No more SVT?

[03marauder99vic]

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.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/classified/automotive/orl-nuts0206mar02,0,5611100.story

Thoughts?

[TripleTransAm]

Thoughts?


How about: The way Ford flip-flops on decisions lately, SVT might just be back in a year or two?

[jimlam56]

Sad, considering Ford's competitors are ramping UP their SVT type operations...D/C has an SRT version for everything in their lineup this side of the Caravan...

[Mike Poore]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/classified/automotive/orl-nuts0206mar02,0,5611100.story

Thoughts?

That's sensational news!

Not that they're going to scale back on the model offerings, which is horrible news; but that they're shutting down that marketing disaster.

Who but Ford could have conceived a plan that would anger the customers AND the dealer base as well? It might have been very nice for you guys in the city, but it put SVT dealerships out of the reach of the rural American enthusiast. I had to go to BelAir, MD to get my '97 Cobra from a dealer who had a lot full of SVT Contours he couldn't sell, and who gave up his SVT dealership, in disgust, the following year.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the engineering of the SVT project, and can't say enough good things about the cars, it was the poor decision to turn the program over to marketing, that lead to it's demise, in my view.

That I'll be able to go to my local Ford dealer and order up a Shelby GT-500 is thrilling news. I'll have mine in Red with white stripes, thank you. Unless they'll make one in that silver with silver stripes, like they did with the Ford GT.
:woohoo:

[DEFYANT]

Sad, considering Ford's competitors are ramping UP their SVT type operations...D/C has an SRT version for everything in their lineup this side of the Caravan...

I was just goning to say that! Good going Ford, give away your customer base.

Now, neglect the CVPI so Dodge can get a foot hold! :shake:

[TripleTransAm]

Very interesting perspective, Mike. Makes sense.

I looked at the SVT "certification" when looking for a dealer competent enough to address the crazy stuff happening to my first MM. What a letdown... I wouldn't have trusted those monkeys to work on my son's Hot Wheels. I went running back to my original non-SVT dealership with my tail between my legs. :(

[Bluerauder]

I was just goning to say that! Good going Ford, give away your customer base.

Now, neglect the CVPI so Dodge can get a foot hold! :shake:
Doesn't much of this sound just like Deja Vu -- all over again ?? :rolleyes: I am old enough to remember a time when Chevy and the Body by Fisher ruled the roost. Then in the 1970's the balance of power shifted to the Dodge & Plymouth boys. In the '80s there were some pretty good offerings from GM in the form of some Buicks (Regals) and Pontiacs (Trans Ams). Automotive Power shifted to Ford in the 1990's and their ride has lasted a very long time. Unfortunately, during this entire period, the foreign competitors have been listening, learning, producing, and gradually whittling away the total domestic share.

It appears that the domestic marketers are clueless about what the US based customer really needs and wants. Personally, I don't think that fuel efficiency is as big a driver as all the "experts" think. A recent local survey indicated that MPG was the least consideration when purchasing a new vehicle.

IMHO -- I think that much of the American public is looking for Utility, Value, Performance, Style, and Reliability .... in that order when selecting a new or used vehicle. Of course, this ordering can be shifted depending on each individual's needs and lifestyle. :soapbox: :flamer:

[Marauder2005]

Its news like this that makes me sick. I'm starting to loose interest in

in the Co.

[rocknrod]

Doesn't much of this sound just like Deja Vu -- all over again ?? :rolleyes: ...........It appears that the domestic marketers are clueless about what the US based customer really needs and wants. ....
Amen Bro!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dwasson]

Caring about Ford is like living with a crazy woman. You may love her but there's a limit to how long you will put up with it.

[merc6]

I was just goning to say that! Good going Ford, give away your customer base.

Now, neglect the CVPI so Dodge can get a foot hold! :shake: at least chevy wasn't gonna get a foothold over the vic ;) I better not see a V6 base model tho!

[bigslim]

I think this is all very funny. Just last week Anne Stevens, one of Ford's VP's answer a question I sent to them in their online telecast. She said just last week that SVT would be looking at new products. I knew by the way she fumbled through the question that something was happening and it was not good. Dammit, I really hate to have two Chryslers but I guess if I want a high performance sedan that is what I will have to do.

[MENINBLK]

This can be a sigh of relief for dealerships also...

The 600 SVT dealerships each had to pay Ford $10,000
JUST TO BE AN SVT DEALERSHIP !!!

