Classic Classified: 1970 Ford Torino Cobra
From: Hemmings Motor News, March 1989
Price then: $12,800 ($26,000 adjusted for inflation)
Price now: $43,900–$103,000
Approximate dollar difference: $77,000 (Assuming No. 1 condition)
Annual rate of return: 4.9%
Torino: 1970 Cobra, 429 SCJ, 4-speed, red and black, original paint, shaker, factory louvers and fire extinguisher, new factory exhaust system, no rust ever, turns heads, $12,800.
By the late 1960s, the Mustang had cornered Ford’s performance image with the Mach 1, Boss 302, and Boss 429. But what if you wanted a performance car with a little more practicality and less flash? Well, Ford had the answer: the Torino Cobra. What you got was a juiced-up version of the standard mid-size Torino platform, with Ford’s fire-breathing Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet engines. In 1970, the updated styling in the Torino was accompanied by the new 429 engine, rather than the 428 from the older “FE” platform. When ordered with the 429 SCJ, the Cobra was rated at 370 horsepower and had a 0–60 time that dipped into the high five-second range. That’s fast enough to make the best that GM and Mopar had to offer a little nervous.
Today, these hot Torinos are a rare sight at car shows and auctions (although not as rare as the Torino Talladega). This original example is a fantastic find, with the desirable SCJ engine and in unrestored condition. Anyone who was willing to buy it and carefully maintain it would now find their investment modestly rewarded. Even more rewarding would be all the attention they’d see at the local car shows.
