1970 · Ford · United States

1970 Ford Torino: Car of the Year, and a Cobra for a Race Ford Was Leaving

A new, longer body on a 117-inch wheelbase; the Torino Cobra became its own model with the 429, offered in 360, 370 (Cobra Jet) and 375 (Super Cobra Jet) horsepower forms.

United States · researched through 2026-09-23

Pale yellow 1970 Ford Torino Cobra fastback with a flat black hood and Magnum 500 wheels, front three-quarter view in front of an aircraft hangar with light planes inside
1970 Ford Torino Cobra SportsRoof in yellow with a black hood Ford Motor Company Archives

Motor Trend saved its announcement for a line that read like an awards show. The best American car of 1970, the magazine told readers in February, came from 'Detroit, Michigan' and was the Torino. The Car of the Year report was built around a flotilla of Torinos the editors had kept for about a month, and its lead car was a yellow Torino Cobra they nicknamed the 'Banana,' fitted with the 429 Drag Pack. The writer confessed that it was exactly the kind of flat-black-striped, shaker-hooded machine he would have wanted as a teenager on Main Street in Lockport, New York, sixteen years earlier.1

The car that won was new from the wheels up. Wikipedia credits designer Bill Shenk with a body shaped by 'coke bottle' styling. Motor Trend's December 1969 test reported the wheelbase stretched an inch to 117 inches, overall length up five inches to 206.2, all of it in front, and a tread two inches wider to make room for the 429's canted-valve heads. In February the magazine added that Ford's own people had compared the Torino's size to the 1959 Ford. That made for a roomy, quiet road car, and Wikipedia's Torino history notes the other side of it: the heavier new body was less competitive on the race track.2,3,1

The Cobra became a model of its own at the top of the Torino GT line. Ford's 1970 Performance Buyer's Digest lists it with the 429 four-barrel at 360 horsepower and 480 lb-ft as standard and the 429 Cobra Jet at 370 horsepower and 450 lb-ft as the step up. Over-Drive Magazine's compilation adds the Drag Pack 429 Super Cobra Jet at 375 horsepower and prices the three engines at $295, $504 and $754 as options. Motor Trend did not agree on the top rating: its February spec chart listed both Cobra Jets, regular and Drag Pack, at 370 horsepower with the same 11.3:1 compression, and its text described the Drag Pack's forged pistons, wilder cam, 780-cfm carburetor, four-bolt mains and oil cooler.4,1

Over-Drive's production table counts 7,675 Cobras, each a body 63H fastback with a $3,270 factory price, inside a Torino GT line of 68,433 that also held 56,819 GT SportsRoofs at $3,105 and 3,939 GT convertibles at $3,212. Against the 230,411 Torinos in the Standard Catalog total relayed by Wikipedia, the Cobra was about 3.3 percent of the series and about one GT-line car in nine. No source found in this research splits those 7,675 cars among the 360-horsepower engine, the Cobra Jet and the Drag Pack, or counts Ram Air shaker hoods, so the rarest Cobra configurations remain unmeasured rather than guessed.5,4,2

The hardware under the Cobra badge was spelled out most clearly in Motor Trend's December test. The magazine reported that the Competition Suspension package came on every Torino with more than the base 429 four-barrel, with springs rated at 500 pounds per inch in front and 210 at the rear, Gabriel shocks, a 0.95-inch front stabilizer bar in place of the standard 0.75-inch bar, and, on four-speed cars, rear shocks staggered one ahead of the axle and one behind to fight wheel hop. Wikipedia's Torino history adds that the Drag Pack brought a choice of a 3.91:1 Traction-Lok or a 4.30:1 Detroit Locker axle, and that Ram Air cars breathed through a shaker scoop fixed to the air cleaner and standing up through the hood.3,2