So now Ford is out of the extra $6M it collected every year,
but it is planning on selling more vehicles through a wider offering.

So now, we can have a HEMI in every Ford !!!

[marauder307]

Caring about Ford is like living with a crazy woman. You may love her but there's a limit to how long you will put up with it.


Amen. Truer words hath never been uttered in any form, than these...

The only thing actually stopping me from unloading mine is the fact that I'm a solid 5g upside-down on it...'s what happens when you make bad decisions in your car-buying history (the cars I had before this one). I've already picked out my choices in Charger R/Ts from the local dealer; they've got 3 in varying colors (exact same options) that I'm seriously interested in.

Beat me up if if makes you feel better, but it's pretty hard to deny: Mopar is the ascendant company now. Although...it's interesting to observe: the car mags are implying that M-B's quality has dropped since the acquisition of Mopar.

[JMan]

Mopar is the ascendant company now. Although...it's interesting to observe: the car mags are implying that M-B's quality has dropped since the acquisition of Mopar.

Acquisition or confluence? MB quality started to drop off long before the stated confluence. Even the dyed-in-wool Kraut-loving technicians tell me that. I agree Daimler/C******* has stepped it up a notch. Marketing to middle-aged kids with spending power and dreams of their mother's '68 Coronet, or their dad's '70 Bonneville, or their uncle's '65 Continental is a sure thing. Let's not forget though, the C******* is silent in German.

MB and Dodge are equals, so to speak, in the D/C world. A very similar situation is Jaguar and Lincoln. Some models are the same across brands with simple, separating variations (Distinctions.). I hate to see the disolution of American makes but it is happening. Plymouth and Oldsmobile (The oldest NA name plate.) are the first to mind. Talk of axing Mercury came up a few year ago also. We'll see how the new Kermit/Ford upper management decides in the near future.

I cannot imagine they will continue to turn a blind eye to D/C though. That GT motor (Yep, Modular 4.6 24valve.) will fit nicely into the TownCar and the CVPI. They have already beefed up the suspension again on the PI and gone to 17" wheels and 55 series tires. That transplant would add another 60 horses (25% increase.) with similar fuel economy numbers and make fleet managers think twice about swapping to the Charger PP at the higher expense.

My $.02

J

[jerrym3]

I probably go back further than you.

I remember when getting a new car was an event. Our fathers were so proud of their new Buicks, Olds, Hudsons, and Nashes.

Now, while cars have become much better*, who can get excited over buying a new Honda Accord or Toyota Camry? OK, maybe some cars a buyer can still be proud of, but the more popular family cars are just people movers.

*Back in the good old days, you wouldn't even consider buying a car that had over 60-70,000 miles. My two owner, 61,000 mi 1958 TBird runs/rides like garbage when compared to my 1994, 128,000 mi TBird LX. I sold my 148,000 mi Lincoln Towncar to my neighbor almost two years ago. He still has it even after it's been back/forth to Florida at least once. Darn car still looks classy.

[1 Bad Merc]

It's not the SVT division at Ford that is screwed up but the Marketing/Sales department! Those are the departments where heads should roll!!!!! The lack of advertising, promotion, etc. is non-existent for any type of high performance car that Ford has brought out. How many times have we all seen a "Hemi" performance commercial? How well did they market or advertise our MM'S? I can tell you that I get stopped at least once a day with people asking me what kind of CV is that Marauder car you are driving? :cry: IMHO the whole marketing department should be let go and Ford should start over! Just my .02.

[Bluerauder]

I remember when getting a new car was an event. Our fathers were so proud of their new Buicks, Olds, Hudsons, and Nashes.
An event .... ain't that the truth. I grew up in mostly a Chevy-Ford neighborhood. Only a few folks had the wherewithal to step up to a Buick (with the fake 6 and 8 cylinder side vents), Pontiac (with the hood stripes and the lighted indian head hood ornament), and Mercury. Chryslers and Cadillacs were even more rare. Foreign cars were mostly non-existent with the exception of an occasional VW bug, a VW Kharman Ghia, or a SAAB (that I used to call "Scabs"). I even remember that radios and even heaters were options in the cars. The heater was a necessity ... but my Dad didn't spring for a radio until his 1962 Chevy BelAir station wagon.

Your are right on the longevity and the reliability part though. We had a 1958 Ford Country Squire station wagon that was nearly completely rusted out in 4 years. Side panels, rear quarter panel, back floor and the rear spare well had holes through to the pavement. That was our last Ford until the 1990's.

