Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) is a term used throughout

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobiles ...

's global operations as a performance group, first used in America as Ford's own "speed shop", with a separate budget from Ford's regular operations. In 1993, the group was renamed Special Vehicle Team (SVT). As of 2015, SVO had been owned by

Jaguar Land Rover Jaguar Land Rover Automotive PLC is the holding company of Jaguar Land Rover Limited (also known as JLR), and is a British multinational automobile manufacturer which produces luxury vehicles and sport utility vehicles. Jaguar Land Rover is ...

, creating high performance versions of models such as the Jaguar F-Type and Range Rover Sports.

SVO America

In 1981, Ford formed the SVO group to design and develop performance parts and accessories related to the company's racing programs. SVO was involved motorsports programs, expanding Ford racing, establishing a performance parts business, and producing road cars.

Racing

SVO turned its attention to building Mustangs for the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans-Am and International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) GT series. With engine builder Jack Roush now involved the factory-backed SVO Mustangs dominated Trans-Am, winning 17 of 34 contests in 1985-86, and by '89, Ford had scored 46 Trans-Am victories, more than all other manufacturers combined. SVO also helped end 9 years of Chevrolet NASCAR dominance, with Ford drivers finishing 1-2-3 in NASCAR's final Winston Cup standings.

Mustang SVO

The group's sole production car, the Ford Mustang SVO, was designed to compete directly with European sports sedans like BMW's 3 Series. To reduce costs, they used the existing 2.3 L

turbocharged In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...

four-cylinder engine and

Borg-Warner BorgWarner Inc. is an American automotive supplier headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The company maintains production facilities and technical systems at 93 sites (as of June 6, 2022) in 22 countries worldwide and has around 49,000 emplo ...

T-5 five-speed

manual transmission A manual transmission (MT), also known as manual gearbox, standard transmission (in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States), or stick shift (in the United States), is a multi-speed motor vehicle transmission system, where gear chang ...

from the Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. The car had a different computer and air meter and added an

intercooler An intercooler is a heat exchanger used to cool a gas after compression. Often found in turbocharged engines, intercoolers are also used in air compressors, air conditioners, refrigeration and gas turbines. Internal combustion engines ...

, a Hurst shifter, KONI Group shock absorbers, and 16 inch wheels, a novelty at the time. The car produced 175 hp (130 kW) for the 1984

model year The model year (sometimes abbreviated "MY") is a method of describing the version of a product which has been produced over multiple years. The model year may or may not be the same as the calendar year in which the product was manufactured. ...

(MY) and the first part of the 1985 MY, 205 hp (152 kW) after mid-1985 MY, and 200 hp (149 kW) for the 1986 model year. In total, 9,844 were built.

SVO Australia

SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) name was used in the 1990s by Southside Ford in Brisbane which was the only Ford Motorsport parts importer of the time. They released a limited run of EL Falcons to showcase what could be done with Ford Motorsport Parts. (Special Vehicle Options) Was established in Australia by Australian motor racing driver and engineer Mick Webb in the late 1980s. Dick Johnson had also used the SVO nameplate, originally on a prototype Turbo XF Falcon. Webb and Johnson both claimed ownership of the acronym, however it was Webb whom first registered its usage. Mick Webb’s SVO are still enhancing and modifying Ford products today. He owns and operates a factory in Ringwood, Victoria.

Mick Webb's SVO

EA Falcon SVO

SVO first road car was based the then new

Ford Falcon EA The Ford Falcon (EA) is a full-size car that was produced by Ford Australia from 1988 to 1991. It was the first iteration of the fifth generation of the Falcon and also included the Ford Fairmont (EA)—the luxury-oriented version. Development ...

, starting with a "S Pac" or "Fairmont Ghia" trim levels. SVO added customised ROH 16" wheels, Recaro seats, MOMO steering wheels, suspension upgrades including Bilstein shock absorbers, engine modifications, spoilers and two tone grey paint work. SVO had hoped that these cars would lead to a relationship with Ford Australia as a factory backed performance arm, however, at this Ford were not investing in performance or racing. The relationship didn't evolve any further, but selected Ford dealers sold the SVO product. SVO originally produced 600 Falcon Sedans, 100 Utes, 600 Fairlanes and 280 Capris.

Other Models

Melbourne and Sydney dealership records indicate that 5 SVO Fairlane NL models were produced between 1997 - 1998. Several Falcon (EL) XR8 and Fairmont (EL) Ghia's were also produced by Southside Ford in Brisbane to showcase what imported Ford Motorsport parts branch in the U.S could be used to improve the Falcon. These were reviewed in Motor and Wheels magazines in 1997 and available in either a 195kW or a 215kW. The AU Falcon was also available with SVO enhancements, including a 185 kW 6-cylinder engine.Our Location
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Motorsport

SVO was successful in building (and racing) Falcons in the AUSCAR category.

References

{{Ford Falcon Ford Motor Company Official motorsports and performance division of automakers