Motor Trend's first look at the new Cobra, in its December 1969 comparison 'A Date With Three Strippers,' did not go to plan. The editors had meant to run a 370-horsepower Drag Pack Torino Cobra against a Chevelle SS 454 and a Road Runner 440 Six Pack, all with automatics, but they collected their cars in mid-October, at the peak of new-model demand, and took what was available. Their Cobra carried the regular 370-horsepower 429 Cobra Jet with the Shaker scoop, SelectShift automatic and air conditioning; the axle was changed from 3.25:1 to 3.50:1, and with the test equipment aboard the car weighed just over 4,000 pounds.3

Even so, the heaviest car of the three surprised its testers. Motor Trend reported that the Torino had the quickest 0-30, 0-45 and 0-75 times, matched the Chevelle's six seconds to 60 mph, and ran the highest trap speed of the test, 100.2 mph, with a best quarter mile of 14.5 seconds; the Chevelle's best was 13.8. A caption said the Torino took the bends in what amounted to a 'confidence inspiring power slide.' In February the magazine's Drag Pack 'Banana,' with a four-speed and 3.91 gears, ran 13.99 seconds at 101 mph, while a 429 automatic GT with a 3.50 axle ran 14.35 at 96. Each figure belongs to its own tested car.3,1

Motor Trend's verdict on the Cobra was affectionate and limited. 'The 429 Cobra as we tried it was a thing for the young,' it wrote, pointing drivers over thirty toward the SportsRoof GT and saving its warmest words for the 429 Brougham, the Torino it said you really wanted as long as someone else was paying. The magazine counted fourteen Torino models in four groups, luxury, performance, economy and 'normal,' and the award went to that whole family rather than to the Cobra alone. The Cobra's job was to be the car in the photographs, the one that gave the rest of the line its edge.1

On the superspeedways the new body was not the answer. Wikipedia's Torino history says Ford kept racing the lighter, more aerodynamic 1969 Talladega in 1970. Chrysler's winged cars took over: the NASCAR Hall of Fame counts 19 consecutive Dodge and Plymouth wins from July 7 to October 4, 1970, and Speed Sport's history records Bobby Isaac winning the championship in a Dodge Charger Daytona with 11 victories in 47 starts. Over-Drive Magazine's compilation puts Ford's 1970 total at only six NASCAR wins. The Talladega and Spoiler Registry describes a sloping-nose Torino King Cobra prototype built for 1970 and abandoned, reporting four built and three surviving.2,6,7,4,8

The registry attributes the King Cobra's cancellation to Ford's exit from racing and to a NASCAR homologation minimum raised from 500 cars to 3,000. The exit was real. Speed Sport reports that Ford vice president Matthew S. McLaughlin announced the company's 'withdrawal from all forms of racing,' as National Speed Sport News reported on November 25, after racing spending had fallen from $12 million in 1967 to $2 million in 1970. The Torino that Motor Trend crowned in February therefore ended its year as a road car without a factory racing program behind it, and its 7,675 Cobras measure how many buyers wanted the racing image in the year Ford decided to stop paying for the racing.8,7,5

Fact sheet · 1970 · United States

The numbers

1970 Ford Torino — A new, longer body on a 117-inch wheelbase; the Torino Cobra became its own model with the 429, offered in 360, 370 (Cobra Jet) and 375 (Super Cobra Jet) horsepower forms.

Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-23.

Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.

Key facts

  • Torino Cobra: 7,675 produced as compiled.4
  • 429 option prices as compiled: 360 hp $295, 370 hp Cobra Jet $504, 375 hp Super Cobra Jet $754.4

