The early 1980s were a dark time in the world of performance vehicles, with an oil crisis leading to diminishing horsepower numbers and the death of the muscle car. FoMoCo did an admirable job of keeping the Ford Mustang alive with the debut of the Fox Body, and when it came time to develop a high performance, Special Vehicle Operations variant, the Ford Mustang SVO was born.
With high fuel prices and emissions considerations to keep in mind, the SVO team opted to eschew Ford’s 5.0L V8 in favor of an upgraded, turbocharged version of the automaker’s 2.3L four-cylinder powerplant. In 1984, this engine produced a respectable 175 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque, and it gave the Ford Mustang SVO better weight distribution than the V8-powered GT.
The SVO team also gave their creation a new front suspension geometry, rack-and-pinion steering, a 3.45-geared Traction-Lok rear end, four-wheel disc brakes, and a complete Koni suspension system consisting of tuned front struts, rear shocks, and horizontal rear dampers.
The exterior of the Ford Mustang SVO was unique as well, thanks to a new front grille and hood, a biplane spoiler, rear-wheel spats, and 16×7-inch aluminum wheels. Inside, a set of sport seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel were among the various added amenities.
Today, there are still quite a few SVOs running around, but not many are as nice as this well-kept 1984 Mustang SVO we spotted for sale at Classic Cars. With just 33k miles on the clock, it’s certainly one of the lower-mile examples we’ve come across in some time, and is completely original save for a set of added subframe connectors.
There are a couple of paint imperfections, and the air conditioning needs to be charged. But otherwise, this SVO is simply immaculate. And with an asking price of $8,500, it seems to be a proper bargain as well.
We’ll have more cool cars for sale like this to share soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Mustang news and around-the-clock Ford news coverage.
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