Ford Taurus Aero GT Is A Forgotten Sport Wagon Aimed At Audi And Volvo
The original Taurus was a huge deal for Ford. The automaker invested billions to develop a family sedan that could take on the up-and-coming Japanese sedans. And it paid off, as the Taurus was the best-selling car in America for years. Outside of the SHO, however, they were pretty bland cars, but one option package helped bring a little excitement to the lineup. Called the Aero GT Package, it was developed by a company called Spoilers Plus and could be ordered directly through Ford dealers. It was also available on the Taurus’s Mercury Sable sibling as well.
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Ordering the package got you a complete exterior kit, including a front air dam with fog lights, side spats, Goodrich Comp TA tires and 15-inch BBS wheels. The kit wasn’t just tacked on, either. MotorWeek remarked that the kits’ pieces were made of high-quality material and used factory mounting points so they weren’t flimsy.
Inside, the Wagon’s three-across bench seat was replaced with a pair of Recaro sport seats with eight-way adjustments and a center console — despite the presence of an old fashioned column shifter. The rest of the interior was stock Taurus Wagon, right down to the fake wood trim and digital gauge cluster. There were a few tech features in the interior that might have been a big deal in the late 1980s, like the center console’s seat adjustment controls, CD player and built-in cell phone. There was even a Kenwood anti-theft security system.
There were two big downsides to the Taurus Aero GT, though. The main problem was the fact that this package came with no engine upgrades whatsoever. The added weight of the add-ons required a bit more power, so the Aero GT Wagon came standard with the big 3.8-liter V6. With MotorWeek’s testing, it managed to hit 60 mph in 9.8 seconds — not bad but still pretty slow. It did come equipped with a handling package with special gas struts, shocks, front-and-rear anti-sway bars and stiffer bushings that improved handling MotorWeek described as “fun”.
The other problem was the price. None of the modifications came cheap. While buyers did have the convenience of getting this through the dealer, they had to part with $9,695 to do so. Luckily, that price was only if you wanted the entire Aero GT package. Buyers could pick and choose the mods individually — getting the Recaros and handling mods with no body kit for instance.
Ultimately the Ford Taurus Wagon Aero GT never proved to be especially popular. MotorWeek said just a few thousand would be made per year, although it was probably less than that. In fact, trying to find one for sale will just pull up listings of first-gen SHOs. But hey, at least they tried.
1989 Taurus Wagon Spoilers Plus Aero GT | Retro Review
