For 1989, Ford dug deep into its engine bag of tricks to turn a mundane, four-door family sedan into a high-revving, high-performance street machine. The heart of the 1989 Taurus SHO—for “Super High Output”—was its 3.0L V-6 with dual overcam cylinder heads developed and built in conjunction with Yamaha. Only 15,519 were produced during the SHO’s first year of production, including 5,975 in Light Titanium Metallic like this well-preserved and very original example with just 47,000 miles. A two-owner car that spent its entire life in California, the SHO was delivered new to Folsom Lake Ford in Folsom, California, and was driven sparingly over the ensuing years. It survives as a testament to Ford’s aim in producing a flagship model for the mainstream Taurus. Starting with a strengthened 3.0L V-6 block, Yamaha designed the aluminum heads with dual-overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, creating an engine that redlined at 7,000 RPM for 220 HP. Peering under the hood, the SHO powerplant was readily identified by its elaborate induction system with side plenums and crossover intake tubes with secondary throttling valves that open above 4,000 RPM for an extra kick, all controlled by Ford’s then-new EEC-IV engine management. Equipped with a Mazda 5-speed, the SHO was the only Taurus with a manual transmission. Other than cast aluminum wheels, exterior identification is limited to a front bumper with fog lights, side cladding and a rear bumper with embossed “SHO.” The interior includes sport bucket seats, a “SHO”-embossed steering wheel and an 8,000 RPM tachometer. A very well-preserved car, this Light Titanium SHO retains much of its original equipment, including the matching-numbers DOHC engine, dual exhaust, glass, Titanium leather bucket seats, Premium audio system and 15-inch wheels. Factory markings are still present on the clean undercarriage. The SHO has been recently serviced with new 215/65/15 tires, a front wheel alignment, brakes, axle seals, water pump, clutch and an air conditioning recharge. This rare SHO from the model’s first year of production comes with a Deluxe Marti Report, dealership paperwork, a build sheet, clean CarFax, owner’s manuals and books, and original keys.
