autoevolution
 

Cali-Raised 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351 Still Is a True R-Coded One-Year Wonder

Look as hard as you like in the history books, but you’ll only find one year when out of Ford’s factory doors something called Boss 351 came out. And not many of them did, making surviving examples true magnets for car collectors.
1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351 15 photos
Photo: Mecum
1971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 3511971 Ford Mustang Boss 351
Coming fresh on the heels of the two other Bosses, the 302 and 429, the 351 is one of the rarest breeds of Mustangs out there. In 1971, the only year they were made, just a pinch over 1,800 were assembled and sent out into the world.

The one you see before your eyes now is part of that select batch. It survived to this day in good condition, despite the 60,000 or so miles (96,500 km) that are shown on the odometer—miles that are, by the way, believed to be original.

They have all been traveled using the car’s native engine, the R-coded Cleveland V8. 351ci (5.7-liters) in displacement, the powerplant was rated back in its day at 330 horsepower and 370 lb-ft (501 Nm) of torque and ran by means of a 4-speed manual transmission.

This particular example, coming to the world in the iconic Wimbledon White over a black interior, has all of that, and then some. The engine’s power is sent to the road by means of Magnum 500 wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich radial tires. At the same time, the ride is thoroughly enjoyed thanks to the sensations provided by the Hurst T-handle shifter and to the tunes blaring out courtesy of the stock pushbutton AM/FM radio.

This particular Boss 351 is part of the Dallas and Ammie Hawkins Collection, has spent its entire life in California, and is presently listed for sale during the Mecum auction in Indianapolis later this week. The car is selling with no reserve, meaning it will go to the highest bidder no matter the sum offered. Still, the sellers hope to get up to $65,000 for it.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Daniel Patrascu
Daniel Patrascu profile photo

Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories