"...Working on the Mustang SVO...

the thing it took us was total

concentration and total dedication. That was it, from the time that we
were on it for the two years until we launched it. It was a terrific
experience. I learned a lot, we all learned a lot. It was a lot of work; it
was a lot of fun and a lot of satisfaction.

"There's nothing like being in an assembly plant and seeing something

that you worked on. The first time they start and it's just all the little bits
and pieces lying around like that, and then you walk down to the other
end of the plant and the guy turns the key and there's a car! You look at
it and say 'I had a lot to do with that.' It's an incredible feeling.

"But to have something and be there for the launch and knowing all the
trials and tribulations we'd all gone through and all that, and here it is.
When it comes off of the line, it is a pretty amazing thing. You won't see
it ever again - the Mustang SVO."

- Don Hayward, Chassis Design and Development - Special Vehicle

Operations

General Commentary:

Follow the history of the Mustang SVO from the creation of the group
itself, on through its design and development phase, and finally to its
production and legacy. Do you want to know what the differences are
between each model year of SVO? Do you want to know how the SVO
came equipped from the factory? Do you want to know how and why
they named the car SVO? Who the men of SVO are, and how they went
about creating a vehicle for production with only a handful of engineers.
Do you want to know why they chose the 2.3L turbo-4 engine? Do you
want to find out what were the challenges and obstacles that this group
faced in designing and developing the car? Do you want to know where
SVO, the group, stood in terms of reporting within Ford corporate? Do
you want to know how Bob Stelmaszczak (SVO electronics engineer)
stumbled upon torque control (boost control)? Read about the behind-
the-scenes-story of the E4ZX parts, find out what made the Mustang
SVO unique, its technical specs, and get a detailed listing of the 1984
and 1985 ½ parts listing of the SVO. Do you want to know why you will
never see any reproduction McGard lug nuts? Sorry, the book can't tell
you that - see me and I'll tell you why. That's a story that I could not
include in the book.
In any event, that is a highly simplified Coles Notes version of the
book, MUSTANG SVO - The Machine Speaks for Itself. I started my
research on this book on December 6, 1994 and began printing the
book in 2004. I remember knocking on Bob Negstad's door (SVO
Chassis enginer), in Dearborn, MI, and introducing myself to him. We
had some idle chatter and then we sat down and I took out my voice
recorder, and we started talking, and talking, and talking! After some 45
hours of recorded notes and over 1500 pages of research material, the
definitive source for factual information on the Mustang SVO is here! Of
course, I had talked to several of the SVO engineers and personnel
within those 45 hours.

With the publication of the Mustang SVO book, I have achieved my goal
of documenting, in book form, the unique and interesting history of the
Mustang SVO. This project has not been easy; it has not been a treat, I
can honestly say that I have more respect for people who take on such
projects. I did not realize the amount of work that goes into such an
endeavor. This labor of love has consumed far more time than I would
have ever imagined, and that has caused me more sleepless nights
than I care to remember, but when all is said and done, it will have been
well worth it. Just the thought of knowing that the history of the Mustang
SVO will now be in print, makes the memories (good and bad) much
more palatable.

This book has been one of my goals since I first became involved with
the SVO hobby back in 1989. It was my goal to document in detail all
available information on the vehicle. I also want to repay the trust the
engineers of SVO put in me to "tell the story" and "give the Mustang
SVO its due respect." As John Clinard noted in his recent
correspondence, "Thanks for keeping the flame alive." I believe, and
hope, this book will accomplish that goal. The benefits are many for all
SVO owners and enthusiasts, especially the owners. The story needs to
be told, and with your support it will be. And that is something that
struck me when I sat down with the engineers of this program. They
were more than willing to set aside some time for me to jog their
memories about their involvement with the SVO program. They all
realized that it was important for the story to be told, and that the
Mustang SVO receives its due respect within the Mustang bobby and
the enthusiast market in general.
I know that this book will cause many arguments and numerous
discussions amongst the SVO faithful. Some of the enthusiasts may not
agree with what is written. I can accept that because people will have
divergent opinions on this subject. During the research into this book,
my focus was to provide factual and historically correct information and
data on the Mustang SVO. And that is what I will have done. The story
that you will read is what actually happened during the development of
the Mustang SVO, and during its 4-year life span. Some SVO
enthusiasts will believe it; others will not.

