The seller of this three-owner 1994 Ford Taurus SHO says it’s been babied since it was new and has just under 60,000 miles. For a car over three decades old, that isn’t a lot of driving fun for a car that would definitely be fun to drive, even by today’s standards. They have it listed here on eBay in Ormond Beach, Florida and they’re asking $12,900 or offer.
With a set of wheel covers, this Taurus SHO would be the ultimate sleeper. It won’t be the fastest sleeper, but you aren’t going to take a new Camry (with similar performance numbers) to a Cars & Coffee event. This appliance white (Vibrant White) SHO would be more than welcome at most vintage vehicle events, I’m sure. Ford made the Taurus SHO for a decade in three generations, then they took a decade off and came back for the 2010 model year until 2019.
The second-generation Taurus SHO (Super High Output) was made for the 1992 through 1995 model years and would be the last version with a non-turbo V6 engine and available manual transmission. With Yamaha’s help, the SHO has one of the best-looking engines of all time, in my opinion. I’d love to have a 1994 Ford Lightning pickup in white next to this white SHO in the garage, that would be a 1990s dream team for me.
There were two interior colors available for the SHO in 1994, and no red or burgundy, unfortunately. This has to be the most popular color of the era, Opal Gray. There was also a Mocha color, and that would have livened things up at least a little bit. Gray is a little, uhhhh… unlively, color-wise. This car appears to have the optional “Luxury Convience Group” package, which included dual power front seats, a JBL audio system, a power moonroof, and a remote keyless entry system. The seats look great, both front and rear, and the trunk looks clean as well, although the rubber seal appears a bit deteriorated.
By now, you’ve noticed this SHO has the optional four-speed automatic rather than the five-speed manual. Bummer. Sales were down because an automatic wasn’t available, so Ford and Yamaha worked their magic and bumped up the 3.0-liter DOHC V6 to a 3.2-liter DOHC V6 for those wanting the optional automatic. The 3.2 V6 had the same 220 horsepower but now had 215 lb-ft of torque, 15 more than the 3.0-liter model. The engine looks as nice as the rest of the car does, and they say it runs like new. Hagerty is at $12,000 for a #2 excellent condition car – how much would you pay for this example?
Nice in white. Swift and comfortable turnpike cruiser w the autoloader.
Good write-up Scotty. I always enjoy seeing an SHO featured here, and to hear the experiences of folks who had them. As I have noted before, I certainly liked mine.
If it indeed has had its required service, and the worst thing wrong is that the plastic wheel centers have lost their finish, it looks like the real deal.
The very gray interior: I remember thinking the same thing. So I ordered mine with the available cloth inserts. Part of the cloth pattern had stitching which matched the available paint colors (dark green, dark blue, etc.). It sounds odd but it worked well, and spiced up the interior a bit.
Thanks, Stan and Bob!
I think that’s the perfect seat, Bob. Here they are on page 9 of this brochure:
https://xr793.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/1994-Ford-Taurus.pdf
Nice Scotty!
Oh yes … the interior!:
The interior had the very best seats and impressive, diver designed instrument panel. Plenty of room for friends – including those to ask what is a stick doing in a Taurus!
Very nice – many updates since big intro in ’89.
For those that never drove one – impressive.
Have the Car & Driver mag from Dec 88, cover shot: “America’s Best Sedan, 220 hp, 143 mph. Olè!”
Fastest 4 door under $50,000. 6.7 sec to 60 mph.
My ’91 was 1/10th faster at 6.6 sec (C & D March ’91).
My ’91 red 5 spd SHO was more than good enough to speed around a brutal motorcycle track with 180° hairpins. Our 25+ member SHO Registry Club here in Atlanta rented the Alabama Talladega Gran Prix May 21, ’94. Looking at the VCR tape my brother filmed – best day ever. Blew to 100 mph and pulled out of hairpins at 7,000 rpms in second while I got straightened out. At the time few v6 cars could have kept up with us idiots.
Have driven the auto/3.2 and just not the same as the fantastic Yamaha 3.0 high winder with the 5 speed. I remember Bill Elliot testing a 5spd 3.0l at Atl. Mtr. Speedway at 126mph – in 4th gear.
Sorry!! Really miss that car!
Looks nice but angle for a 5 speed if you want real thrills.
Just my opinion. I never warmed to Taurus, preferring bigger traditional styling. Never could understand how a Friend and long time Cadillac buyer actually bought a first year Taurus. But she seemed to love it. As for me, any Taurus (or similar car ) is a NO SHO. 👎
Nice clean collectible that I would be proud of driving to a C&C event or even to the local FORD dealer just to put air in the tires! lol
I had a 93′ SHO for about 5 years. I think about that car all the time. Wish I’d never sold it. This car looks well taken care of.
I had a 93 same white á this but a black leather interior and 5 speed that thing was a cruiser the engine developed a terminal knock at about 150,000 miles and I replaced it with a junkyard motor with 30 k on it put a new clutch in same time the second engine was fine at first but developed and issue where it would start and run fine for about 15 mins then start breaking up under power I suspect it was the coils but I was done with it sold it for cash to a young kid signed over the title and luckily had him sign a bill of sale over a year later a tow yard callede and said the car was in their yard and I owed them 3 k in storage I sent them a copy of the bill of sale and never heard from them again apparently the kid never titled it in his name and wrecked it
Automatic actually now a plus as parts for the five-speed mostly unobtainable.
Having owned a ’91 SHO when they only came in manual, a pure love/hate relationship, I just don’t understand why they started making an automatic version other than they probably tripled their sales numbers.
Fabulous cars …currently on my third ’92. It is NOT, nor does it pretend to be a Porsche, Mercedes, Jag or Bentley which I also drive, but it is its own SHO motorcar and they’re great enthusiast drivers.