Ford Torino Talladega
Encyclopedia
The Ford Torino Talladega was a car
produced by the Ford Motor Company
during the first few weeks of 1969, only. Ford's Talladega was actually named after the Talladega Superspeedway
racetrack in Alabama
, which also made its debut in 1969. The Ford Talladega was a special, more aerodynamic, version of the Ford Torino
/ Fairlane Cobra. It was produced, specifically, to make Ford even more competitive in NASCAR
stock car racing, and it was sold to the public only because homologation
rules required a certain minimum number of cars (500 in 1969) be produced and made available for sale to the public. It is believed that a total of 754 Talladegas may have been built (although, the Talladega / Spoiler Registry can only account for a maximum of 750). This number includes all prototypes, pilot cars, and production cars built; plus, a special post-production car that was built for the president of Ford Motor Company, Semon Emil "Bunkie" Knudsen, in March of 1969. The Bunkie Knudsen car was significantly different from all of the homologation cars, with regard to options and color. (It's amazing what you can get, when you are president of the company...) This Talladega was even built at a different plant: Ford's Lorraine, OH plant on March 20, 1969. However, all production examples were constructed during January and February of 1969 at Ford's Atlanta, Georgia
plant. All production homologation cars produced after the pilot cars were built between January 21 and February 28. (According to the Talladega/Spoiler Registry's records, Talladega number 502 was actually completed on January 31, and then the last 247 homologation cars were built between February 14 and February 28, following a 2 week break in production.) It is unknown as to why Ford built an "extra" 247 homologation cars, once the homologation requirements had been met during the initial run, as it is thought that Ford lost several thousand dollars on every Talladega that was built.
A largely equivalent vehicle was also produced under the Mercury
brand as the Cyclone Spoiler II
.
The 1969 Ford Talladega was based on the Fairlane Cobra "Sportsroof" (Ford's trade name for a fastback
) 2-door hardtop. To make the car more aerodynamic at high speeds, a sleeker front section (whose design and construction is often attributed to the Holman-Moody race team's shop) was added. Regular production Fairlanes and Torinos had a then-fashionable inset grille and headlights, which fared poorly in the wind tunnel. The Torino Talladega replaced this nose with one that extended the car's length by about six inches, with a flush-mounted grille on a more aerodynamic front end. The close-fitting bumper was actually a rear bumper that had been cut, narrowed, V'ed in the center, and filled on the ends to create a crude air dam, further improving the aerodynamics of the car at high speeds. In another well kept, secret, design move, the rocker panels of the Talladega were reshaped and rolled to allow Ford teams to run their racing cars about an inch closer to the ground while staying within NASCAR rules; this also greatly enhanced the top speed of the car by lowering its center of gravity, and further reducing its wind resistance. The cars were also equipped with an engine oil cooler, a power steering oil cooler, special offset rear shocks, a 3.25:1 Ford 9 inch 31 spline nodular open rear end, and most surprisingly: a heavy duty C-6 (cast iron tailshaft) automatic transmision that was column shifted. These other special performance parts were normally only available when ordering a "drag pack car" which would have been equipped with a 4 speed and a limited slip rear end. Also unique to the Talladega was the presence of competition black hoods and rear tail panels on all production cars, as well as the only interior offered: black vinyl and cloth with a front bench seat...
Racing versions of the car were initially fitted with the Ford FE 427 side oiler engine that had been Ford's main racing engine since 1963. Later in the season, the Ford Boss 429 engine was used by many of the teams, after it had finally been declared "offcially homologated" by NASCAR president, Bill France. Ironically the Boss 429 engine was actually homologated in the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429
. In a very unusual move, Ford homologated the engine separately from the car in which it was to race. Many experts think this may have been done in order to get the bodywork of the Talladega officially homologated at the beginning of the 1969 race season, as the Boss 429 was not yet in production in sufficient numbers to homologate it. All production Talladegas were actually equipped with the new Ford 428 Cobra Jet
, which, while very powerful and reliable, was intended as a street engine for Ford's muscle cars, as it developed high torque at low RPMs, rather than being a high reving race engine.
