Ford_News
04-26-2010, 09:40 AM
Filed under: Sedan (http://www.autoblog.com/category/sedans/), Performance (http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/), Etc. (http://www.autoblog.com/category/etc/), Ford (http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/), Mercury (http://www.autoblog.com/category/mercury/), Canada (http://www.autoblog.com/category/canada/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004299opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/)
1994 Mercury Sable AIV - Click above for high-res image gallery
Back in 1994, Ford produced a series of experimental Mercury Sables with all-aluminum bodies. About 20 were made, a few of which were even powered by the aluminum 3.2-liter Yamaha V6 from the automatic-equipped Taurus SHO of the time. Laden down with high-performance hardware, the aluminum-bodied Sable AIV, which stands for Aluminum-Intensive Vehicle, was some 360 pounds lighter than a steel-bodied SHO and 91 pounds lighter than a 1994 Mercury Sable (with a much less powerful Vulcan V6, mind you). It was also more fuel efficient despite being tuned for performance.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004304opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/#2927610)Having largely been developed and tested in Canada, the Sable AIV isn't known to many Americans (despite one being campaigned in the 1995 One Lap of America and finishing a respectable 15th), but those who troll SHOforum.com (http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=108078) were recently given a history lesson when a Canadian forum member stumbled across a pristine example sitting in the parking lot of Ford's Canadian headquarters. Fortunately, this crafty Canadian SHO-fan eventually made contact with someone at Ford who confirmed the parked AIV was indeed the real deal. Unfortunately, this Ford contact also confirmed what most SHOforum.com members already feared: Unable to be registered as a road-going vehicle, this AIV will likely be destroyed.
An aluminum-bodied SHO (even if it looks like a Sable) ranks right up there with a SHO Wagon as the ultimate unobtainable prize for any SHO fan. For one, it completely fixes one of the original SHO's major shortcomings: rust. Thanks to aluminum's natural corrosion resistance, this particular example looks SHO-room (hahaha) fresh despite being 16 years old. Plus, these Sable AIVs were said to go like stink thanks to their 360-pound weight loss.
The last thing Autoblog wants to see is such a unique piece of automotive history sent to the crusher, especially me, what with a 1991 Taurus SHO Plus sleeping quietly in the garage. Hopefully Ford decides against euthanasia for this 16-years-young cousin of the SHO and makes some space for it in the Henry Ford Museum (or even a dark warehouse). If neither of those solutions will work, I have a two-car garage.
Gallery: 1994 Mercury Sable AIV (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004299_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004309j_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004306c_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004300g_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004307_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)
[Source: SHOforum.com (http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=108078)]Ultra-rare SHO-powered aluminum-bodied Mercury Sable AIV spotted in Canada (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19453531/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004299opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/)
1994 Mercury Sable AIV - Click above for high-res image gallery
Back in 1994, Ford produced a series of experimental Mercury Sables with all-aluminum bodies. About 20 were made, a few of which were even powered by the aluminum 3.2-liter Yamaha V6 from the automatic-equipped Taurus SHO of the time. Laden down with high-performance hardware, the aluminum-bodied Sable AIV, which stands for Aluminum-Intensive Vehicle, was some 360 pounds lighter than a steel-bodied SHO and 91 pounds lighter than a 1994 Mercury Sable (with a much less powerful Vulcan V6, mind you). It was also more fuel efficient despite being tuned for performance.
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004304opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/#2927610)Having largely been developed and tested in Canada, the Sable AIV isn't known to many Americans (despite one being campaigned in the 1995 One Lap of America and finishing a respectable 15th), but those who troll SHOforum.com (http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=108078) were recently given a history lesson when a Canadian forum member stumbled across a pristine example sitting in the parking lot of Ford's Canadian headquarters. Fortunately, this crafty Canadian SHO-fan eventually made contact with someone at Ford who confirmed the parked AIV was indeed the real deal. Unfortunately, this Ford contact also confirmed what most SHOforum.com members already feared: Unable to be registered as a road-going vehicle, this AIV will likely be destroyed.
An aluminum-bodied SHO (even if it looks like a Sable) ranks right up there with a SHO Wagon as the ultimate unobtainable prize for any SHO fan. For one, it completely fixes one of the original SHO's major shortcomings: rust. Thanks to aluminum's natural corrosion resistance, this particular example looks SHO-room (hahaha) fresh despite being 16 years old. Plus, these Sable AIVs were said to go like stink thanks to their 360-pound weight loss.
The last thing Autoblog wants to see is such a unique piece of automotive history sent to the crusher, especially me, what with a 1991 Taurus SHO Plus sleeping quietly in the garage. Hopefully Ford decides against euthanasia for this 16-years-young cousin of the SHO and makes some space for it in the Henry Ford Museum (or even a dark warehouse). If neither of those solutions will work, I have a two-car garage.
Gallery: 1994 Mercury Sable AIV (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004299_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004309j_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004306c_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004300g_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004307_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/)
[Source: SHOforum.com (http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=108078)]Ultra-rare SHO-powered aluminum-bodied Mercury Sable AIV spotted in Canada (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/) originally appeared on Autoblog (http://www.autoblog.com) on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds (http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).
Permalink (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/) | Email this (http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19453531/) | Comments (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/#comments)
More... (http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/)