Production

Totals
What was countedCountBasisStatus
Ford intermediates (Torino, Fairlane, Falcon)2 as published Standard Catalog lineage. The production table's four model totals add to the same figure, although the table prints a 'Production Total' of 362,873 that leaves out the Brougham. 407,493 built, model-year Reported
Torino series, all models2 Torino, Brougham, GT, Cobra · as published Standard Catalog lineage. The production table's Torino (117,358), Brougham (44,620) and GT (68,433) model totals add to the same figure. 230,411 built, model-year Reported
Series
What was countedCountBasisStatus
Torino Cobra SportsRoof4,9 Torino Cobra · 2-door SportsRoof · 429 · as published 7,675 built, model-year Reported
By body style and series
What was countedCountBasisStatus
Torino GT SportsRoof4 Torino GT · 2-door SportsRoof · as published 56,819 delivered, model-year Reported
Torino GT convertible4 Torino GT · convertible · as published 3,939 sold, model-year Reported
Torino Brougham 2-door hardtop4 Torino Brougham · 2-door hardtop · as published 16,911 delivered, model-year Reported
Torino Brougham 4-door hardtop4 Torino Brougham · 4-door hardtop · as published 14,543 sold, model-year Reported
Torino 2-door hardtop4 Torino · 2-door hardtop · as published 49,826 delivered, model-year Reported
Torino 2-door SportsRoof (non-GT)4 Torino · 2-door SportsRoof · as published 12,490 built, model-year Reported
Torino 4-door hardtop4 Torino · 4-door hardtop · as published 14,312 built, model-year Reported
Torino 4-door sedan4 Torino · 4-door sedan · as published 30,117 sold, model-year Reported
Torino Squire wagon4 Torino Squire · station wagon · as published 13,166 built, model-year Reported
Torino wagon4 Torino · station wagon · as published Fact-sheet wording is 'delivered'. The same site's production table gives 13,613 to the Fairlane 500 71B wagon and 10,613 to the Torino 71C wagon; see conflicts. 13,613 delivered, model-year Disputed
Torino station wagon (71C)5,9 Torino · station wagon, 71C · as published The fact-sheet text gives the Torino wagon as 13,613; the table gives 13,613 to the Fairlane 500 71B wagon. See conflicts. 10,613 built, model-year Disputed
By trim
What was countedCountBasisStatus
Torino (base series) total5 Torino · as published 117,358 built, model-year Reported
Torino Brougham total5 Torino Brougham · as published 44,620 built, model-year Reported
Torino GT and Cobra total5 Torino GT (incl. Cobra 63H) · as published The table places the Cobra (63H) under the Torino GT model line. 68,433 built, model-year Reported
By package or option
What was countedCountBasisStatus
1970 Torino Cobra Twister special edition9 Torino Cobra · 2-door fastback · as published 90 built, model-year Reported
1970 Type N/W special edition9 Torino · as published The page gives the count without describing the package. 395 built, model-year Reported

Rows are separately scoped; do not add them unless a note says they partition a total.

No sourced counts by 429 engine version (360, CJ, SCJ/Drag Pack) or Ram Air were found.

Prices when new

ModelPriceBasis
Torino 4-door sedan (54C), six5 $2,689 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino 4-door sedan (54C), V85 $2,778 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino 4-door hardtop (57C), six5 $2,795 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino 4-door hardtop (57C), V85 $2,885 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino 2-door hardtop (65C), six5 $2,722 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino 2-door hardtop (65C), V85 $2,812 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino SportsRoof fastback (63C), six5 $2,810 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino SportsRoof fastback (63C), V85 $2,899 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino station wagon (71C), six5 $3,074 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino station wagon (71C), V85 $3,164 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino Brougham 4-door hardtop (57E)5 $3,078 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino Brougham 2-door hardtop (65E)5 $3,006 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino Squire wagon (71E)5 $3,379 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino GT SportsRoof (63F)5 $3,105 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino GT convertible (76F)5 $3,212 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year
Torino Cobra SportsRoof (63H)5 $3,270 factory price as compiled (base list), 1970 model year

Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.

