Again within the Nineteen Nineties, Ford’s Particular Automobile Staff had a wide variety of loopy concepts for efficiency. One in every of them was once an SVT Crown Victoria, as a result of who would not need a full-size body-on-frame sedan with a five-speed guide and an engine from a Mustang Cobra? That automobile by no means got here to fruition, however Roush did use the speculation with its so-called “Cobra Vic,” of which 18 have been constructed for the Bob Bondurant riding college in Arizona. And one in all them is on the market.

This actual Ford is indexed at Carry A Trailer, and as we put up this tale on September 21, the prime bid is $23,000 with lower than an afternoon closing. In line with the public sale checklist, this automobile was once bought from the Bondurant property in 2022 and nonetheless wears pale Bondurant markings. Parts of the Vic were repainted, however cracked clearcoat and different pale spaces are famous within the description.

600 miles are reported at the odometer, a determine that might be outstanding if this have been a standard 23-year-old super-sized Ford sedan. In truth, it is nonetheless outstanding, despite the fact that given its goal, it is protected to think maximum of the ones miles have been hard earned doing laps on the college’s race monitor. It does run despite the fact that, as we see within the walkaround video on the best of this newsletter. And in keeping with the video, the Vic nonetheless drives like a brand new automobile.

10 Footage

After all, no Crown Victoria was once ever offered new with a complete roll cage, gas mobile, battery cut-off transfer, or a five-speed guide transmission. Those have been pieces plugged in by way of Roush, in conjunction with an upgraded suspension that integrated larger roll bars, Eibach reducing springs, 3.73 gears, and a Ford Traction-Lok restricted slip differential. It rides on 17-inch Cobra R wheels, and the five-speed lever sticks up thru a middle console sourced from the Ford Contour – AKA first-generation Mondeo for the Motor1 readers around the pond. As for the engine, it is a directly pull from the 1999 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra making 320 horsepower.

Ford by no means graced its flagship sedan with a efficiency trim from the manufacturing unit, however the essence of the stillborn SVT Crown Victoria did come to lifestyles with the 2003 Mercury Marauder. Its engine was once the rather much less robust Cobra V8 used within the Mustang from 1996-1998, and once more within the 2003-2004 Mach 1. It made 302 hp below the hood of the large Merc, which additionally won an competitive entrance fascia with spherical fog lamps, 17-inch five-spoke wheels, white gauges, and a menacing black paint process. It additionally won a floor-shifted transmission, however unfortunately it operated a four-speed automated as a substitute of a clutched five-speed.

With handiest 18 constructed, the previous Bondurant Crown Vics are loopy uncommon and in step with the walkaround video, this one was once Bob’s personal automobile. Any bets on what the general bid value will probably be for this particular piece of Ford historical past?