(Photo Credit: Mecum Auctions)

You might recall that the Hertz Rent-A-Racer Mustangs are indeed a special breed of pony car – one with a rich history spanning all the way back to the late ’60s with Carroll Shelby and Ford Motor Company. What you might not know is that between those years, and even presently, the Rent-A-Racer Mustangs have made various appearances throughout almost every generation of Mustang.

For example, this 1985 Ford Mustang SVO which is headed to auction at Mecum Auctions’ Harrisburg event next month. This unrestored 1985 Mustang SVO was purchased by Hertz for a new Rent-A-Racer program in 1985, according to the original Mecum listing. Aside from being one of only 60 cars produced, it’s also one of only 10 built for Hertz in Dark Sage Green, and one of only four known to still exist.

Furthermore, the Mecum listing says that this SVO was originally shipped to the Hertz office in Dallas, Texas, “where its VIN was etched into the moon roof, window glass and wheels as anti-theft protection.”

While the Hertz-edition Mustang SVOs didn’t receive any performance upgrades per se, these cars still hold a great deal of value for their sheer history in the automotive world. These cars, quite literally, paved the way for Ford’s later SVT in-house performance division, which any Blue Oval fan will know was undoubtedly one of Ford’s golden eras of performance.

Fast forward to the present, and we have Ford Performance vehicles to cherish. But, we couldn’t enjoy today’s machines without first appreciating those that preceded them. Interested in this Mustang SVO for yourself? Checkout the original Mecum Auctions listing here.