Engines

EngineFactory ratingAvailabilityBuilt
M · 351 Cleveland 4-bbl4 351 cu in · 4-barrel 300 hp @ 4,800, 380 lb-ft @ 3,400 (SAE gross) optional, $194 as compiled Not yet sourced
N · 429 Thunder Jet 4-bbl4 429 cu in · 4-barrel (Autolite) 360 hp @ 4,600, 480 lb-ft @ 2,800 (SAE gross) standard on Torino Cobra; $295 optional on Fairlanes and Torinos as compiled Not yet sourced
C · 429 Cobra Jet 4-bbl4 429 cu in · 4-barrel (Rochester) 370 hp @ 5,400, 450 lb-ft @ 3,400 (SAE gross) optional, $504 as compiled Not yet sourced
C · 429 Super Cobra Jet (Drag Pack) 4-bbl4 429 cu in · 4-barrel (Holley) 375 hp @ 5,600, 450 lb-ft @ 4,000 (SAE gross) optional, $754 as compiled Not yet sourced
L · 250 I6 1-bbl4 250 cu in · 1-barrel 155 hp @ 4,000, 240 lb-ft @ 1,600 (SAE gross) standard six, Torino (not GT, Brougham or Cobra) Not yet sourced
F · 302 V8 2-bbl4 302 cu in · 2-barrel 220 hp @ 4,600, 300 lb-ft @ 2,600 (SAE gross) standard GT and Brougham; $108 others as compiled Not yet sourced
H · 351 Windsor V8 2-bbl4 351 cu in · 2-barrel 250 hp @ 4,600, 355 lb-ft @ 2,600 (SAE gross) optional Not yet sourced

Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.

Transmissions

TransmissionAvailabilityBuilt
4-speed manual4 optional, $194 as compiled Not yet sourced
Cruise-O-Matic automatic4 optional, $201 to $222 as compiled Not yet sourced
3-speed manual (floor shift on GT)4 standard; not with 429 Not yet sourced

Options and packages

CodeOptionPriceInstalled
order code Air conditioning4 $389 Not yet sourced
order code Power disc brakes4 $65 Not yet sourced
order code Power steering4 $100 Not yet sourced
order code AM/FM stereo4 $181 Not yet sourced
order code 8-track tape4 $139 Not yet sourced
order code AM radio4 $61 Not yet sourced
order code Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission (six and 302)4 $201 Not yet sourced
order code Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission (351 and 429)4 $222 Not yet sourced
order code Four-speed manual transmission (standard on Cobra)4 $194 Not yet sourced
order code Power windows4 $100 Not yet sourced
order code Tinted windshield4 $44 Not yet sourced
order code Two-tone paint4 $27 Not yet sourced
order code Vinyl roof, 2-door hardtop4 $74 Not yet sourced
order code Vinyl roof, 4-door hardtop4 $90 Not yet sourced
order code Wheel covers4 $45 Not yet sourced
order code White sidewall tires4 $34 Not yet sourced
order code Luggage rack, station wagons4 $47 Not yet sourced
order code Power tailgate, station wagons4 $35 Not yet sourced
order code 302 V8 engine (standard on GT and Brougham)4 $108 Not yet sourced
order code 351 2-barrel V8 engine ($45 on GT and Brougham)4 $84 Not yet sourced
order code 351 4-barrel Cleveland V8 engine4 $194 Not yet sourced
order code 429 360 hp 4-barrel V8 engine4 $295 Not yet sourced
order code 429 370 hp Cobra Jet 4-barrel V8 engine4 $504 Not yet sourced
order code 429 375 hp Super Cobra Jet 4-barrel V8 engine4 $754 Not yet sourced