The history of this limited-production, specialty-equipped vehicle will be

made available to those wishing to learn more about this most special
steed.

What it comes down to is that for four very short model years, and with
a production of only 9,844, the Mustang SVO captivated audiences with
its leading-edge componentry and turbocharged performance. The
Mustang SVO: the one and only product of Ford's racing group, Special
Vehicle Operations.

Reserve your copy today by completing the online registration

form and returning it to the address indicated on the order form.

Help make the dream a reality.

Thank you, David LaRocque

Enclosed is the Table of Contents of the book, this will give you an
outline of what the book is comprised of.

Table of Contents i
Foreword - by Michael Kranefuss ii
Acknowledgments iii-iv

CHAPTERS:

One:Glory Days...Depression Days - Total Performance …1960s Style 1-2

Two: Total Performance...1980's Style 3 -3
Three: Special Vehicle Operations - SVO - The Group 4-6
Four: SVO - Vehicle Development 7 - 16
Five: The Nitty Gritty 17 - 18
Choosing the platform...and a name, and creating a killer Mustang
Six: The New Way! 19 - 23
The group's mandates and the tools of the trade
Seven: The Fun Begins! 24 - 33
Trials, tribulations, politics, prototypes and testing
Eight: Finding a Home 34 - 35
Where to build the car, trials, tribulations
and politics of building a car
Nine: The Mustang SVO 36 - 52
Model year overview - Body, Chassis, and Powertrain
Ten: Marketing 53 - 63
Marketing manual, advertising themes, dealer publications,
promotional and merchandising material
Eleven: Epitaph 64 - 67
Twelve: Legacy 68 - 69

APPENDICES

A: 1984 - 1986 Mustang SVO Collectible Literature 1 - 30

B. Detailed Description of Most of the Unique E4ZX SVO Parts 1 - 29
C: Items Unique to the Mustang SVO 1-6
D: Standard Equipment Summary: Mustang SVO 1-6
E: Options and Product Codes for the Mustang SVO 1-2
F: Optional and Standard Equipment Coding and Pricing 1-5
G: Production - Related Information 1 - 11
H: How to Decode a Mustang SVO 1-7
I: Performance and Handling Statistics 1-3
J: SVO Concern Sign-Off and Testing Required 1-4
K: Technical Specifications for the Mustang SVO 1 - 17
L: 1985 1/2 Added Starter Parts Listing 1-4
M: Special SVOs 1-9
N: 1984 Mustang SVO Dedicated Parts List 1- 22
O: Listing of Mustang SVO Articles 1- 12
P: Photographs, Prints and other Collectibles 1 - 80
Q: Glossary: 1-1
Brief overview that will give you an idea on the contents of the
book:

1: Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), the group of individuals

comprising it, was, to most, an unknown corporate entity - the new kid
on the block. Born out of a need to improve the corporate image of Ford
Motor Company, these 32 individuals, mainly engineers, would usher in
a new era for Ford Motor Company.

2: Walter Hayes, the brainchild of this new organization, who had been
entrusted to lay out the groundwork for this new corporate entity, would
draw upon his European background to set up this new group.
Organized in a similar vein to their European counterparts, specifically
the U.K., this "Skunkworks" type of organization would be set up as a
small, very efficient and highly skilled group that could achieve highly
focused tasks much more quickly and more efficiently than their
mainstream counterparts.

3: 20800 Oakwood Blvd., original home of Special Vehicle Operations,

was viewed by many within Ford as the "bright light," resented by others
for its perceived intrusion into "their" sacred territory. Given a new set of
rules by which to work, these ten engineers would create, against all
odds, a vehicle, which they felt, epitomized what a driver's car should
be.

