The classic muscle car era — roughly spanning between 1964 and 1973 — produced some of the most iconic nameplates to ever come out of the American automotive market. Some of the models released during that period included the Pontiac GTO, Chevrolet Chevelle, Ford Mustang, and Dodge Charger. Each of these vehicles, along with a litany of others, owes its beginnings to America's obsession with muscle cars roughly six decades ago.Along with the large number of famed cars came a ton of special-edition versions of those nameplates. Take the Ford Torino, for example. It was Ford's mid-size model, and it was available with a good bit of go-fast performance under its hood if buyers ordered the right options. In 1970, Ford decided to produce the rarest Torino yet: the Twister Special. Not only was there a limited run, but the cars were also only sold in Kansas City. Hence, the "Twister Special" is named after Kansas, being in the heart of Tornado Alley.We're not in Kansas anymore... The Rarest Of Ford's Reluctant Muscle Car Mecum1970_ford_torino_gt_twister_special_rear Quick Facts About The Ford Torino Cobra Twister Special Introduced in 1970 Came standard with a 429 cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Super Cobra Jet V8 Also carried the Torino Cobra package Exclusively sold new at Ford's Kansas City District Sales Office Only 90 are known to have been produced In Kansas City, Ford's district top brass needed a sales boost. With Torino's fresh reputation for delivering plenty of power and performance, the folks in charge in the City of Fountains saw an opportunity to drum up some business. The Torino Cobra, with its unique paint schemes and black hood, was an attractive model, especially among a younger crowd. So, the regional team hatched a plan.Mecum The project wasn't particularly difficult, as it only required producing some unique decals. The special edition Torino Cobra was to be called the "Twister Special", and those familiar with The Wizard of Oz would immediately know why this namesake was chosen. Every Torino Twister Special was painted Vermillion red and had both a black hood and a black trunk garnish. Apart from that, the Twister Special and standard Cobra are virtually the same. After all, the Twister Special was built for promotional purposes.Mecum A total of 90 Twister Specials were slated to be built. Of those 90, 60 received automatic transmissions, and the remaining 30 got manuals. While the Twister Special's base price is elusive these days, we do know that the standard Ford Torino Cobra sold for approximately $3,208 in 1970. It's safe to assume the Twister Specials probably sold for just a bit more than that. But since the Twister Special was merely a promotional package, the price increase was most likely minimal. Under The Blacked-Out Hood MecumIf you sprung for the extra Twister Special-packaged Torino Cobra in 1970, you'd have been given a choice between two engine options. At base level sat a Ford 429 CID Cobra-Jet V8. The optional upgrade was the 429 CID Super Cobra-Jet V8, which added just a little bit more bite to the Torino's bark. All Twister Specials received a special Ram-Air Shaker hood scoop that bolted directly to either a 715, 750, or, in the Super Cobra-Jet's case, a 780 CFM four-barrel carburetor.Mecum Backing up the 429 cubic inches of Ford power was the aforementioned choice between a manual or an automatic transmission. The manual was a Ford-bred "Toploader" four-speed, with the Toploader namesake referring to an inspection cover on top of the gearbox, making inspection and maintenance easier. The automatic option consisted of a Ford C6 SelectShift Cruise-O-Matic three-speed. Of course, rear-wheel drive was the sole drivetrain configuration.While a 3.50:1 rear-end gear ratio was technically standard, most Twister Specials took advantage of either a 3.91:1 or a 4.30:1 rear-end ratio, as many of the special-edition Torinos were destined for the drag strip. Its suspension was tuned for drag performance, and its braking system consisted of front power discs and a pair of drums at the rear. It's important to note that upgrading a Twister Special's mill to a Super Cobra-Jet required selecting either the 3.91:1 or 4.30:1 rear-end ratio.Mecum Be Ready To Empty Your Coffers MecumIf you're like me, you've already convinced yourself that, yes, you do need a Twister Special. To make matters worse, you need it right now. Sadly for us, it's not that simple unless, of course, you've got quite a lot of dough stashed away. According to the available data, there hasn't been a single Twister Special to sell for less than $100,000 in quite a while. In fact, most have sold for more than $150,000, putting them out of reach for most of us. However, should you manage to scrounge up that much cash, you'll be able to own one of the rarest Ford muscle cars ever produced. The Ford Torino's History Mecum When the Torino first hit the market in 1968, it wasn't intended to be one of Ford's high-performance models. It's named after the Italian city of Turin, considered at the time to be the Detroit of Italy due to how many auto manufacturers called the town home. It was positioned in Ford's lineup as a higher-spec version of the Fairlane and was available in four-door, two-door, or wagon body styles. A "GT" grade was also offered, which upped the sporty ante just a bit.While a 200 CID straight-six served as the Torino's base engine, a slew of V8s were offered as optional upgrades, with sizes ranging from 289 to 428 cubic inches. However, all told, the Torino was meant to serve as a conventional car for those who demanded a bit more luxury than the standard Fairlane offered. Gearheads weren't catered to much with the '68 Torino, aside from the 427- and 428-CID V8 options.Bring A TrailerBy 1969, Ford realized that the Torino did, in fact, sport a look and size that lent it a certain amount of muscle car prowess. The Torino GT trim was carried over from 1968 and featured a 302 CID (5.0-liter) Windsor V8 as standard. However, a new grade called the Cobra entered the fold that came straight from the factory, sporting a 429 CID Cobra-Jet V8 pumping out 335 horsepower and 440 pound-feet of torque. It was at this point that folks interested in the muscle car scene really began to take notice of the Torino.If 1969 was the Torino's first dip into the muscle carpool, then 1970 was a cannonball. In essence, the Torino was completely updated for its second-generation debut, and the Torino Cobras were styled differently from the standard model. At the same time, the Torino namesake split from the Fairlane and became its own, standalone model. The Torino Cobra also gained a good bit of power, with its 429 CID engine now producing 370 hp. However, the Torino Cobra could take things just a little bit further — five horsepower further, to be exact — power-wise with the "Drag Pack" option.
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