[TripleTransAm]

Your are right on the longevity and the reliability part though. We had a 1958 Ford Country Squire station wagon that was nearly completely rusted out in 4 years.


Sounds about right... my dad's first car ever was a 1970 Ford Fairlane (302 2Bbl) 2 door (he had just arrived here after his military service in Africa, and got married in '70). 2 years later, the front fenders were rusted through AT THE TOP (meaning, you could apparently look down onto the top of the fenders and see the wheels!). 1 year later, one of the front wheels departed from the rest of the car as he came to a stop sign... mere seconds away from entering the expressway! He hasn't touched another Ford since.

My 1978 Trans Am, at 109 000 miles, looks considerably more worn than my 80000 mile GTA... you can't even compare the two cars, mileage-wise. I say "looks" because powertrain-wise, the 78 seems to be bullet-proof (which seems logical considering how under-stressed that drivetrain is... Sure, 320 lb-ft of torque off idle, but 400 cubic inches making 180 hp? :sleepy: :sleepy: ). However, when I got the '78 the motor was an unrecognizable ball of sludge, whereas my GTA is still free of leaks 18 years later.

My WS6, at 55000 miles, still feels like a brand new car. (In total honesty, it feels infinitely tighter than my 19000 mile MM#2!)

These ARE the good old days... enjoy them before we're forced to endure another period of low performance like the 70s.

[marauder307]

Acquisition or confluence?

I was under the impression it was an acquisition, but...eh...I guess it's just semantics. I'm always up for semantics...huh, huh, huh....


MB and Dodge are equals, so to speak, in the D/C world. A very similar situation is Jaguar and Lincoln. Some models are the same across brands with simple, separating variations (Distinctions.). I hate to see the disolution of American makes but it is happening.

I dunno if MB really views it that way. Not taking issue with your statement---it's your view, and you're entitled to it---but from my perspective, I get the vibe that MB really just views DCX as their bumpkin American cousins.
"Verrry interestink, but stupit!" as Arte Johnson would say. I dunno...could be just my perception of it all.

Your last line has stimulated a couple of thoughts. Gonna post another thread...

[dwasson]

I dunno if MB really views it that way. Not taking issue with your statement---it's your view, and you're entitled to it---but from my perspective, I get the vibe that MB really just views DCX as their bumpkin American cousins.


Except that Chrysler is making money and MB isn't. MB is dealing with some large problems. They are not seen as a value by many of their old buyers.

[djv5150]

If SVT goes away I will replace it with SRT. I hope Ford has a wake up call.

[RCSignals]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/classified/automotive/orl-nuts0206mar02,0,5611100.story

Thoughts?


It's another article of just speculation. Must be a slow NEWS day.

Much of what has been said is old news.................the new Cobra, the SVT products being offered for sale by all Ford dealers (and why not?)

Some of the 'old' SVT dealers are already shooting themselves and the new Cobra.....the local one has announced a $25K "local market adjustment" for the Cobra when they get it in.....that would make it about $65K. The idiots.

[chucky]

Im disapointed at the cancelation of the adrenalin. SVT well I always thought the shops should be a cert SVT shop but any dealer could sell the car.

[Warpath]

I've been reading about SVT's demise since ~98. I won't believe that SVT is going away until I hear it from Ford.

[GreekGod]

I've been reading about SVT's demise since ~98. I won't believe that SVT is going away until I hear it from Ford.

"Elena Ford, is Ford Motor's director of North America product marketing, planning and strategy"

Hmmm...sounds like she is sum kinda Big Shot that plans the demise of ...certain products ...(Marauder?) ...and maybe... SVT? http://www.mercurymarauder.net/showcase/files/2/1/9/0/ImpalaAttack.jpg

[03marauder99vic]

I've been reading about SVT's demise since ~98. I won't believe that SVT is going away until I hear it from Ford.


Sounds pretty certain to me that it will be happening. Here's another article on the issue.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Columns/articleId=109512#4


Team spiritless: Ford's SVT concept is history
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 effort to build the Ford GT by the company's 100th anniversary took its toll on the SVT staff, slowing development of more mainstream future products, such as the next-generation Lightning, an updated SVT Focus and an SVT version of the Fusion. The Ford executives who oversaw SVT, group vice presidents Steve Lyons and Phil Martens, didn't give SVT the resources it needed to rebuild.