4: Located across the street from the Henry Ford Museum, this small,
single-story building with bronze windows housed this select group of
engineers; engineers that would lead Ford Motor Company back from
the abyss and into the design and development of performance-oriented
vehicles.

5: To start things off, Michael Kranefuss, Director of SVO, and John

Plant, Special Vehicle Planning Manager of SVO, took on the
responsibility of drawing up the initial business plan. These individuals
undertook the legwork involved in setting up this new organization and
they focused on two specific areas: hiring the engineers for this
assignment and setting the objectives and specifications for the vehicle
that would set the tone for this new corporate entity.
6: The history behind the Mustang car being chosen as the lead vehicle
for this group's initial foray into vehicle production was based off of the
"parameters and specifications" of Michael Kranefuss' and John Plant's
original letter of January 21, 1981.

7: The problem this group faced was in choosing which platform off of
which to base their program. Which car or truck could they choose that
would allow them to achieve their goal? They required a vehicle that
could be put into production at minimal investment and within a
compressed time period. They discussed which vehicle needed the
most help, and would potentially provide the best return on investment.
Their hands were tied, so they had to make do with what was available
to them, in terms of product and platform. Funds for this program were
limited. It was their intention to put out a specialty car that could
compete with the best sports cars on the market and they wanted to put
out a driver's car. The only one that really had any chance of being
accepted was the Fox-bodied Mustang/Capri.

8: Once the idea of converting the Fox body into a European-bred

sports car survived the review process, all other options went by the
wayside. Everybody began to hone in on the common goal of making
this the best car they could possibly make. That was their goal. That
was their focus! 9: Ford Motor Company, in the early 1980s, seemed
down ...but not out! Out went the old (way of doing business), and in
came the new (way of doing business), at least for this organization.
With Ford's NAAO losses totaling some 3.2 billion dollars between 1980
and 1982 alone, the questions on many individuals' minds were: "Was
there a better way of doing things? Could this group come up with
another one of Ford's 'Better Ideas?' Could they really afford to lose
more money?" It would not hurt to try. Risks, yes, there were some, but
the potential gains far outweighed the risks!

9: In the beginning, Special Vehicle Operations was generated to

support racing activities, with the idea of setting up a system so that a
small group of people could create a vehicle for production. Now, it was
time for this group of expatriates to commence the design and
development phase of the program. These 10 engineers had nobody
else but themselves to rely upon - there were not 20 other people
waiting in some office next door to help them out.
10: 17000 Southfield Road, Allen Park, MI, was the new home of
Special Vehicle Operations. Having outgrown their old digs, this group
occupied a portion of The Whittaker Building. With the way the program
was originally set up, things were done quite differently from the
accepted standards of the day. With Michael pre-occupied with politics
in the company, getting program approvals, satisfying the racing
programs, and everything else that was going on, he basically told the
SVO group to "build the car, but don't screw up! Come and get me if you
need some help." He had good people running the show under him. He
trusted them and expected them to return the trust. The engineers were
given the freedom and the authority to make decisions. Michael was not
too concerned with letting them loose, since he was given his updates
at the weekly meetings.

