This is a Ford Torino that was ordered new with the factory “R-Code” Super Cobra Jet V8, a 428 cubic inch engine capable of a claimed 335 bhp, but many at the time felt that this power rating was significantly under-reporting the true output.
The Torino is perhaps best remembered today for its use by Ford in NASCAR where it was seen by millions both in person at various circuits and on television. The Torino could be ordered in two-door, four-door, and station wagon variants – giving it a much wider appeal than models like the Mustang.
Fast Facts – The Ford Torino Cobra
- The Ford Torino Cobra debuted in 1969 alongside a number of other Torino variants. It was named after Turin, Italy, and it was nearly used earlier as the name for the Ford Mustang. The model was part of the intermediate Fairlane line, offering multiple body styles, including two-door, four-door, and station wagon options.
- The 428 cubic inch Cobra Jet V8 was originally the top engine option, but in 1969, Ford introduced the Super Cobra Jet (SCJ) with the “Drag Pack” package, featuring upgrades like forged pistons, a nodular iron crankshaft, Le Mans-style rods, an oil cooler, and a Ram Air system.
- The 1969 Ford Torino Super Cobra Jet shown was originally sold in Colorado and has undergone a full restoration. It retains its matching-numbers 428 Cobra Jet V8, Toploader 4-speed manual transmission, correct cylinder heads, and 9-inch rear end, now finished in red instead of its original Black Jade color.
- This SCJ Torino includes period-correct 15-inch wheels with BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires, a Hurst shifter, and the Drag Pack option. The interior features black vinyl, a factory radio, and front and rear bench seats. It will be auctioned by Mecum on March 21, complete with a deluxe Marti Report.
The Ford Torino Cobra
The Ford Torino Cobra made its debut in the 1969 model year alongside the 15 other variants of the Torino on offer. The model line had been named after Turin, the city in Northern Italy that is the heart of that nation’s automotive industry, and interestingly the name had almost been given to the Ford Mustang.
The profile of the Ford Torino became famous to millions of Americans, as its the model Ford chose to use for NASCAR competition.
The Torino made its debut in 1968 as part of the intermediate Fairlane line offering two and four-door models as well as a four-door station wagon. A vast number of variants would be made over the course of the three generations that the model was in production, running from 1968 to 1976.
For the 1968 Torino a two-door Cobra version was offered with a 428 cubic inch (7.0 liter) Cobra Jet V8 and a number of other additions, including a heavy-duty battery, heavy-duty cooling package, a 55 ampere alternator, a 3.25:1 (open) differential, a dual exhaust, and chrome valve covers.
A Ram Air version of the Cobra could also be optioned which included a “Ram Air” system consisting of a functional hood scoop and a 3.50:1 (open) differential.
In 1969 this engine would no longer be the top power option for buyers, as the Super Cobra Jet (SCJ) was added to option lists. This was a series of upgrades designed specifically for drag racing and as a result it was included with the “Drag Pack” option package.
These Super Cobra Jet vehicles were fitted with the R-code “Ram Air” 428-4V V8 which had cast pistons, a nodular controlled cast-iron crankshaft, Le Mans-style 427 capscrew connecting rods, an engine oil cooler, and either a Traction-Lock limited-slip differential or a Detroit Locker.
This is the 428 cubic inch (7.0 liter) Cobra Jet V8 that was claimed to make 335 bhp, but many believed it was actually making quite a bit more and that Ford was understating it.
Surviving examples of these original Super Cobra Jet Torinos are now highly collectible, with values extending well into the six figures for vehicles with matching numbers engines.
The Ford Torino Super Cobra Jet Shown Here
The car you see here is a 1969 R-Code Super Cobra Jet Torino that was sold new at Courtesy Motors in Littleton, Colorado.
It has been given a comprehensive restoration with a clear focus on making it one of the best examples of the SCJ in the world. It’s powered by its matching-numbers 428 Cobra Jet V8 which is mated to the matching-numbers Toploader close ratio 4-speed manual transmission.
The car also has the correct heads (casting no. C80E-0609-N), and the Ford 9 inch rear end. This car was originally painted in Black Jade but that’s now been updated to Red, arguably a better color for the model, and it rides on period-correct 15 inch steel wheels shod with BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires on all four corners.
This car has front and rear bench seats, a radio, and a Hurst shifter on the Toploader close ratio 4-speed manual transmission.
It has a Hurst shifter and it came from the factory with Drag Pack option, and all the useful add-ons that the package came with at the time. It has a Black vinyl interior with a radio, lap belts, and front and rear bench seats.
The car is now due to cross the auction block with Mecum on the 21st of March and you can visit the listing here if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid. It comes with a deluxe Marti Report and a spare in the trunk with a jack and tire iron.
Images courtesy of Mecum
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
