Photo: Mecum
People living in Kansas in the late 1960s were treated to a special breed of the Ford Mustang: the limited edition Twister Special Mach 1. It was the local variant, if you like, of the Mustang California and High Country Specials the Blue Oval was selling elsewhere.
Ford’s local Kansas dealers found the idea so exciting that they went on an expanded it onto Torinos. Hence the Torino Twister Special was born, limited to just 90 units back in 1970, and selling for big bucks presently at auctions across the U.S.
One of those 90 Torino Twisters is part of the Mecum Kissimmee auction in early January, and as a true rarity, it is expected to fetch up to a quarter of a million dollars. The car is one in just 30 to have been made with a 4-speed manual transmission, and according to Mecum, one of 29 presently listed in the Torino Twister Registry.
Packing the matching numbers 429-ci (7.0-liter) engine equipped with a Rochester 4-barrel carburetor, the Torino was restored to its original condition by a number of shops, ending with Missouri-based R&A Motorsports, who handled the paint and final assembly.
The Twister Special has all the elements that made it stand out in the crowd back then and be a nod to the Mustang brother. That includes the availability of front and rear spoilers, special mirrors, and Firestone Wide Oval polyglas tires wrapped around all four wheels. Even the paint is made to match that of the Mustang Twister Special that came in Grabber Orange with special decals. Inside, the Torino is as simple as they get, with vermillion with black bench seat and the period's dashboard arrangement.
The Torino is going in a week’s time, complete with the original build sheet and the window sticker. We’ll get back on this once we learn if and for how much it sells.
One of those 90 Torino Twisters is part of the Mecum Kissimmee auction in early January, and as a true rarity, it is expected to fetch up to a quarter of a million dollars. The car is one in just 30 to have been made with a 4-speed manual transmission, and according to Mecum, one of 29 presently listed in the Torino Twister Registry.
Packing the matching numbers 429-ci (7.0-liter) engine equipped with a Rochester 4-barrel carburetor, the Torino was restored to its original condition by a number of shops, ending with Missouri-based R&A Motorsports, who handled the paint and final assembly.
The Twister Special has all the elements that made it stand out in the crowd back then and be a nod to the Mustang brother. That includes the availability of front and rear spoilers, special mirrors, and Firestone Wide Oval polyglas tires wrapped around all four wheels. Even the paint is made to match that of the Mustang Twister Special that came in Grabber Orange with special decals. Inside, the Torino is as simple as they get, with vermillion with black bench seat and the period's dashboard arrangement.
The Torino is going in a week’s time, complete with the original build sheet and the window sticker. We’ll get back on this once we learn if and for how much it sells.
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