11: This group ran into some political problems, as well. At the outset of
this program, Walter Hayes, the founder of this organization saw to it
that the group was placed under the umbrella of Worldwide Public
Affairs. Looking at the big picture, there was never anything worldwide
about this group; it was strictly North American. From SVO's standpoint,
their vehicle development programs were always intended for North
American consumption. In January of 1982, SVO got transferred from
Worldwide Public Affairs to the North American Automotive Operations
(NAAO) of Ford Motor Company. The reason it got transferred over was
that its founder, Mr. Walter Hayes, went back to Europe. Many people
viewed his transfer as an opportunity for redemption. There was a big
debate about where SVO was going to be placed. Product Development
wanted it placed under their responsibility. However, the group at SVO
was leery of that move. The SVO group knew that if they were placed
under product development, they would be dissolved. So, Walter Hayes
and Michael Kranefuss did some of their own lobbying and kept the
group away from Product Development. Nothing really changed in the
reporting procedure; they still reported to Red Poling. He still controlled
their budget, and still expected results!
12: The bottom line for this group: The Mustang SVO was realized
through the dedication of a small group of engineers, making whatever
compromises that had to be made to keep the idea as pure as possible.
They worked as a team with a common goal: to make the Mustang SVO
the best-built and performance-oriented vehicle that Ford Motor
Company has ever produced. That was their goal; that was their focus.
They had to fight sometimes for what they thought they needed. They
had nothing to gain from these battles, but everything to lose. The
engineers viewed this program as an opportunity to make revisions that
would allow the Mustang to go to another level of performance and
refinement. The art of the car was in how well they were able to
compromise it. They gave up some ground, just a bit, but not too much!
This group accomplished what they set out to do, within the timeframe
and constraints imposed upon them. They could very easily have gone
further with the program, had it been permitted to evolve. But they met
their objectives relative to prestige and excitement per dollar, and did
not disappoint at any level. The whole team worked together to make
the car what it was; it was not just one person. It was a total team effort.

13: The vehicle that the engineers had labored over for two and a half
years would now be turned over to Ford Division; the baton would now
be handed off to ... Manufacturing and Sales and Marketing.

14: The marketing of the Mustang SVO was an on-going initiative

throughout the design and development of the Mustang SVO. Originally,
it was the intent of the engineers to have their very own dedicated, in-
house marketing team. The engineers were hoping to keep everything
in-house. With the Mustang SVO being a limited production, specialty-
equipped vehicle, they strongly believed that their car required an
aggressive sales and marketing approach. This was something on
which they felt that Ford Division would not be able to deliver, simply
because they were used to retailing cars in the hundreds of thousands,
not thousands! They feared that the high volume products would
swallow up their product.

15: The Mustang SVO was ready for the big leagues. After many Job1
delays, the big day had arrived. Production time was beginning, and
everybody was enthused. The fruits of the engineers' labors were now
rolling along the Dearborn Assembly Plant, in Dearborn, MI. The
assemblers of the plant were putting into practice what the SVO
engineers had preached over the past two-and-a-half years.
16: July 1984, somewhere in Ford-land, Mainstream on one side of the
table, and SVO was on the other. Representing Mainstream were
people from seating, instrumentation, interior trim, lighting, sheet metal,
etc, all of them waiting to get their pick of the crop. Representing SVO
were Glen Lyall, Jon Rundels, Lou Talamonti, Bill Wich, Bob Negstad,
and a couple of others--basically the whole team that designed and
developed the Mustang SVO. After Mainstream finished requesting
which individuals they wanted for their respective departments, Glen
Lyall looked at them and asked them if they were done. Glen then said:
"Here we are. I am considered the chief engineer of this job. He (Bill
Wich) is the main product man. John Rundels is the supervisor over at
Body - all of body, Lou Talamonti is our leader and worker for Body.
What you see is what you get. There are no other engineers - just us.
You see the car, guys, it is on the road, out on the street, we are selling
it and everything."

They (Mainstream) still could not believe that this group of 10 engineers
from SVO had done it!
MUSTANG SVO - The Machine Speaks for Itself

Detailed Outline:

Chapter 1 and 2: Glory Days... Depression Days

- 1960s Total Performance
- 1970s The Abyss
- 1980s Total Performance... 1980s Style
This chapter covers the 1960s style of Total Performance, then covers
Ford's difficulties in the 1970s, and then ends with the 1980s style of
Total Performance.

Chapter 3: SVO - The Group

"If there was something SPECIAL about Special Vehicle Operations, it
was probably the people who allowed us to take chances and the
people who took the chances and did not disappoint."
--Bob Stelmaszczak,
Senior Powertrain Development Engineer, Special Vehicle Operations

This chapter covers the group's concept within the corporate

environment, how this group was organized, and then covers the
mission statement for the group.