Martens is gone; he's running Plastech, a company that supplies spoilers and scuff plates and other bits and pieces to the manufacturers. And Lyons retired March 1 to move to Arizona and run a Ford dealership. Reportedly Lyon's replacement, Cisco Codina, likes SVT, but it's too late.

Why? Because SVT's top executives are gone, too. John Coletti, the bulldog engineer who was the heart and soul of SVT, retired at the end of 2004. Tom Scarpello, Coletti's counterpart on the marketing side, moved to Jaguar. Chris Theodore, a Ford vice president who spearheaded the Ford GT, is gone. This leaves the talented, personable Hau Thai-Tang to run SVT. Essentially, he's a captain without a ship.

It's painful to see what has happened to SVT, especially when you look at the success of Chrysler's SRT program, which in many ways mirrors what SVT was. In the grand scheme of Ford's problems, botching SVT is a small one. But to enthusiasts, it speaks volumes.

Nearly 10 years ago I was in Las Vegas, the first to drive the upcoming SVT Contour. John Coletti and I, en route to some all-you-can-eat buffet at a casino, were talking about GM's current strategy of hiring brand managers for each model. It was not a successful program, but I was playing devil's advocate.

"Maybe it's a good thing," I told Coletti, "to have someone whose job it is to be excited about the Chevrolet Cavalier."

Coletti thought for a moment. "But wouldn't it be better to just build cars that you didn't have to pay someone to be excited about?"

Yes, John, it would. And you and your team always did.

[GreekGod]

[quote]..."A high-performance version of the new Sport Trac, called the Adrenalin (http://www.edmunds.com/news/autoshow/articles/104904/page013.html), 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 (http://www.edmunds.com/new/2006/ford/gt/index.html), which was developed largely by SVT engineers but was not called an SVT model, will end production later this year."...


Ok, Jon Harmon, who is we? Will Ford become the truck division of Honda by 2008?

[hotride03]

Word is now as of april 1, 2006. there will be no svt rides. that's sad news for performance cars for ford. - :(

[ridinclean]

source????

[DEFYANT]

April 1st?

April Fools I hope

[MM03MOK]

Merged two threads......

[ctrlraven]

Ford is just bringing SVT in-house with instead of them being a partner along with the company. Within time after some R&D Ford will be putting out SVT vehicles again such as the Focus, Fusion, 500, Ranger and F-150 but not as SVT vehicles themselves but as a (project name "power sport")trim level offered on the future current models. I had stopped into the old Ford dealership that I worked at which only ever sold the SVT Focus and this is what the general manager told me what Ford is hinting to their dealership owners. The only thing that made a difference between a regular dealership and SVT dealership is having trained techs to work on the SVT vehicles besides general maintnence just like some dealership can sell the Escape Hybird and some can't because they have to have atleast 1 trained tech to be able to work on the vehicle. If this is what Ford really has in mind then I think its the best thing for them and customers. It's also like what D/C is doing now with their SRT line-up, using an in-house performance.

[Warpath]

Sounds pretty certain to me that it will be happening. Here's another article on the issue.

That's what I mean, I've been reading these types of articles for years. They got bad enough a couple of years ago that people started a petition or mail/email barrage to keep them around. Then came the 03 Cobra (the best thing to come from SVT save the GT). So, this is nothing new. Although, rumor around Motown is that Ford doesn't know what its going to do with SVT. I've heard some odd ball ideas are being thrown around. Sometimes when a company tries to reinvent something, they come out strong and straight up awesome. Other times, they come out making you wonder WTF?

[Warpath]

I spoke to an SVT engineer and he stated things are still in the air. But, apparently, SVTOA - SVT Owner's Assosiation used to be run by SVT. It is now going to be run by FRPP and include all performance vehicles. So, interpreting from this website and from other rumors, Ford appears to still be interested in performance. But, it is combining SVT and FRPP as some have stated. Read about it here:

http://www.svtoa.com/

[DEFYANT]

I emailed a guy I know in SVT. Rest assured Ford performance is not going anywhere. Here is my question and his response:
My question:
Hey *****, the rumors on the web sites are deafening. Is SVT dead?

Charlie
response:

Hi, Charlie!

SVT Engineering is alive, but the SVT engineered vehicles may be labeled other than with an SVT badge.

Sounds fine to me.

They can call it what they want, as long as ther is Ford performance vehicles.