Ford Torino Talladega

The Ford Torino Talladega is a muscle car that Ford produced only during the first few weeks of 1969, named for the Talladega Superspeedway, which opened the same year. It was a special, more aerodynamic version of the Torino and Fairlane built to make Ford more competitive in NASCAR racing, and it was sold to the public only because homologation rules required a minimum number of cars, 500 in 1969, to be made available. All production Talladegas were equipped with the 428 Cobra Jet, a street engine that developed high torque at low revolutions, while early racing builds used the FE 427 side oiler and later versions the Boss 429. The car was based on the Fairlane Sportsroof fastback two-door hardtop with a sleeker front section that extended its length by about six inches, and its rocker panels were reshaped so racing teams could run about an inch lower. It is believed that a total of 754 Talladegas may have been built, and a largely equivalent car was sold under the Mercury marque as the Cyclone Spoiler II.