Chapter 4: Vehicle Development

"If you could dream it, you could do it. I guess it was a question of how
good you could dream a dream."
--Bob Stelmaszczak,
Senior Powertrain Development Engineer, Special Vehicle Operations

This chapter begins to discuss the commencement of the vehicle

development stage of SVO. It covers the hiring of the individuals, the
parameters and specifications of the car, and the program assumptions.

Chapter 5: The Nitty Gritty

"Our mission was to try and present a car that we felt was much more
European in nature."
--Robert Kopf - Project Manager, Special Vehicle Operations

This chapter covers how the group went about choosing the platform,
powertrain, and giving it a name.
Chapter 6: The New Way
"It wasn't that we were saying that their (Mainstream) ways of doing
things were wrong, it was just that we had slightly different ways."
--Tom Logar,
Business and Product Planning Manager, Special Vehicle Operations

This chapter covers the group's mandates and the system which they
instituted to ensure successful development of the SVO.

Chapter 7: The Fun Begins

"The good news for this group is that we did not know what we were
getting into, so we did it; the bad news, once we found out what we
were getting into, we really, really underestimated the amount of work
associated with the program."
--Dave Domine, Design Engineer - Powertrain, Special Vehicle
Operations

This chapter covers the methods they used relative to the tools of the
trade that they were working with. It also covers the trials, tribulations
and politics that they encountered throughout the development stage.
This chapter also covers the prototyping and testing stage.

Chapter 8: Finding a Home

"Small-volume niche vehicles have always been a problem."
--Robert Kopf - Project Manager, Special Vehicle Operations

- Where to build the car. Trials, Tribulations, and Politics of building a

car

Chapter 9: The Mustang SVO

"I think it was realistic to say that any engineer could have done what
we did had they been given the proper tools to do it. The problem was,
they weren't and we were."
-- Bob Stelmaszczak,
Senior Powertrain Development Engineer Special Vehicle Operations

1984, 1985, 1985 ½ and 1986 Mustang SVO - Model Year Overview;
Body Group Overview; Chassis Group Overview; Powertrain Group
Overview
Chapter 10: Marketing
"It can be argued that we succeeded in some areas and failed in others,
but the subsequent success of SVT proved that SVO contributed
immensely to the company and to automotive enthusiasts
everywhere . . ."
--John Clinard, Marketing Manager, Special Vehicle Operations

1984 Mustang SVO Marketing Manual - Demographics; Product

Strengths and Pricing; Advertising themes; Promotional and
Merchandising; and the 1984 Mustang SVO Launch Events.

Chapter 11: Mustang SVO Epitaph

"I guess it [Mustang SVO] was the answer to a question that only a few
people asked."
-- Bob Stelmaszczak,
Senior Powertrain Development Engineer, Special Vehicle Operations

Chapter 12: Mustang SVO Legacy

"The Mustang SVO was a car that was misunderstood by the buying
public. The entire car, at that time, for that era, was the highest
technology car Ford had ever put together and the world did not know
about it."
--John Bichanich - 1985 1/2 Calibrations Engineer, Mainstream

APPENDICES:

Appendix A. - Dealer Product Information, 1984, 1985, 1985 1/2 and

1986; Dealership/Sales Promotional Items; Non-Ford Promotional Items
- This chapter will discuss in detail the product information the dealers
had available to them (dealer launch guide, advertising guidelines, car
product reference booklet, etc). Also, what was available at the
dealership relative to literature, giveaways, etc, and non-Ford literature
and giveaways.

Appendix B. - Detailed Description of Most of the Unique E4ZX SVO

Parts (the story behind the part)
- 1984 and 1985: Body, Chassis and Powertrain
- 1985 1/2 and 1986: Body, Chassis and Powertrain
Appendix C. - Items Unique to the Mustang SVO
- Refinements made to the 1984, 1985, 1985 ½ and 1986 Mustang
SVO

Appendix D. - Standard Equipment Summary: Mustang SVO

- 1984, 1985, 1985 ½ and 1986: Functional, Exterior, Interior,
Optional Equipment, and Limited-Production Options

