Call Me Mondeo: 1999 Ford Contour SVT

The biggest complaint I have about this next car is the name.  Say it out loud: I drive a Contour.  An SVT Contour.  Yuck. Contour.  Blech.  SVT Contour sounds like something you'd lookup in a medical encyclopedia and recoil in horror at the associated illustration.  Ford should have kept the global name and called it the Mondeo...but at least we were able to get one in the USA with a 5-speed manual gearbox and some tuning from Ford's Special Vehicle Team. Find this 1999 Ford Contour SVT offered for $3950 in Altadena, CA via craigslist.

The Mystique of the Mondeo: 1998 Ford Contour SVT

Merriam-Webster defines the word con·tour (n)| \ˈkän-ˌtu̇r as (1) an outline especially of a curving or irregular figure (2) the general form or structure of something or (3) a usually meaningful change in intonation in speech.  I wasn't familiar with that last definition, but the fellows at Ford's Special Vehicle Team put some contour into the 1995-2000 Ford Contour and Mercury Mystique sales literature with the release of the 1998 SVT version which added a 2.5 liter Duratec V6, 5-speed manual box, upgraded brakes, snazzy interior bits, and a sport tuned suspension.  Find this 1998 Ford Contour SVT offered for $1200 in Warwick, RI via craigslist. Tip from Art C.

Con-Tourismo: 1999 Ford Contour SVT

The original Taurus SHO was a legend. 5-Speed, a Yamaha tuned engine and as fast as a Mustang GT.  When the RoboCop body style finally aged-out in 1995, the SHO badge was carried onto the newly crappy redesigned Taurus.  The rightful heir to the SHO bloodline, however, was to be found in a different model altogether.  Find this 1999 Ford Contour SVT for sale in Pittsburgh, PA for $3,600 via craigslist.