One of the unsung heroes of the middle 90s import performance coupes market is the Subaru SVX. The Toyota Supra, Mazda RX-7, and Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 tend to get the high praise of internet pundits and armchair quarterbacks, but the SVX was a groundbreaking offering considering it came from a company known for making 4WD wagons that college kids drove in the northeast and Pacific Northwest. The SVX may not have been a sports car as much as it was a grand tourer, but it still deserves more love than it gets today. Find this recently-donated 1994 SVX here on eBay where it’s offered with no reserve.
As I alluded to, it’s no secret that the SVX was a far cry from the scorching performance of the likes of the Supra and RX-7. But think about a company like Subaru putting a model like this into mass production: this is one of the more compelling examples of a “moonshot” model that I can think of from the last 30 years. Sure, every manufacturer tends to have a model they build without much focus on the bottom line in hopes it introduces the company to a new segment of customers, and/or helps to market a new technology that will soon be unveiled in its bread-and-butter models. But the SVX was a true grand tourer that was every bit a Subaru despite being like nothing the company had ever built before.
The window-in-window design is perhaps the most striking feature of all, which is ironic considering it didn’t work all that well. But everything else, from the flat-six engine to the standard all-wheel-drive to the stunning looks and the luxurious interior combined to yield a Subaru model unlike anything before that point, and frankly, unlike anything since then. The interior featured a cross between suede and Alcantara, which was yet another intriguingly upmarket feature from a manufacturer that had never tried to capture the interest of customers looking for an edgy sports coupe. Of course, leather was an option, but seeing this very delicate interior material in such good shape is an encouraging sign in regards to the rest of the car.
The one major failing of the SVX was its automatic transmission, which had a tendency to overheat and was always said to be a poor match for the high horsepower and torque ratings of the SVX’s engine. Many of the SVXs you see in junkyards that otherwise appear to be in fine condition are likely there due to a failed gearbox. The seller claims there are no such issues lurking under the hood of this SVX, which was apparently donated by a female owner who turned over the keys when she could no longer drive. It certainly has the appearance of being with one careful owner for many years, and this no-reserve listing will likely lead to a very fair deal for the next owner.
I think these cars are poised to the next big thing. Low production numbers and the cool factor will make these a good investment. Looks to be a really clean pampered SVX. I can only think of 2 words whenever I see one for sale. Manual swap!
No, they won’t be the next big thing. There were very few imported (I owned 3, amazing car), and fewer than 1500 are still on the roads. When Subaru discontinued these, they instructed the dealers to throw all parts in the garbage. Most did that. That means one can only get parts from a junkyard / salvage lot. This one has 111k miles and nearly every one will fry the tranny between 110k and 120k (happened like clockwork on 2 of mine). Can fit very few WRX parts to these. The manual swap is a nightmare. I restored one a few years ago, sold it and 2 weeks later the guy got t-boned and that destroyed it. Sad.
I went and looked at one of these that was for sale
with a bad transmission.I offered $200 for it,as I wasn’t sure
just how much it would take to get it back on the road.The
seller declined my offer.Hopefully it didn’t end up getting
scrapped.
There was a guy who came into the grocery store I
worked at with new one of these.He told me he was testing
it for a 4WD magazine that he was doing an article for.
Auction already ended by seller 38 seconds after you posted it.
I owned one of these. Weak points were transmission and brakes. Positives were the reactions I got driving around. I think the windows made it seem more exotic
Offered at no reserve but a buy it now price of $4700 wouldn’t that mean the reserve is $4700
No, that means you can end the auction early if you pay $4700. Otherwise bidding goes where it goes.
I think there are two ways they can set it up from there – either, once someone has made a bid, the Buy It Now option stops, or it stays active.
I own one of these and make upgraded rear sway bars for them as well. They can be a real beast of a car but just like anything certain areas need more attention than others.
“Trash all SVX parts”? Sounds like internet “fact”. Sold mine to my brother. A warning light for the gearbox came on and fearing the cost of a tow (an extreme penny-pincher), he continued driving until it ground to a halt. He then needed to have it towed AND repaired. I refused his demand for a refund. He didn’t talk to me for quite some time.
That kind of thing does happen. When Chrysler bought out AMC they trashed all of the pre-1980 AMC parts and the tooling for them. I remember seeing a photo-op of a smiling Lee Iacocca on a bulldozer in front of a pile of Rambler parts. (Of course in that case it was a company takeover and not just discontinuing a model.)
So, did it sell or not?
Agreed. I’ve had two, A ’94 bought new and driven daily for 17 years and a ’97 bought in 2013 that was an object lesson in ” never buy anything off the web bigger than a bread box “. Both were LSi variants. Once I had the ’97 in shape, its been a wonderful summer car. I’ve found if you maintain them there bullet proof. Wonderful engine. As far as the manual swap everyone raves about, I think my size 11 footwear would be a tight fit under that dash.
This one looks very nice, hope it goes well.
Reminds me of the 2011/2012 Chevy Volt.
I’ve read the Achilles’ Heel of these was that the transmission and AWD differentials didn’t cope well in cruising with mismatched tire diameters, so to avoid overheating them required diligent tire inflation, rotation, and replacement of all 4 tires together as a matched set.
Also didn’t help that early ones had a debris screen in the transmission cooler line that tended to get clogged up easily if the fluid burned due to the aformentioned overheating issue. Later cars omitted the screen, and the solution for early ones was just to ream out the screen.
You’re right, you cant get anything out of Subaru, their dealers cant even look up the parts as Subaru parts catalogs dont even list them ! A woman not far from my house had one sitting in her driveway for years. About a year ago she posted it on several sites with a make offer, but nobody even called to look at it. I’m pretty sure she ended selling it to a scrapper