Appendix E. - Options and Product Codes for the Mustang SVO

- Optional Equipment Product Codes; Standard Equipment Product
Codes

Appendix F. - Optional and Standard Equipment Coding and Pricing

- 1984, 1985, 1985 ½ and 1986: Optional Equipment and Standard
Equipment
- Vehicle Pricing
- 1984; 1985; 1985 ½; 1986
- Potential Product Improvements
- 1986; 1985

Appendix G. - Production Start and End Dates

- 1984; 1985 and 1985 ½; 1986
- Production information summary by VIN/month and VIN/day
- Production Figures for the Mustang SVO
- The Third Generation News & Beyond National Registry
- Ford Marketing
- Mustang SVO Owners Association, Inc.
- Dearborn Assembly Plant and Ford Division
- Production Figures by Colour and Interior Option
- 1984; 1985 and 1985 ½; 1986 - Production Figures - Equipment
- 1984; 1985 and 1985 ½; 1986
- Production Figures - Paint
- 1984; 1985 and 1985 ½; 1986

Appendix H. - How to Decode a Mustang SVO

- Spring Codes; Sales Regions; Part Number Decoding; Date Codes
- Parts; and Sheet Metal; Casting Codes; How to Spot a Fake SVO

Appendix I. - Performance Statistics - Acceleration and Handling

- 1984 - 1985
- 1985 1/2 - 1986
Appendix J. - SVO Concern Sign-Off
Appendix K. - Technical Specifications for the Mustang SVO
- Engine Layout; Cooling System; Fuel System; Emission Control;
Exhaust System; Clutch; Starter; Axle; Propeller Shaft;
Suspension/Brakes; Tires/Wheels; Steering/Alignment; Electrical;
Body/Glass; Restraint System; Convenience Equipment; Body Type -
Specifications; Vehicle Fiducial Marks; Lamps and Headlamps; Vehicle
Mass; Optional Equipment Differential Mass

Appendix L. 1985 1/2 Added Starter Parts Listing - Engine Line; Trim
Department; Body Shop; Paint Department; Final Line

Appendix M. - Special SVOs - Mac Tool, Comp prep, Pace Cars.

Appendix N. - 1984 Dedicated Parts List

Appendix O. - Listing of Mustang SVO articles that appeared in various

magazines

Appendix P. - This chapter will feature about 29 print advertisements,

and 42 8" x 10" Ford Photographic prints, and about 31 pages of
collectible material that was available in one form or another.

Quotes from some of the engineers who worked on the program:

"The Mustang SVO represented a successful challenge to some of the

accepted standards of the day that were keeping us from producing
cars that would be more in line with the enthusiast market's needs. We
challenged some of those obstacles and won."
- Glen Lyall, Engineering Manager-Special Vehicle Operations

"It meant one thing to me; it gave me the first, most intense opportunity
to know my limitations. That was the first time in my career, in my life,
that I had an opportunity to reach the point where I knew where my
limitation was. It gave me my first chance to bump up against a rev
limiter and say 'Okay, I know my limitation.' That was a very important
part that I never would have had an opportunity of doing in normal,
everyday life."
- Bob Stelmaszczak,
Senior Powertrain Development Engineer, Special Vehicle
Operations
"They misjudged us (and I'm not saying this facetiously). We knew how
to get around ALL of that stuff, we knew where to go, when to go, and
how to get the information. In spite of the lack of cooperation we knew
what to do, who to see, and how to get it done."
- Bob Stone, Body Engineer Consultant

"I loved my SVO, it did not get that way just because we were lucky. It
got that way with a hell of a lot of hard work by people who were really
dedicated. We all brought years of experience with us; we just did not
step in from the cornfield. We did not invent the Mustang SVO out of
thin air. It came to us with a lot of things that we did, that, normally, we
would not be allowed to do. Now, at SVO we could do. The proof is in
the pudding, it's in the car."
- Bob Negstad,
Supervisor-Chassis Design and Development, Special Vehicle
Operations

