producer. When that happens Ford won't really have a reason to be around anymore anyway...