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Tune up: Ford merges SVT, motorsports and performance parts
By BOB GRITZINGER/AutoWeek
Yes, Mr. Ford, you can teach an old dog new tricks.
Ford Motor Co. is revamping its performance activities—Special Vehicle Team, Ford Racing Technology and its Vehicle Personalization performance parts division—into a single entity called Ford Performance Group. The group, headed by Mike Zevalkink, the former executive director of Ford North American Car Product Development, will provide performance vehicles, parts and services for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury.
FORD PERFORMANCE
If this sounds familiar, you’re right. Ford has grown weary of watching its competitors—specifically General Motors and its GM Performance Division, and Chrysler with its Performance Vehicle Operations—steal the spotlight while Ford’s factory-tuned performance operations toil away in relative anonymity.
“The difference between Ford and the competition is that Ford has more than 100,000 SVT vehicles already on the street, and will sell 125,000 feature vehicles in 2002 along with a full line of factory-backed performance accessories,” said Zevalkink, who will report to Ford vice president Jim O’Connor. “And you can expect to hear more very soon.”
O’Connor, who took over as head of Ford North America Marketing, Sales and Service on May 1, was quick to respond to the suggestion Ford was merely picking up a new game plan from the competition. Rather, he said, others have copied Ford’s successful performance strategy, built on 10 years of SVT products, 100 years of motorsports and 100,000 personalized Ford vehicles.
But Ford did recognize a need to “take it to a new level,” O’Connor said, fueled in part by a need to market the growing stable of SVT and Living Legends vehicles, such as the coming GT40 sports car. Ford also hopes the group will re-energize its car lineup while expanding performance truck and sport/utility offerings.
O’Connor said SVT, racing and parts have shared resources in the past, but the merger will help all three move faster to market and become more profitable.
“It was one plus one plus one equals five,” said O’Connor. “By putting them together you can leverage profits from one area to help in other areas.”
In the new organization, SVT under the leadership of chief engineer John Coletti will continue to expand Ford’s performance brand offerings. Similar performance brands for Lincoln and Mercury have not yet been identified, nor have products that might carry those brands. O’Connor promised that more “personality” and possibly more performance-oriented special editions will be forthcoming from Lincoln and Mercury.
As for the 400 or so employees working in SVT, motorsports and performance parts areas, O’Connor said overlap in responsibilities is likely, but the hope is that the combined group won’t cut any workers because higher sales will mean more than enough work for everyone.
“This is a growth strategy, a more focused strategy, not a head-count reduction strategy,” said O’Connor.
Bios on the main Ford Performance Group players (From Ford):
John Coletti - Chief Engineer for the Ford Special Vehicle Team (now part of the Ford Performance Group)
Dan Davis Director, Ford Racing Technology (now part of the Ford Performance Group)
Bob Masone - Director of Vehicle Personalization
Michael R. Zevalkink - Executive Director
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Stacy94PGT
My first car was a 67 Mustang Coupe, 2nd one was a 67 Cougar XR-7, 3rd one was a 66 Mustang Coupe. Why did I get rid of these cars for ? I know why, because I'm stupid, stupid, stupid. 
My next Ford.....
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