"It was a real statement of technology vs. brute force. Rather than doing
the brute force V8 American-type of approach, we did a more
sophisticated technical approach. I think this was an effort by American
companies to do that first. Everything was just not cubic inches."
- Bill Wich, Product Program Manager, Special Vehicle Operations

"It was a car way before its time. Essentially it was misunderstood by
the public; the entire car, at that time, for that era, was the highest
technology car Ford had ever put together, and the world did not know
about it."
- John Bichanich, 1985 1/2 Calibrations Engineer

"It was probably one of the best, earliest examples of how to do an

overall car rather than one particular aspect of a car at a time. It made a
statement simultaneously in a lot of different areas where most of our
products, I think, focused on one area or another."
- Dave Domine, Supervisor, Powertrain, Special Vehicle Operations

"The SVO's legacy was really the vehicle that led to the design for the
next generation of Mustang. It was a semi-sophisticated European
attempt at doing a car for the North American market. Its styling cues
lived longer than the car did."
- Al Turner,
Business and Product Planning Manager, Special Vehicle
Operations.
…Early October 1983, Dearborn Assembly Plant, Dearborn, MI,
home of the Mustang. A legend is born, The Mustang SVO.

The brainchild of a group of engineers based out of Ford's "skunkworks"

division, commonly know as Special Vehicle Operations. Like you and
me, aficionados of sports cars.

Given a new set if rules to work by, they went ahead and created,
against all odds, a vehicle which they felt epitomized what a driver's car
should be.

The Mustang SVO was Ford's flagship vehicle for the 1984 model year.
Gracing the covers of all 3 major automotive buff books: Car and Driver,
Road & Track, and Motor Trend, the Mustang SVO stole the show.

The Mustang SVO was designed to appeal to a more sophisticated

clientele - a clientele that appreciated European handling and
performance.

Originally scheduled for a production run of 8,200 units per year, the
Mustang SVO never achieved these expectations. Total production for
all four models years were just under 10,000 units.

Many reasons abound as to why the Mustang SVO's projected volume

requirements were never realized. Suffice it to say that the demise of
this limited-production, specialty-equipped vehicle was not in vain.

…April 22, 1986, Dearborn Assembly Plant, Dearborn, MI, home of

the Mustang. A legend dies - the Mustang SVO.

Nine hundred and thirty-eight days since Job 1, the last Mustang SVO
rides off into the sunset - and into the history books.

Production may have ceased on that fateful day in April of 1986,

however, because of the individuals who worked on the Mustang SVO
program, and enthusiasts like you, the spirit and the vehicle itself will
live on - now and into the future.

… July 2003. A new chapter begins…

Copyright: David W. LaRocque, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

Fellow SVO Owner or Enthusiast,

The critics have spoken…

Austin Craig: "Congratulations on a superb publication! One that is and

will be the definitive study of the SVO Mustang. I have enjoyed reading
it. I know you have a lot of blood, sweat and extremely detailed hard
work in the publication. Those of us who had the privilege to work with
the talented folks at SVO on the program, as well as SVO owners and
intenders salute you for a splendid work. Your publication should be in
every Mustang enthusiast's library. Congratulations again on a well
thought-out and executed publication."

Brian Chomicz: "Finally, a book that covers the COMPLETE Mustang

SVO from concept to production."

Mike Fleming: "This book is an excellent read… It details the trials and
tribulations of a small, dedicated group of people working inside Ford
Motor Company that actually managed to get a limited-production car
into dealerships…For anyone yearning to know where the Mustang
SVO came from, and how it came about, this book is a must."

Joe Greene: "SVO ENTHUSIAST - here is what we have ALL been

waiting for. This book is packed full of facts, details and descriptive
developments of the Mustang SVO. It's detailed and is a must for every
SVO owner and prospective owner."