Paint

CodeColorBuilt
A Raven Black4 Not yet sourced
D Bright Yellow4 Not yet sourced
J Grabber Blue4 Not yet sourced
Z Grabber Green4 Not yet sourced
Olive Stardust4 Not yet sourced
2 New Lime4 Not yet sourced
3 Paris Blue4 Not yet sourced
5 Ginger4 Not yet sourced
6 Hulla Blue4 Not yet sourced
8 Morning Gold4 Not yet sourced
9 Medium Peppermint4 Not yet sourced
B Dark Maroon4 Not yet sourced
C Bring Em Back Olive4 Not yet sourced
F Young Turquoise4 Not yet sourced
G Medium Lime4 Not yet sourced
K Freudian Gilt4 Not yet sourced
M Knight White4 Not yet sourced
N Baby Blue Ice4 Not yet sourced
O Original Cinnamon4 Not yet sourced
P Three Putt Green4 Not yet sourced
Q There She Blue4 Not yet sourced
S Good Clean Fawn4 Not yet sourced
T Counter Revolutionary Red4 Not yet sourced
U Competition Gold4 Not yet sourced
W Yellow4 Not yet sourced
X Dark Blue4 Not yet sourced
Y Medium Bronze4 Not yet sourced
1,3 Home on the Orange (special order)4 Not yet sourced

Color names are the factory's. We don't show color swatches, because a screen color is no guide for a restoration.

Interiors

CodeTrimBuilt
7A Black Cloth & Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
7B Medium Blue Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X9 Not yet sourced
7G Medium Ivy Green Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - C - M - P - 29 Not yet sourced
7Y Light Nugget Gold Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 89 Not yet sourced
8A Comfortwaeve Black Knit and Vinyl; Torino - 2-Door Formal Hardtop - Bucket; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
8B Comfortwaeve Medium Blue Knit and Vinyl; Torino - 2-Door Formal Hardtop - Bucket; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X9 Not yet sourced
8D Comfortwaeve Dark Red Knit and Vinyl; Torino - 2-Door Formal Hardtop - Bucket; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
8F Comfortwaeve Medium Ginger Knit and Vinyl; Torino - 2-Door Formal Hardtop - Bucket; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 89 Not yet sourced
8G Comfortwaeve Medium Ivy Green Knit and Vinyl; Torino - 2-Door Formal Hardtop - Bucket; exterior colors A - C - M - P - 29 Not yet sourced
8W Comfortwaeve White Knit and Vinyl; Torino - 2-Door Formal Hardtop - Bucket; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
9A Black Vinyl; Torino Brougham Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
9B Medium Blue Vinyl; Torino Brougham Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X9 Not yet sourced
9D Dark Red Vinyl; Torino Brougham Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
9F Medium Ginger Vinyl; Torino Brougham Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 89 Not yet sourced
9G Medium Ivy Green Vinyl; Torino Brougham Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors A - C - M - P - 29 Not yet sourced
AA Black Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Brougham Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
AD Dark Red Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Brougham Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
BA Black Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
BD Dark Red Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
CA Comfortwaeve Black Knit and Vinyl; Cobra - Bucket; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
CB Comfortwaeve Medium Blue Knit and Vinyl; Cobra - Bucket; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X9 Not yet sourced
CD Comfortwaeve Dark Red Knit and Vinyl; Cobra - Bucket; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
CF Comfortwaeve Medium Ginger Knit and Vinyl; Cobra - Bucket; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 89 Not yet sourced
DD Blazer Stripe Dark Red Vinyl; Torino - 2-Door Formal Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
DF Blazer Stripe Medium Ginger Vinyl; Torino - 2-Door Formal Hardtop - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 89 Not yet sourced
ED Blazer Stripe Dark Red Vinyl; Torino GT - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
EF Blazer Stripe Medium Ginger Vinyl; Torino GT - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 89 Not yet sourced
GA Black Vinyl; Torino Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
GB Medium Blue Vinyl; Torino Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X9 Not yet sourced
GD Dark Red Vinyl; Torino Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
GF Medium Ginger Vinyl; Torino Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 89 Not yet sourced
HA Black Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Brougham Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
HB Medium Blue Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Brougham Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X9 Not yet sourced
HD Dark Red Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Brougham Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
HG Medium Ivy Green Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Brougham Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - C - M - P - 29 Not yet sourced
HY Light Nugget Gold Cloth and Vinyl; Torino Brougham Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 89 Not yet sourced
JA Black Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
JB Medium Blue Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X9 Not yet sourced
JD Dark Red Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
JF Medium Ginger Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 89 Not yet sourced
JG Medium Ivy Green Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - C - M - P - 29 Not yet sourced
JW White Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
JY Light Nugget Gold Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 89 Not yet sourced
KA Comfortwaeve Black Knit and Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
KW Comfortwaeve White Knit and Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
KY Comfortwaeve Light Nugget Gold Knit and Vinyl; Torino Sedan & Hardtops - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 89 Not yet sourced
NA Comfortwaeve Black Knit and Vinyl; Torino Brougham Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
NF Comfortwaeve Medium Ginger Knit and Vinyl; Torino Brougham Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 89 Not yet sourced
PD Blazer Stripe Dark Red Cloth and Vinyl; Cobra - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
PF Blazer Stripe Medium Ginger Cloth and Vinyl; Cobra - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 89 Not yet sourced
RA Black Vinyl; Cobra - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
RB Medium Blue Vinyl; Cobra - Bench; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X9 Not yet sourced
RD Dark Red Vinyl; Cobra - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
RF Medium Ginger Vinyl; Cobra - Bench; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 89 Not yet sourced
WA Black Knit Vinyl; Torino GT - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
WW White Knit Vinyl; Torino GT - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
YA Comfortwaeve Black Knit and Vinyl; Torino GT - Bucket; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
YB Comfortwaeve Medium Blue Knit and Vinyl; Torino GT - Bucket; exterior colors A - M - N - Q - X9 Not yet sourced
YD Comfortwaeve Dark Red Knit and Vinyl; Torino GT - Bucket; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced
YF Comfortwaeve Medium Ginger Knit and Vinyl; Torino GT - Bucket; exterior colors A - B - C - K - M - S - 2 - 89 Not yet sourced
YG Comfortwaeve Medium Ivy Green Knit and Vinyl; Torino GT - Bucket; exterior colors A - C - M - P - 29 Not yet sourced
YW Comfortwaeve White Knit and Vinyl; Torino GT - Bucket; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
VA Comfortwaeve Black Knit and Vinyl; Torino Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors all9 Not yet sourced
VF Comfortwaeve Medium Ginger Knit and Vinyl; Torino Station Wagon - Bench; exterior colors A - B - M - T9 Not yet sourced

