When was the last time you thought about the third-generation Ford Taurus SHO? You know, the bubbly one. It’s probably been a while, which goes to show how Ford built one of the rarer sports sedans of the 1990s. With V8 power and front-wheel-drive, it’s a decidedly weird sleeper, but it doesn’t command BMW M5 money or attention. In fact, one just went for $2,705 on Bring A Trailer, although that might not be quite the screaming deal it seems on the surface.
In case you aren’t familiar with Bring A Trailer, it’s a fancy internet auction site where people go to hock vintage Ferraris, Bugatti Veyrons, collectable Porsches, and other cars that reside outside the realm of mortal tax brackets. To see a used Ford Taurus on here is weird, but not entirely unprecedented, as the world’s nicest 2005 Ford Taurus SE brought in an astonishing $12,500 on the site. However, that thing had fewer than 127 miles on the clock from new, whereas this one isn’t exactly bubble-wrapped.
When Ford first launched the Taurus SHO, the result was sensational. With a 3-liter Yamaha-designed quad-cam V6 under the hood, it made similar power to a contemporary Mustang GT but in a far more discreet and practical form. It was the blue oval’s textbook sleeper sedan, produced over two generations with subtle evolution. The second-generation car gained an optional punched-out 3.2-liter V6 mated to an automatic transmission, but it largely stuck to the same recipe as the original.
Then, in 1996, Ford changed the formula. The manual gearbox was gone, as was the incredible V6, although under the hood sat a 3.4-liter quad-cam V8 with a block from Cosworth and heads from Yamaha. The result? An extra 15 horsepower over the old V6, and a new flaw. According to V8SHO.com, the secondary camshaft sprockets were effectively friction-fit, and that didn’t end particularly well. Cam sprockets were known to spin on their camshafts, with disastrous results. The fix? Having these secondary sprockets welded to the camshafts, a relatively pricey fix.
Still, the result was something more akin to a Cadillac STS than a BMW M5 — a reasonably powerful, refined machine that’s more rational debate than knife fight. As Car And Driver put it during a prototype road test:
Still, the only part of the SHO’s polÂished new upscale personality that does not work is the jittery, clumpy ride on high-frequency pavement breaks. The rest of it – questionable styling aside – is genÂteel enough to lure luxury-car aspirants who wouldn’t have considered the preÂvious Taurus SHO. As for the fans of the previous car … Ford must be hoping that they have matured, too.
That brings us to the present day, when this 1997 Ford Taurus SHO recently sold on Bring A Trailer for $2,705. On the face of things, that seems like a bargain for a rare and intriguing 1990s sedan with just 86,000 miles on the clock. It has an engine that never went into anything else, styling that’s permanently locked in time, seats that almost look inflatable, and emerald paint. Plus, it’s unique. When was the last time you saw a third-generation Taurus SHO at a car show?
Now, this $2,705 Taurus SHO sports an asterisk because it comes with the mark of the beast — a salvage title. The story goes that this thing was punted hard enough to warrant a branded title in 2000, when it was just three years old. Perhaps that’s why some of the paint on the vehicle is a bit dodgy. However, it’s also worth noting that this hit happened a long time ago, and that enough third-generation Taurus SHOs have died of natural and unnatural causes that this salvage title car is still quite rare.
If you’re looking for something to keep forever, this Taurus SHO isn’t a bad choice. It’s cheap, it’s unique, and it’s in good enough cosmetic shape to be a fair-season driver. However, that salvage title, combined with the third-generation car’s somewhat limited appeal, would make it a difficult vehicle to sell on in the future. So, what do you say? Is this Taurus SHO a great deal, or a terrible one?
[Hat-tip to Takuro Spirit!]
(Photo credits: Bring A Trailer)
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I would submit my $1200 1998 Lincoln Continental as a comparison. FWD and a V8, but a reliable V8. And all the nifty Lincoln stuff like heated seats (at least the passenger one still works) and the Cartier clock.
I saw one at a junkyard with a complete second intake fully polished. Wasn’t worth it, as much as it sucked
It’s ironic that Bring A Trailer is more expensive cars now when before it actually meant you needed to bring a trailer- they should add “enclosed” to the trailer part
Volvo would eventually use that engine in the XC90 and other cars. Does Volvo have the same cam problems? Swap in the XC90 engine and maybe the AWD too if that’s possible…
They’re not the same engine., but that’s a common misconception. Yes, they’re both 60-degree Yamaha V8s made for a transverse application, but the 4.4L B8444S isn’t the same as the 3.4L SHO engine. Lots of similar dimensions, but not the same.
V8 XC90 owner, FWIW.