The only option actually offered on the production vehicles was the color; choices were: Wimbledon White (286 built), Royal Maroon (258 built), or Presidential Blue (199 built). (Note: All production Talladegas are believed to have been built with one additional option - an AM Radio.)
The Torino Talladega did exactly what Ford hoped it would do on the racing circuit: winning 29 Grand National races during the 1969 and 1970 NASCAR seasons - far more than any other model, as well as winning the 1969 NASCAR Manufacturer's Championship with David Pearson winning the Driver's Championship, and winning the 1969 ARCA Manufacturer's Championship with Benny Parsons winning that driver's championship. Chrysler
's initial competitor was the Dodge Charger 500
, which proved to be aerodynamically inferior to the Talladega; especially on the highbanks of NASCAR's super speedways (tracks of a mile, or more, in length). After realizing that Ford's Talladega (and its sister ship, the Mercury Spoiler II) were much more effective as race cars, Dodge went back to the drawing board to create the Dodge Charger Daytona
, which managed to win a total of 6 races during the 1969 and 1970 NASCAR seasons. Ironically, in 1969 a Daytona won at Talladega, and a Talladega won at Daytona. (It should be noted that at the inaugral race at Talladega, in 1969, all of the top names had left on Saturday night, before the race, due to a strike by the Professional Drivers Association.) Of course, having the best talent driving the best cars was also a factor during the aero wars years (1969 and 1970). In an effort to get their star driver, Richard Petty, back after he had defected to Ford in 1969, Plymouth built the Plymouth Superbird
in 1970. (Richard Petty had finished 2nd in NASCAR's Grand Nationals in 1969, driving a Ford Talladega.) Plymouth's Superbird was intended to be more effective competition for the Talladega, and the Spoiler II; and, to some extent it was, as it matched the Spoiler II's success on the track with 8 NASCAR wins. All of the Superbird's wins came in 1970, which allowed Plymouth to recapture the championship in NASCAR (and in ARCA). (Note: in 1970, NASCAR bumped its homologation requirements, which meant that Plymouth had to actually build nearly 2,000 Superbirds, rather than just 500; thus, Plymouth paid very dearly for the Superbird's 8 NASCAR wins in 1970, in order to take the 1970 NASCAR championship.)
One other important footnote: 1969 was Ford's last year of factory involvement, and/or support, in racing of any kind for several years. Following Congressional hearings in which they were questioned about the R&D costs of racing vs. improving fuel economy and safety, Ford completely abandoned all of their racing programs, starting with the 1970 season. Subsequently, most of the NASCAR and ARCA race teams, running Fords, continued to run their 1969 Talladegas in 1970 without any factory support, when it became apparent that their Talladegas were aerodynamically superior to the 1970 Torinos that Ford had intended to be the Talladega's replacement. After the 1970 season, NASCAR effectively banned the "aero cars"
, by restricting all five of these limited aero "production" cars to having to compete with engines no larger than 305 cubic inches of displacement (vs. the 426, 427, & 429 inches that the other cars could run), and the competitive history of the Talladega (and its fellow aerowarrior rivals) was essentially over.
Today, a Torino Talladega is a very collectible car. It was a special purpose built vehicle (some have even called it a "showroom race car") with a very strong racing history, with major links to the NASCAR teams of 1969, that achieved great success during the Aero Wars. Those few examples that still exist today, do so in very limited numbers. Ironically, for some reason their values have not risen nearly as high as the Mopar
"aero cars" in spite of their rarity and their great track successes during the pinacle of stock car racing (the aero wars years). Some experts have assumed that this was due to the sheer outrageousness of the Dodge Charger Daytona and the Plymouth Superbird, with their bolted on huge rear wings and nose cones; as the MOPAR winged cars' prices have eclipsed the far more subtle, and aerodynamically integrated, bodywork of the Ford Torino Talladega and it's sibling, the Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II
. Regardless, most experts consider the Talladegas and the Spoiler IIs to be very undervalued by comparison; but, in 1969 (and over the two years of the aerowars) Ford's Talladegas (and Spoiler IIs) owned the high banks of NASCAR and ARCA.
