If there is an auto manufacturer who ruled both the racetracks and the streets in the 1960s is Ford. Ford’s “Total Performance” program saw its sports and muscle cars take on anything that seemed challenging. From the American strip drags and the large NASCAR ovals to Africa’s most famous motorsport, Safari Rally. Ford cars helped define the muscle era in a big way. The company had a reputation of a winner, with most of its victories being attained from the big ovals of NASCAR, international sports car competitions, and in organized drag-strip challenges.
While some of Ford’s classic cars were a little too heavy for performance, some cars beat the challenge and stood strong to represent the company. Including the various Mustang variants, let’s look at some of the most iconic Ford classics that defined the age of the muscle car.
10 1955 Ford Thunderbird
The 1955 Thunderbird is one of the most iconic classic cars produced by Ford. The car was fitted with Holley four-barrel carburetor and had dual exhaust. It had a powerful 5.1L V8 engine that produced 193 horsepower. Apart from being a powerful machine, the Thunderbird was also a perfect celebrity ride – it had an irresistible glam factor that kept them coming.
It had fender skirts and a retractable fiberglass top. Ford also offered a fabric convertible top available upon request. Upon its introduction to the market, the car sold over 3000 units in just ten days. In one year, 16,155 units were sold.
9 1969 Mach 1 Cobra Jet
The 1969 Mach 1 Cobra Jet is of the most potent early Ford Mustangs. It was equipped with a mighty 428 cubic inch V8 engine that produced a respectable 335 Hp and 440 lb.-ft of torque. The 0 – 60 mph was achieved in just 5.5 seconds, matching the 1970 Boss 302 Trans Am, which was created specifically for the racetrack.
The Cobra Jet had several incredible features and abilities, like reaching a top speed of 121 mph. Its stock-body appearance looked more like a modded race car than a factory model. It had some exciting visual enhancements that included a hood scoop and chrome exhausts.
8 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator
Another ford car that set the pace for muscle cars is the 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator. This muscle car came along as a result of a redesign of the original Mercury Cougar. The 1969 redesign enlarged the Cougar with 3.5 inches on the length and 3 inches on the width.
It was equipped with a four-barrel 351 Windsor V8 engine as standard, rated at 290 horsepower, and 385-lbs.ft. of torque. Of the 2250 units produced in 1969, only 69 Cougar Eliminators got the highly desirable Boss 302 powerplant.
7 1965 Ford Galaxie
The 1965 Ford Galaxie was one of the pioneer race cars to have a stellar suspension and shocks. Some of its features like reliable motor and super perfect handling later became the stock features to every track race car.
Its stunning lines and the stacked dual headlights also made it to stick in the minds of everyone who saw it, making it such a great muscle race car. This model has become a hot commodity, and one of the most sought-after Ford classic cars in the collectible auto segment.
6 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351
The 1971 Ford Mustang was a high-performance car best known for its potent 351 cubic-inch V8 engine with a respectable 330 horsepower and 370 lbs.-ft of torque. It was its power that got people to love it – the overall design, especially the body appearance, was not so appealing.
The Mustang 351 was a fast car with the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and travel the quarter-mile in 14.1 seconds. Described by many muscle car enthusiasts as one of the last pure muscle cars, the Mustang 351 had a top speed of 100.6 mph. The car had only one production year, 1971, and 1806 units were built.
5 1968 Ford Fairlane Torino GT
The Fairlane Torino GT was a 1968 redesign of Ford’s Fairlane Torino. It was designed with a Mustang-Esque fastback to make it more aerodynamic for NASCAR racing. The car came with various engine options for the Fairlane Torino GT.
The hardtop trim was fitted with the potent 428 Cobra Jet and C6 automatics. Ford built 600 hardtops, with 69 of them getting a stiff 3.91 rear axle ratio. Its power saved Ford all the troubles of adorning it with decorations; only a 429 badge was fixed on each front fender.
4 1969 Ford Talladega
The 1969 Ford Talladega debuted the same year as the Talladega Superspeedway. The car was produced in the first few weeks of the year with a more aerodynamic take on its brother muscle cars, the Ford Torino, and the Fairlane Cobra.
Talladega was explicitly created for NASCAR tracks – it was Ford’s representative in the highly competitive motorsport. A few production models were created with power steering and brakes, and color-keyed racing mirrors. It had a sleeker front section to make it more aerodynamic.
3 1970 Ford Torino Cobra
A car with style and attitude, the Ford Torino Cobra, was powered by a powerful 429 V4 that cranked out 360 horsepower. With a $164 addition to the base price, buyers could add 11.3:1 compression and more cam, making the car more powerful at 370 horsepower. Ford created 7,675 units of the Torino Cobra in 1968 and brought it back in 1971 with some minor trim changes.
2 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT
The third generation of Falcon has become one of the unforgettable muscle cars in the long list of Ford creations. And yes, Mad Max drove a Falcon XB GT. It was not very different from the first- and second-generation Falcons. At least not in performance.
But the 1973 model came with a new front end, and a new twin-scoop hood, similar to the ones used in Mustangs – a design that made it the preferable Falcon to have. The XB GT was equipped with a 351 Cleveland with 300 horsepower – a perfect pick for gearheads.
1 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429
Ford built the Mustang Boss 429 in 1969 to compete with the mighty Mopar HEMI engine in NASCAR; It was equipped with an equally potent Boss 429 V8 powerplant. Ford created the Boss 429 as a limited edition Mustang fastback to meet the homologation requirement of 500 units.
The 1969 model ended up being the ultimate Mustang as the “Clydesdale” body was used in the 1970 model. They modified Ford’s big-block V8 (Ford 385 engine) and changed the stroke to 3.59 from 3.85 inches. The powertrain was rated at 375 horsepower. It had such big exhaust ports that it was called the “shotgun engine” mustang.