Fellow SVO Owner or Enthusiast,

Welcome to this section of the club's web site. This section includes
excerpts taken directly out of the book that will detail the unique and
interesting history of the Mustang SVO. I have included these excerpts
in the hopes of drumming up interest prior to the actual publication date
of this book. So please advise other enthusiasts to surf over and have a
look at the Mustang SVO story. If you want, surf over to the Book Order
Form page and fill out an "expression of interest" form. Please return it
to me. I will contact you once a publication date is confirmed.
Also, I have included some personal thoughts on the Mustang SVO and
of the engineers who labored for some 2-1/2 years over the creation of
our pride and joy. Please take a few moments to read through.

Personally for me, as long as the information can get out there to you,
the SVO enthusiast, I will have fulfilled my obligation to the engineers of
this program and my goal of documenting in detail the unique and
interesting history of the Mustang SVO. What will be indelibly etched in
my mind, probably till the day I die, are the interviews I did with the
engineers of this program. Their collective passion for the program, the
product and their desire to share their thoughts relative to the Mustang
SVO will never be forgotten. The stuff these guys went through to
ensure that the Mustang SVO saw the light of day would have killed
lesser folks. Each of these individuals has a story that defines their time
with Special Vehicle Operations. This group of individuals cleared the
path for other specialty groups within Ford to make their mark. Plain and
simple, this is something that will probably never be admitted to by
people within Ford.

Take Bob Stelmasczcak for instance, I still remember him talking about
the time that he was in a prototype SVO somewhere on one of the
Dearborn area freeways. A 300 ZX happened to pass him; the driver of
the ZX was totally oblivious to what kind of car he was passing. Had it
been me, I would have noticed. In any event, I remember Bob telling me
that at that moment he had said to himself that that guy could be driving
an SVO instead of a ZX. The reason I tell you this story is because that
was Bob's thought process during this whole program. He was always
putting himself in the "driver's seat" pretending he was a customer that
was going to buy this car when it got out on the street. That was his
focus, everything he did was for the customer, he was (is) an absolutely
amazing individual, as were all of the engineers.

Take Lou Talamonti and Bob Stone for instance, these engineers had
to fight Ford - Body group every step of the way. It was absolutely
amazing that they even got their stuff out: the headlamps, taillamps,
exterior trim and marker lights. Everything was an absolute battle. They
were physically removed and verbally advised to vacate the offices of
the above group. I remember them telling me that they would go in after
hours (usually just after the offices closed - 5 o'clock in the afternoon) to
see their friends so they could get things done. You cannot do a
program that way! It does not make sense! But that is what this group
was facing most every step of the way. They did what they had to do to
get things done, pure and simple.

Take Don Hayward, he was present when Borg-Warner had a

difference of opinion with SVO and Hurst for the shifter rod mechanism.
Borg-Warner wanted to utilize their own in-house supplier (Midway);
Hayward and Negstad would have none of it. They were not satisfied
with the performance and feel of the Midway unit. They wanted to use
Hurst, and that was it. It got verbal and it got to a point where Hayward
and Negstad flew down to the Borg-Warner headquarters for a tete-a-
tete. They flew down there in a Hurst-supplied plane. These two
individuals did their homework and uncovered test data that Borg-
Warner did that indicated that their in-house supplier's product did not
make the grade. Once the meeting of these groups started, Don
Hayward threw down on the table the test data and asked Borg-Warner
about it. After that, they agreed to go with the competition's
mechanisms. This is why your Mustang SVO rides so good, steers so
good and shifts gears so easily- instances such as these, when
extrapolated over the whole program, make the car.

I could go on and on about stories that defined the car; however, once
you get to read about the Mustang SVO, you will get to understand and
appreciate the car, and why it ended up the way it did. Hopefully this will
bring it up a notch or two on the collectibility scale.

As mentioned in previous communiqués to you, this will be my lasting

contribution to the Mustang, and specifically the SVO hobby. I do know
that, after having sat down with the engineers, I have a really good
understanding and appreciation of the vehicle. There are very few parts
on that car that I do not know the story behind. If I can educate owners
and enthusiasts as to the DNA of a Mustang SVO, then I will have
accomplished my goal.

Thank you,

David LaRocque
Copyright 2003, David W. LaRocque, not to be copied