Ford has a history of building and campaigning in all sorts of motorsports series, ranging from rally events to off-road races to circle track and of course, drag racing. Many of these racing machines also had homologated or road-legal versions that were built in limited quantities to satisfy rules and regulations, and are quite coveted today among collectors. However, the story of the 1969 Ford Talladega is a bit unique in a number of ways, and now, one lucky person will get to own one of the 750 total units produced, as this one is going up for grabs at Barrett-Jackson’s upcoming Palm Beach auction, taking place April 13th-15th.
Over the course of roughly two months, a grand total of 750 1969 Ford Talladega coupes were built with assistance from Holman-Moody. The idea was simple – to create a car that could dominate the then-new Talladega Speedway in Alabama, which promised high-speed straights that had automakers rushing to create more aerodynamic machines. As such, the Talladega version of the Torino got new front fenders, six inches of additional length, and a lower front end.
To meet homologation requirements, Ford had to build 500 of these machines for road use, with 100 produced up front before the race car could hit the track. The automaker wound up exceeding that requirement by a long shot by building 750 units, and its racing brethren was so appealing that it convinced the legendary Richard Petty to migrate to The Blue Oval, where he wound up enjoying tremendous success as well.
As for this particular 1969 Ford Talladega, it’s a special example of its rare breed, fresh off a nut-and-bolt restoration that’s quite factory correct in every way, save for the addition of an electronic ignition, new radial tires, and a Holley Avenger carburetor. The original 428 Cobra Jet V8 was rebuilt along with the C6 automatic transmission and 3.25-geared rear end, and it comes with loads of documentation including a Marti Report, the original build sheet, the window sticker, and a spot in the Talladega Registry. It’s a heck of a find for sure, as well as a pretty amazing piece of Blue Oval history, to boot.
We’ll have more cool auction finds like this to share soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Torino news and ongoing Ford news coverage.
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