Specifications

MeasureValueApplies to
Wheelbase4 117 in all except wagons (114.0)
Overall length4 206.2 in all except wagons (209.0)
Front track4 60.5 in all
Rear track4 60 in all
Shipping weight, Torino GT SportsRoof (63F)5 3,366 lb 63F
Shipping weight, Torino GT convertible (76F)5 3,490 lb 76F
Shipping weight, Torino Cobra (63H)5 3,774 lb 63H
Overall height, fastback4 51.1 in SportsRoof
Overall height, convertible4 52.7 in convertible
Overall width, fastback4 76.8 in SportsRoof
Tires, GT4 E70 x 14 (302/351), F70 x 14 (429), G70 x 14 with air conditioning Torino GT

Identification

Body codes (data plate BODY), 1970
54B = 4 door sedan, Fairlane 500; 65B = 2 door hardtop, Fairlane 500; 65C = 2 door hardtop, Torino; 54C = 4 door sedan, Torino; 57C = 4 door hardtop, Torino; 65E = 2 door hardtop, Torino Brougham; 63C = 2 door fastback, Torino; 63F = 2 door fastback, Torino GT; 57E = 4 door hardtop, Torino Brougham; 76F = 2 door convertible, Torino GT; 63H = 2 door fastback, Torino Cobra; 71B = 4 door station wagon, Fairlane 500; 71C = 4 door station wagon, Torino; 71E = 4 door station wagon, Torino Squire; 62A = 2 door sedan, Falcon; 54A = 4 door sedan, Falcon; 71D = 4 door station wagon, Falcon9
Axle codes (data plate AXLE), 1970
F=2,33; X=2,33 traction lok; 0=2,50; 2=2,75; K=2,75 traction lok; 3=2,79; 4=2,80; M=2,80 traction lok; 5=2,83; 6=3,00; O=3,00 traction lok; B=3,07; C=3,08; U=3,08 traction lok; 7=3,10; 8=3,20; Q=3,20 traction lok; 9=3,25; R=3,25 traction lok; A=3,50; S=3,50 traction lok; V=3,91 traction lok; W=4,30 traction lok9
Transmission codes (data plate TRNS), 1970
1=3-Speed Manual; 5=4-Speed Manual Wide Ratio; 6=4-Speed Manual Close Ratio; W=C4 Automatic; X=FMX Automatic; U=C6 Automatic; Z=C6 Special Automatic (for Police & trailer towing)9

