The Ford Motor Company has a history with limited-run and race-prepped vehicles based on production models, but the 1970 King Cobra is in a league of its own. Not only is it rarer than a four-leaf clover, but the Torino-based King Cobra is a brawny brute.
It’s rumored that the Blue Oval built three of these bad boys before the design studio clays were destroyed. And as it happens, two examples are known to exist today. A yellow-painted King Cobra is exhibited in a museum located in Sevierville, Tennessee, whereas its orange sib is for sale on eBay.
The classified ad comes courtesy of classic car dealer RK Motors Charlotte, and the asking price for it is $459,900. That’s what RK calls the “seal of approval” price. The bottom line as-is figure, meanwhile, is $440,000. And that’s pretty fine if you bear in mind that an L88 Corvette sold for $3.85 million at auction not that long ago. As an additional valuation reference, Lamborghini asks at least $421,350 on a brand spanking new Aventador S.
Arguably the most striking aspect of the King Cobra prototype is its sloped nose cone, which features two detachable panels that hide two rounds headlights. The scooped configuration is similar to the Datsun 280Z’s, but then again, the car looks better with the lights concealed. From the A-pillars back, however, the car shares body panels with the lesser Torino model.
With 43,325 miles on the clock, the 385 Series-derived Boss 429 engine still has a lot of life left in it. Ford intended to tune the 7.0-liter V8 in the King Cobra to 700 horsepower, but it’s unclear how many ponies the engineers managed to squeeze out of the damn thing. “A lot” is the best choice of words for this application ‘cause the King Cobra has NASCAR pedigree.
The mill is connected to a Toploader four-speed, which boasts a Hurst T-handle for added go-faster authenticity. Other than that, the interior has no highlight. It’s beautifully simple, and that's how a racecar should be.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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