<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sedans/" rel="tag">Sedan</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/sports/" rel="tag">Performance</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/etc/" rel="tag">Etc.</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/mercury/" rel="tag">Mercury</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/canada/" rel="tag">Canada</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/"><img hspace="0" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004299opt.jpg" alt="" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>1994 Mercury Sable AIV - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Back in 1994, Ford produced a series of experimental Mercury Sables with all-aluminum bodies. About 20 were made, a few of which were even powered by the aluminum 3.2-liter Yamaha V6 from the automatic-equipped Taurus SHO of the time. Laden down with high-performance hardware, the aluminum-bodied Sable AIV, which stands for Aluminum-Intensive Vehicle, was some 360 pounds lighter than a steel-bodied SHO and 91 pounds lighter than a 1994 Mercury Sable (with a much less powerful Vulcan V6, mind you). It was also more fuel efficient despite being tuned for performance. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/#2927610"><img hspace="0" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004304opt.jpg" class="right border" alt="" /></a>Having largely been developed and tested in Canada, the Sable AIV isn't known to many Americans (despite one being campaigned in the 1995 One Lap of America and finishing a respectable 15th), but those who troll <a href="http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=108078">SHOforum.com</a> were recently given a history lesson when a Canadian forum member stumbled across a pristine example sitting in the parking lot of Ford's Canadian headquarters. Fortunately, this crafty Canadian SHO-fan eventually made contact with someone at Ford who confirmed the parked AIV was indeed the real deal. Unfortunately, this Ford contact also confirmed what most SHOforum.com members already feared: Unable to be registered as a road-going vehicle, this AIV will likely be destroyed.<br />
<br />
An aluminum-bodied SHO (even if it looks like a Sable) ranks right up there with a SHO Wagon as the ultimate unobtainable prize for any SHO fan. For one, it completely fixes one of the original SHO's major shortcomings: rust. Thanks to aluminum's natural corrosion resistance, this particular example looks SHO-room (hahaha) fresh despite being 16 years old. Plus, these Sable AIVs were said to go like stink thanks to their 360-pound weight loss.<br />
<br />
The last thing Autoblog wants to see is such a unique piece of automotive history sent to the crusher, especially me, what with a 1991 Taurus SHO Plus sleeping quietly in the garage. Hopefully Ford decides against euthanasia for this 16-years-young cousin of the SHO and makes some space for it in the Henry Ford Museum (or even a dark warehouse). If neither of those solutions will work, I have a two-car garage.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/">1994 Mercury Sable AIV</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004299_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004309j_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004306c_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004300g_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004307_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=108078">SHOforum.com</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/">Ultra-rare SHO-powered aluminum-bodied Mercury Sable AIV spotted in Canada</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19453531/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>1994 Mercury Sable AIV - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Back in 1994, Ford produced a series of experimental Mercury Sables with all-aluminum bodies. About 20 were made, a few of which were even powered by the aluminum 3.2-liter Yamaha V6 from the automatic-equipped Taurus SHO of the time. Laden down with high-performance hardware, the aluminum-bodied Sable AIV, which stands for Aluminum-Intensive Vehicle, was some 360 pounds lighter than a steel-bodied SHO and 91 pounds lighter than a 1994 Mercury Sable (with a much less powerful Vulcan V6, mind you). It was also more fuel efficient despite being tuned for performance. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/#2927610"><img hspace="0" border="1" align="right" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004304opt.jpg" class="right border" alt="" /></a>Having largely been developed and tested in Canada, the Sable AIV isn't known to many Americans (despite one being campaigned in the 1995 One Lap of America and finishing a respectable 15th), but those who troll <a href="http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=108078">SHOforum.com</a> were recently given a history lesson when a Canadian forum member stumbled across a pristine example sitting in the parking lot of Ford's Canadian headquarters. Fortunately, this crafty Canadian SHO-fan eventually made contact with someone at Ford who confirmed the parked AIV was indeed the real deal. Unfortunately, this Ford contact also confirmed what most SHOforum.com members already feared: Unable to be registered as a road-going vehicle, this AIV will likely be destroyed.<br />
<br />
An aluminum-bodied SHO (even if it looks like a Sable) ranks right up there with a SHO Wagon as the ultimate unobtainable prize for any SHO fan. For one, it completely fixes one of the original SHO's major shortcomings: rust. Thanks to aluminum's natural corrosion resistance, this particular example looks SHO-room (hahaha) fresh despite being 16 years old. Plus, these Sable AIVs were said to go like stink thanks to their 360-pound weight loss.<br />
<br />
The last thing Autoblog wants to see is such a unique piece of automotive history sent to the crusher, especially me, what with a 1991 Taurus SHO Plus sleeping quietly in the garage. Hopefully Ford decides against euthanasia for this 16-years-young cousin of the SHO and makes some space for it in the Henry Ford Museum (or even a dark warehouse). If neither of those solutions will work, I have a two-car garage.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/">1994 Mercury Sable AIV</a></strong></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004299_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004309j_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004306c_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004300g_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/1994-mercury-sable-aiv/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/04/1004307_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://www.shoforum.com/showthread.php?t=108078">SHOforum.com</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/">Ultra-rare SHO-powered aluminum-bodied Mercury Sable AIV spotted in Canada</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 11:31:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19453531/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/04/26/ultra-rare-sho-powered-aluminum-bodied-mercury-sable-aiv-spotted/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>
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