Quick, what was the Motor Trend Car of the Year in 1970? I’ll help you out… it was the Ford Torino. Ford introduced the Torino for the 1968 model year. They wanted to ease the transition from their mid-size Fairlane to the new Torino to such a degree that the first Torino was part of the Fairlane line, and it was dubbed the “Fairlane Torino” (even though “Fairlane” badges appeared nowhere on the car). Should Ford have been more confident? Maybe. People quickly dropped the outdated reference. The car was, quite simply, the Ford Torino. And in 1970, the Fairlane actually became a sub-series of the Torino!

Muscle Car Status

The Torino and its various high performance incarnations was instantly popular. By the 1970 model year, the Torino GT coupe had garnered over 56,000 sales. The convertible, however, chalked up less than 4,000 sales, despite the fact that it had even been an Indy pace car. The high-performance 1970 Torino Cobra attracted just 7,676 buyers. As a result, the big-block muscle car is a rare commodity on today’s auction circuit.

It’s important to distinguish the three powerplants used in the Torino Cobra. All were based on the big-block 429 cu-in engine. The straight Cobra engine was rated at 370 horsepower, while the same engine with Ram Air was rated the same. However, nothing compared with the ultimate configuration, the so-called “Super Cobra Jet.” It’s official rating came in at 375 horsepower, but Ford, like the other big boys from Detroit, was rumored to have suppressed the real capabilities of this engine to avoid running afoul of government regulations.

Testing bears this out. Subsequent dyno tests recorded a whopping 493.6 horsepower at 6000 rpm, with 503 ft-lbs of torque at 4600 rpm.

Take That, Plymouth and Chevy…

Motor Trend compared the 1970 Torino 429 Super Cobra Jet with a Plymouth Roadrunner 440 and a prototype Chevelle SS 454. The Magazine’s editors creatively titled their piece, A Date With Three Strippers. The Super Cobra Jet proved to be the ultimate competitor. Equipped with a four-speed manual and a 3.91:1 axle, the tested Torino hit 60 mph from a standing start in just 6.0 seconds, equaling the Chevelle’s time and besting the Plymouth by six tenths of a second. And while the Torino’s quarter-mile time was the slowest of the bunch at 14.5 seconds, it hit the highest speed in the quarter-mile – 100.2 mph!

If you’re inspired to seek out an original-engine Super Cobra Jet Torino, good luck. Recorded auction sales have been close to nonexistent for some time now. But, combine the performance of any 1970 Torino Cobra with the relatively luxurious interior and the slick fastback styling, and you’ve still got yourself one impressive specimen from the heyday of the muscle car era.