Introducing…

John Clor

John ClorFord Performance Group Communications Manager

Web Site Manager, www.SVT.Ford.com

FORMER:

Deputy Managing Editor, AutoWeek magazine, 1988-1995Communications Manager, Ford Special Vehicle Team, 1995-1999

Detroit Editor, Edmunds.com, 1999-2001SVT Marketing Communications Manager, 2002-2005

Managing Editor, Team Ford Racing’s Inside the Oval magazine, 2006

Ford Racing has created a process and a team to …

• improve the company’s ability to connect with and support Ford enthusiasts• put a face and a place on Ford’s connection with independent vehicle clubs• create a “one-stop” web portal that engages Ford clubs and their members• help drive membership in Ford vehicle clubs and promote their events• provide valuable information and documentation for specialty Ford vehicles• utilize best practices and experience of the SVT customer relationship business• act as conduit for club relationship with Ford Racing, SVT, Vehicle Personalization

What are the benefits for participating Ford clubs?

• Club promotion– Feature content on club membership– Promotional content and/or coverage of club events – Logo, link to club web sites

• Member referrals • Ford connection• Ford Performance Info Center and Ford Racing Tech Line • Email communications on new Ford performance products and services

What are the benefits for individual club members?

• Discounts on special Ford enthusiast merchandise – Certificates of Authenticity for SVT and other Ford performance vehicles– SVT memorabilia – unique apparel and accessories

• Third-party benefit providers • Historical info and reference source• Access to club news and events calendars

AutoWeekCover Story – September 26, 1988

STEALTH TAURUS:It’s light on the ‘show’but strong on the ‘go’

• SHO introduced as America’s most powerful front-drive high-performance production midsize sedan • With 220hp, SHO unseats Lancia Thema 8.32 (215hp) and meets U.S. emissions at 1/3rd the price• Yamaha V-6 SHO Taurus was NOT an afterthought in wake of Ford’s stillborn GN34 sports car project • Taurus SHO version was planned all along to provide enough volume to make Yamaha engines affordable• AW staff embraces SHO’s enthusiast attributes, battles over keys to press cars for rest of year

AutoWeekDriving Impression – August 28, 1989

FORD SHO RANGERA lone example sports a desire

• I spend a week and hundreds of miles in the SHO Ranger prototype – all with NO air conditioning in August!• North-South and rear-drive layout linked to T-5 five-speed manual makes for interesting conversation • Straight-pipes exhaust announces every push on the pedal, every gear change• After getting pulled over by Warren (MI) PD, the underhood Ford Prototype sticker saves me from a ticket

AutoWeekCover Story – October 16, 1989

SHO BUSINESS BLUESRave reviews for Taurus SHO

fail to pack ’em in;Ford eyes new vehicle

for its star

• Just one year after a cover story intro, underwhelming sales have AW staff asking, “Will the SHO go on?”• Sales of 12,000 fail to hit 18,000 minimum buy from Yamaha, fall way short of 20,000 to 30,000 estimate • Rumors put SHO V-6 in Merkur XR4Ti, European Ford Scorpio and front-drive Lincoln Continental• Ford pooh-poohs Wagon version SHO Taurus over issues with transmission and rear suspension • SHO becomes an AW Readers’ Favorite and C and D names it one of their “10-Best” for 1989

AutoWeekAutoFile – October 16, 1989

A PREDATORLYING IN WAIT

Owners heap more praise on Ford’s fun-to-drive performer

• ‘AutoFile’ report praises engine, bemoans balky shifter and reveals low insurance rates • Owner ‘Likes’ include versatile engine, superior handling, practical size, and low sticker price • Owner ‘Dislikes’ include Balky, notchy shifter, foot-operated parking brake, uncertain trade-in value

Car and DriverFROM:

Cover Story – December 1988AMERICA’S BEST SEDAN

TO:Cover Story – April 1993

SHO TAURUS WAGON!The fastest, leanest, meanest,

and best station wagonFord ever built!

• Story touts ‘one-of-a-kind hauler’ called ‘The Billy Wagon,’ but says, ‘Sorry, you can’t have one.’• Red SHO wagon on cover rekindles entire SHO Taurus wagon debate yet again• One-off prototype had beefed-up four-speed automatic, addition of reinforcement plates to bolster rigidity

SVT SHO Wagon Investigation 1993 – 1995 ANOTHER LITTLE-KNOWN ATTEMPT

AT A SHO TAURUS WAGON

SVT engineers look at the challengesone last time to see

if Ford’s performance skunkworks could make the won’t-say-die idea work

• White SHO-powered wagon prototype makes appearance as SVT “what-if” case study• Problem solving tool becomes complexity issue • Hardware and production concerns get solved faster than marketing and distribution hurdles

• Question is raised: Why not turn V-8 SHO program over to SVT for 1996?

• SVT focused on SHO owners in the development of the SVT Contour• Intake / induction sound deemed an important aspect of performance ‘feel’ • By default, I was picked to represent SVT marketing’s vote on SVT Contour exhaust note • Like SHOs, SVT Contours enjoy cult-like following today

New ‘Bring Back the SHO’ pitch Smith’s ‘Is it SHO Time?’ story in 1st ‘Summer 2007 issue of

the new SVT Enthusiast magazine

Still strong sentiment at Ford Racing for V-6 stick Sports sedan

Thank You …

… and if you like Mustangs, get a copy of

my new bookTHE MUSTANG DYNASTY

coming out this fall!

Available Sept 20th or pre-order now on www.chroniclebooks.com