Until very recently (2010), very little had been written and documented about these rare cars; however, there is now a website that is dedicated to the Talladega and Spoiler II cars produced by Ford and Mercury during 1969 as they fired powerful shots during the aerowars. For more information please go to http://www.talladegaspoilerregistry.com/
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
produced by the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
during the first few weeks of 1969, only. Ford's Talladega was actually named after the Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway
Talladega Superspeedway is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama, United States. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base just outside the small city of Lincoln. It was constructed by International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France Family, in...
racetrack in Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, which also made its debut in 1969. The Ford Talladega was a special, more aerodynamic, version of the Ford Torino
Ford Torino
The Ford Torino is an intermediate automobile produced by the Ford Motor Company for the North American market between 1968 and 1976. The car was named after the city of Turin , which is considered the Detroit of Italy...
/ Fairlane Cobra. It was produced, specifically, to make Ford even more competitive in NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
stock car racing, and it was sold to the public only because homologation
Homologation
Homologation is a technical term, derived from the Greek homologeo for "to agree", which is generally used in English to signify the granting of approval by an official authority...
rules required a certain minimum number of cars (500 in 1969) be produced and made available for sale to the public. It is believed that a total of 754 Talladegas may have been built (although, the Talladega / Spoiler Registry can only account for a maximum of 750). This number includes all prototypes, pilot cars, and production cars built; plus, a special post-production car that was built for the president of Ford Motor Company, Semon Emil "Bunkie" Knudsen, in March of 1969. The Bunkie Knudsen car was significantly different from all of the homologation cars, with regard to options and color. (It's amazing what you can get, when you are president of the company...) This Talladega was even built at a different plant: Ford's Lorraine, OH plant on March 20, 1969. However, all production examples were constructed during January and February of 1969 at Ford's Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
plant. All production homologation cars produced after the pilot cars were built between January 21 and February 28. (According to the Talladega/Spoiler Registry's records, Talladega number 502 was actually completed on January 31, and then the last 247 homologation cars were built between February 14 and February 28, following a 2 week break in production.) It is unknown as to why Ford built an "extra" 247 homologation cars, once the homologation requirements had been met during the initial run, as it is thought that Ford lost several thousand dollars on every Talladega that was built.
A largely equivalent vehicle was also produced under the Mercury
Mercury (automobile)
Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand...
brand as the Cyclone Spoiler II
Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II
The Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II was a car produced by the Mercury Division of Ford Motor Company during the first few weeks of 1969, only. The Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II was a special, more aerodynamic, version of the Mercury Cyclone...
.
The 1969 Ford Talladega was based on the Fairlane Cobra "Sportsroof" (Ford's trade name for a fastback
Fastback
A fastback is a car body style whose roofline slopes continuously down at the back. The word can also designate the car itself. The style is seen on two-door coupés as well as four-door sedans.-History:...
) 2-door hardtop. To make the car more aerodynamic at high speeds, a sleeker front section (whose design and construction is often attributed to the Holman-Moody race team's shop) was added. Regular production Fairlanes and Torinos had a then-fashionable inset grille and headlights, which fared poorly in the wind tunnel. The Torino Talladega replaced this nose with one that extended the car's length by about six inches, with a flush-mounted grille on a more aerodynamic front end. The close-fitting bumper was actually a rear bumper that had been cut, narrowed, V'ed in the center, and filled on the ends to create a crude air dam, further improving the aerodynamics of the car at high speeds. In another well kept, secret, design move, the rocker panels of the Talladega were reshaped and rolled to allow Ford teams to run their racing cars about an inch closer to the ground while staying within NASCAR rules; this also greatly enhanced the top speed of the car by lowering its center of gravity, and further reducing its wind resistance. The cars were also equipped with an engine oil cooler, a power steering oil cooler, special offset rear shocks, a 3.25:1 Ford 9 inch 31 spline nodular open rear end, and most surprisingly: a heavy duty C-6 (cast iron tailshaft) automatic transmision that was column shifted. These other special performance parts were normally only available when ordering a "drag pack car" which would have been equipped with a 4 speed and a limited slip rear end. Also unique to the Talladega was the presence of competition black hoods and rear tail panels on all production cars, as well as the only interior offered: black vinyl and cloth with a front bench seat...
