By Kyle Francis
Ford produced some true unicorn muscle cars during the 1970s, but this one is by far the rarest.
The most influential muscle car era in the history of the automotive subclass is arguably the 1960s, with vehicles such as the 1964 Pontiac GTO and Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 thrilling drivers and observers alike. Their huge V8s continued to get bigger and more powerful as the decade progressed, though things eventually started to go downhill as the 1970s rolled around.
Tightening US vehicle emissions regulations and heightening insurance and fuel costs meant the muscle glory days were numbered, though this didn't stop Ford from producing some very special vehicles. HotCars decided to take a look back through history and find the rarest Ford muscle cars built during the 1970s, based purely on production numbers.
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Only Three 1970 Ford Torino King Cobras Were Ever Made
1970 Ford Torino King Cobra Specs
Engine | 429 ci V8 |
Power | 370 HP |
Torque | 450 LB-FT |
Production Numbers | 3 Units |
(Source: Mecum Auctions)
The prize for the rarest muscle car to come out of Ford's doors during the 1970s goes to a car right from the start of the decade. The Ford Torino King Cobra was a vehicle built specifically to take on Mopar in NASCAR, though just three were ever produced before the program was canceled.
The two marques were locked in a battle to exceed 200 mph on superspeedway oval tracks like Daytona and Talladega. Ford had won the war in 1969 with its sleek and valuable Torino Talladega model, though Mopar looked set to rip away Ford's crown the following year with its Super Bird creation.
Ford Looks To Plymouth For Inspiration
Best known for its huge rear wing, the Super Bird was able to reach 200 mph on the superspeedways, leaving Ford scratching its head on how to prevent its fierce rival from running away with the title. Following in Mopar's tracks, Ford tasked its lead race engineers with finding a way to make the Torino more aerodynamic.
Their jobs were made more difficult by the inefficient design of the 1970 Torino, primarily due to its wide front grille. Each manufacturer had to build one road car for every two dealerships it had across the US, so they couldn't just build a track-only special. With Plymouth implementing the ultra-slippery nose cone from its racer onto the Super Bird road car, Ford needed to find a way to make the Torino superior in this area.
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According to Mecum Auctions, Larry Shinoda, Ford Special Design boss at the time, wanted to shape the nose of the Torino like the GT40 that had carried the brand to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1966 and '69.
The new nose, which lengthened the Torino by around six inches, was swiftly developed and fitted to the car for testing. The rocker panels were also rolled to allow the NASCAR version of the Torino to be lowered by another inch compared to the road-going example, allowing it to cut through the air even more cleanly.
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The Ford Torino King Cobra Had Serious Stability Problems
While the new Torino, christened the King Cobra, certainly looked the part with its smooth nose, it had some serious issues when in motion. It lacked nothing in terms of power, with its 429 ci Cobra Jet V8 producing 370 hp, which was enough to hit its speed target. However, the test drivers tasked with shaking down the Torino King Cobra reported that the front end was incredibly light at high speed, as a result of too much lift.
A similar problem had afflicted the legendary GT40 racer several years earlier, though on the Torino it was due to too much pressure on the rear. The new nose created around 200 pounds of downforce, though air found its way to the concave rear light assembly and created tremendous rear-end downforce. This overcame the extra front-end downforce, meaning the nose lifted at speed. While design changes could have cured the problem, this was never done as the project was canceled soon after.
While a definitive reason for the Torino King Cobra being mothballed has never been released, one of the more accepted explanations was that Ford cut funding to its racing arm by a significant margin. NASCAR boss Jim France also reportedly raised the minimum vehicle hom*ologation rule to 3000, making the project even more costly to implement.
Whatever the true reason for its demise, just three prototypes of the King Cobra were ever made. While two featured the 429 ci Cobra Jet powerplants, the third car was treated to a 429 ci Boss engine that was featured in the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429. All three of these rare Torinos eventually found themselves in private hands, allowing them to live on even if they weren't able to live up to their original promise.
The Torino Twister Is The Rarest Ford Production Muscle Car Of The 1970s
1970 Ford Torino Twister Details
Engine | 429 ci V8 |
Power | 260-270 HP |
Torque | 450 LB-FT |
Production Numbers | 90 Units |
(Source: Ford)
Interestingly, the rarest Ford muscle car to actually reach production during the 1970s was another version of the 1970 Torino. On this occasion, the car was left completely stock from a performance perspective, with no sleek aerodynamic noses to be seen. The Torino Twister Special was essentially created as a limited-run exhibition car sold exclusively by Ford dealers around the Kansas City area.
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In a similar vein to cereal makers offering time-limited toys to help move product, Ford did the same with its muscle cars. The brand had already done something similar with the Mustang California and High Country models, which were built exclusively for the California and Colorado markets, respectively.
What Made The Torino Twister Unique
The Torino Twister was Kansas' special version, with just 90 cars made during the 1970 model year. There was also a Twister version of the Mustang Mach 1 for the same market, though 96 of these were produced. Every Torino Twister was shipped with either the 360 hp 429 ci Cobra or 370 hp Cobra Jet V8s, the latter making more grunt courtesy of a large hood scoop that increased airflow to the mighty powerplant.
The most obvious change compared to standard Torinos was the striking paint scheme, with each model painted in Vermilion Red with small Twister decals on the rear fenders. As per Mecum, 30 of the vehicles featured a four-speed manual gearbox, while the remaining 60 had three-speed automatic units. Offered purely as a marketing exercise and not as a special performance model, none of the Torinos were available with power steering or power brakes.
These Rare Torinos Don't Come Cheap
Due to the exclusivity of both Torino models, gearheads interested in adding one to their garage better reach deep into their wallets. The King Cobra demands prices of well over $500,000, while the Twister can fetch around $250,000. Fortunately, they don't just look great but also have the performance figures to back up their distinctive looks.
Sources: Mecum Auctions, XR793.com
