It is by no accident that BMW and Mercedes have climbed to the top of the automotive heap, and are in the enviable position that they now hold. They did it by hard work, love of the cars they were designing, and a genuine desire to please a discriminating customer. Ford and other domestic cars come close every now and then, but their dismal failures of some models tarnish whatever triumph they hoped to achieve.
I maintain that the SHO's of past and present are one of these few bright lights that Ford hasn't kept hidden under a bushel. In spite of handy-capping themselves with a front wheel drive, base model production car starting point, they managed to turn out a very respectable auto; and kept at it, in spite of dismal sales.... trying to establish a brand. The 89 SHO will someday be recognized as a milestone car (like the 60 or 61 Lincolns that were so radically different than anything else ever seen), but until then we have to put up with the laughter. But you can't do it with engineering alone, just like BMW has not done it with engineering alone. You have to love the vehicle you are selling and stand behind the vehicle you are selling, and set up a system where the used vehicle is just as sought after as the new vehicle.
Being best in class is a worthy goal while you are re-tooling your whole business enterprise to become best overall. You do this by offering the great features of the elite models on the "not so elite" models, and Ford should be commended for embracing this concept that is guaranteed to yield dividends.