Racing versions of the car were initially fitted with the Ford FE 427 side oiler engine that had been Ford's main racing engine since 1963. Later in the season, the Ford Boss 429 engine was used by many of the teams, after it had finally been declared "offcially homologated" by NASCAR president, Bill France. Ironically the Boss 429 engine was actually homologated in the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429
Ford Mustang
The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the second generation North American Ford Falcon, a compact car. Introduced early on April 17, 1964, as a "1964½" model, the 1965 Mustang was the automaker's most successful launch since the Model A...
. In a very unusual move, Ford homologated the engine separately from the car in which it was to race. Many experts think this may have been done in order to get the bodywork of the Talladega officially homologated at the beginning of the 1969 race season, as the Boss 429 was not yet in production in sufficient numbers to homologate it. All production Talladegas were actually equipped with the new Ford 428 Cobra Jet
Ford FE engine
The Ford FE engine is a Ford V8 engine used in vehicles sold in the North American market between 1958 and 1976. A related engine, the Ford FT engine, was used in medium and heavy trucks from 1964 through 1978. The FE filled the need for a medium-displacement engine created by the discontinuation...
, which, while very powerful and reliable, was intended as a street engine for Ford's muscle cars, as it developed high torque at low RPMs, rather than being a high reving race engine.
The only option actually offered on the production vehicles was the color; choices were: Wimbledon White (286 built), Royal Maroon (258 built), or Presidential Blue (199 built). (Note: All production Talladegas are believed to have been built with one additional option - an AM Radio.)
The Torino Talladega did exactly what Ford hoped it would do on the racing circuit: winning 29 Grand National races during the 1969 and 1970 NASCAR seasons - far more than any other model, as well as winning the 1969 NASCAR Manufacturer's Championship with David Pearson winning the Driver's Championship, and winning the 1969 ARCA Manufacturer's Championship with Benny Parsons winning that driver's championship. Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
's initial competitor was the Dodge Charger 500
Dodge Charger (B-body)
The Dodge Charger was a mid-size automobile produced by Dodge. The 1966-1974 Chargers were based on the Chrysler B platform. The 1975-1978 Chargers were based on the Chrysler Cordoba.-Origin of the Charger:...
, which proved to be aerodynamically inferior to the Talladega; especially on the highbanks of NASCAR's super speedways (tracks of a mile, or more, in length). After realizing that Ford's Talladega (and its sister ship, the Mercury Spoiler II) were much more effective as race cars, Dodge went back to the drawing board to create the Dodge Charger Daytona
Dodge Charger Daytona
Dodge, an American automobile brand, has produced three separate vehicles with the name Dodge Charger Daytona, all of which were modified Dodge Chargers. The name is taken from Daytona Beach, Florida, which was an early center for auto racing and still hosts the Daytona 500, one of NASCAR's premier...
, which managed to win a total of 6 races during the 1969 and 1970 NASCAR seasons. Ironically, in 1969 a Daytona won at Talladega, and a Talladega won at Daytona. (It should be noted that at the inaugral race at Talladega, in 1969, all of the top names had left on Saturday night, before the race, due to a strike by the Professional Drivers Association.) Of course, having the best talent driving the best cars was also a factor during the aero wars years (1969 and 1970). In an effort to get their star driver, Richard Petty, back after he had defected to Ford in 1969, Plymouth built the Plymouth Superbird
Plymouth Superbird
The short-lived Plymouth Road Runner Superbird was a highly modified version of the Plymouth Road Runner with well known graphics and horn. It was the factory's follow up stock car racing design for the 1970 season to the Dodge Charger Daytona of 1969, and incorporated many engineering changes and...
