American Muscle Car Museum/YouTube Add Jalopnik on Google: Google Discover A Ford Mustang GT is no doubt a special car, but even special cars can be considered common to some. Those privileged enough to call special cars common typically reach for the upper shelves of the automotive catalog and look for limited-edition models. Throughout its history, the Ford Mustang has had a ton of special versions, from the incredibly rare 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 to the sought-after modern Mustang GTD – characterized by limited production numbers and tons of exclusive goodies that elevate the experience above the standard. The Mach 1 was among them. Introduced for the 1969 model year, it was Ford's factory performance trim, pairing muscle-car power with a comfortable, daily-usable cabin. However, one version of the Mach 1 — dubbed the Twister Special — might very well be the rarest ever made. Ford built only 96 examples for the 1970 model year, and the car was never sold nationwide. Instead, it was exclusive to the Kansas City sales district, covering Kansas, Missouri, and the northwest corner of Arkansas. Production was also split down the middle by engine: 48 cars got the 428 Super Cobra Jet, and the other 48 got the 351 Cleveland. Today, well-kept examples routinely climb into six figures at auction, with one 428-powered Twister Special selling for $214,500 at Mecum not too long ago. Here is why the Ford Mustang Mach 1 Twister Special is so important and whether it belongs on your top-tier Mustang wish list. What makes the 1970s Ford Mustang Twister Special special? American Muscle Car Museum/YouTube There are two important elements of specialty to the 1970s Mustang Twister Special. The first one is that it was limited to 96 cars; the second one is that it was only sold in a single sales territory. The car wasn't meant to be built for retail buyers at first. It started as a special order from developer Larry LoPatin, who needed cars for promoting different tracks across the country. That did not come to fruition since the company folded before the cars shipped. Instead of repurposing those cars, Ford reused their design for a separate run of 96 Mach 1s and sold that batch through its Kansas City district. 48 cars carry a 428 Super Cobra Jet rated at 335 hp, and the other 48 run a 351 Cleveland rated at 300 hp — 35 hp lower. For the transmission, it was an equal split once again — each group got an even split of automatic and four-speed manual cars. All tallied up, and you get four different groups of the car, just 24 cars per a specific engine and transmission combo. Up front, Ford set the headlights into the grille, then filled the empty fender space with a pair of fake air vents. A new grille surround, different taillights, locking hood pins, and Shaker Hood vents round up the specifics. Ford built all 96 cars in the same orange-and-black scheme (Grabber Orange) with a dynamic decal on the car's rear quarter panel. Inside you get a Rim Blow steering wheel, woodgrain accents, molded door trim, a center console, and black bucket seats. Mechanically, every car also got a Traction-Lok limited-slip rear end and Drag Pack suspension, plus power assist for the steering and brakes. I guess it's not true that the 1970s didn't give us cool cars. How rare is the Twister Special compared to other dealer-sold Mustangs? MISTER ZACHARY/YouTube There have been many special editions of the Mustang, but if we ignore one-offs, test mules, concepts, and examples you couldn't buy from a dealer, there are a few retail special editions to rival or even beat the 1970s Twister Special. For example, the 1966 Anniversary Gold Edition marked Ford's millionth Mustang sale. Roughly 50 cars reached dealerships nationwide, and it is believed only five of them exist today. Also among the rarest Mustangs is the 1967 Mustang Stallion — an eight-car run sold nowhere but Mainway Ford in Toronto. Of the eight, four were built with the 271-hp 289 Hi-Po and four with the 320-hp 390. The 1967 She Country Special came from Ann Goodro, who ran Bill Goodro Ford in Denver and built the car to court female buyers. Four pastel colors, 48 cars combined — no color got more than the others. There was also the 1970 Sidewinder Special, which targeted Ford's Oklahoma sales district with a 351 V8 engine and a snake graphic dealers stuck on at delivery. Nobody kept an exact tally, but estimates land around 40 cars. Let's not forget the 1980 McLaren M81, which began as a prototype, but Ford subsequently approved it for limited production and planned to sell 249 examples through Ford dealers. Hot Rod reported that Ford wanted $25,000 in 1980, and only ten of ten were ever sold. Defining the rarest Mustang comes down to how you define it and whether you choose to include what counts as a legitimate retail sale — but narrowed to cars a customer could actually buy new from a dealer, these five are the ones that beat the Twister Special at its own game.
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