in 1970. (Richard Petty had finished 2nd in NASCAR's Grand Nationals in 1969, driving a Ford Talladega.) Plymouth's Superbird was intended to be more effective competition for the Talladega, and the Spoiler II; and, to some extent it was, as it matched the Spoiler II's success on the track with 8 NASCAR wins. All of the Superbird's wins came in 1970, which allowed Plymouth to recapture the championship in NASCAR (and in ARCA). (Note: in 1970, NASCAR bumped its homologation requirements, which meant that Plymouth had to actually build nearly 2,000 Superbirds, rather than just 500; thus, Plymouth paid very dearly for the Superbird's 8 NASCAR wins in 1970, in order to take the 1970 NASCAR championship.)
One other important footnote: 1969 was Ford's last year of factory involvement, and/or support, in racing of any kind for several years. Following Congressional hearings in which they were questioned about the R&D costs of racing vs. improving fuel economy and safety, Ford completely abandoned all of their racing programs, starting with the 1970 season. Subsequently, most of the NASCAR and ARCA race teams, running Fords, continued to run their 1969 Talladegas in 1970 without any factory support, when it became apparent that their Talladegas were aerodynamically superior to the 1970 Torinos that Ford had intended to be the Talladega's replacement. After the 1970 season, NASCAR effectively banned the "aero cars"
Aero Warriors
Aero Warriors is a nickname for four automobiles, also called aero-cars, developed specifically to race on the NASCAR circuit by Dodge, Plymouth, Ford and Mercury for the 1969 and 1970 racing seasons. The cars were based on production stock cars but had additional aerodynamic features.The first...
, by restricting all five of these limited aero "production" cars to having to compete with engines no larger than 305 cubic inches of displacement (vs. the 426, 427, & 429 inches that the other cars could run), and the competitive history of the Talladega (and its fellow aerowarrior rivals) was essentially over.
Today, a Torino Talladega is a very collectible car. It was a special purpose built vehicle (some have even called it a "showroom race car") with a very strong racing history, with major links to the NASCAR teams of 1969, that achieved great success during the Aero Wars. Those few examples that still exist today, do so in very limited numbers. Ironically, for some reason their values have not risen nearly as high as the Mopar
Mopar
Mopar is the automobile parts and service arm of Chrysler Group LLC. The term was first used by Chrysler in the 1920s and has been in continuous use ever since. Mopar parts are original equipment manufactured parts for Chrysler vehicles...
"aero cars" in spite of their rarity and their great track successes during the pinacle of stock car racing (the aero wars years). Some experts have assumed that this was due to the sheer outrageousness of the Dodge Charger Daytona and the Plymouth Superbird, with their bolted on huge rear wings and nose cones; as the MOPAR winged cars' prices have eclipsed the far more subtle, and aerodynamically integrated, bodywork of the Ford Torino Talladega and it's sibling, the Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II
Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II
The Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II was a car produced by the Mercury Division of Ford Motor Company during the first few weeks of 1969, only. The Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II was a special, more aerodynamic, version of the Mercury Cyclone...
. Regardless, most experts consider the Talladegas and the Spoiler IIs to be very undervalued by comparison; but, in 1969 (and over the two years of the aerowars) Ford's Talladegas (and Spoiler IIs) owned the high banks of NASCAR and ARCA.
Until very recently (2010), very little had been written and documented about these rare cars; however, there is now a website that is dedicated to the Talladega and Spoiler II cars produced by Ford and Mercury during 1969 as they fired powerful shots during the aerowars. For more information please go to http://www.talladegaspoilerregistry.com/
External links
- Talladega page at fordfairlane.com
- Aero Warriors site about the "aero cars"; concentrates on the Mopar cars, but includes much about the racing history of all the cars.
- FordFastback.com This site is dedicated to Ford fastbacks centering around Talladegas and Galaxies with comparative anatomy.
- What Really Happened During the Aerowars? This site is dedicated to the Aero Wars and what occurred during that time.
- Talladega and Spoiler Registry This site is dedicated to information about Talladegas and Spoilers