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Where the sources disagree

1970 Torino station wagon (71C)

  • 13,613 delivered4
  • 10,613 (71C); 13,613 is the Fairlane 500 71B wagon5

Both shown. The table's figure fits its own Torino model total (117,358), and with it the Torino, Brougham and GT totals add to the 230,411 Standard Catalog Torino total; the fact-sheet caption appears to have taken the Fairlane 500 wagon count.

Identification

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Same model year

Also in 1970

  • AMC AMX The last two-seat AMX: a restyled nose, a 360 base V8 and a 325-hp 390. At 4,116 cars it was the rarest of the three two-seat years.
  • AMC Javelin Penske and Donohue brought the Javelin to Trans-Am, and the showroom answered with 2,501 Mark Donohue Javelins and 100 red-white-blue Trans Am Javelins, while total production fell to 28,210.
  • AMC Rebel and Rebel Machine AMC's intermediate supercar: a 340-hp 390, four-speed and Hurst shifter in the Rebel hardtop, first in white with red-white-blue stripes. Totals reported for the one-year run range from about 1,200 to 2,326.
  • Buick Riviera The 455 (370 hp gross) arrived with a restyle; production fell to about 37,300 with some 3,505 GS cars.
  • Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX Buick's GS went to a 455 rated at 510 lb-ft, the Stage 1 option added 10 advertised hp, and a mid-year GSX package was built 678 times in two colors.
  • Buick Wildcat The final Wildcat, Custom trim only, with the 370-hp 455; 23,645 built.
  • Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The year the Chevelle Super Sport split into RPO Z25 SS 396 and RPO Z15 SS 454, with the LS6 454 rated at 450 gross horsepower.
  • Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova Last year the source engine table lists the big-block (as 402) in the Nova. Enthusiast-compiled production: 307,280 cars; Super Sport 19,558.
  • Chevrolet El Camino SS The Malibu/Custom El Camino could carry either RPO Z25 SS 396 or RPO Z15 SS 454, including the 450 hp LS6; the El Camino share is not separately published.
  • Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS The first Monte Carlo, with the SS 454 as RPO Z20: 3,823 of 145,976 Monte Carlos per Chevrolet-report-derived tables.
  • Dodge Challenger Dodge's first pony car arrived as a 1970 model with nine advertised engines, base, SE, R/T, and R/T SE hardtops, two convertibles, and a one-year Trans-Am homologation special, the T/A.
  • Dodge Charger The last year of the second-generation body: a new full-width grille, three series (Charger, 500, R/T), the 440 Six Pack added to the R/T, and production roughly half of 1969's.
  • Dodge Coronet R/T and Super Bee The final Coronet-based R/T and Super Bee: the R/T fell to 2,615 cars, while the Super Bee added a 3-speed manual and kept its Six Pack and Hemi options.
  • Dodge Dart GTS, Swinger and Demon With the GTS gone, the Swinger 340 was the only performance Dart; it kept front discs, Rallye suspension and a twin-scoop hood and sold about 13,800 beside the new Challenger.
  • Ford Fairlane The last Fairlane year: the name survived only on the Fairlane 500 beneath the new Torino, with a mid-year Falcon sharing the body at the bottom of the range.
  • Ford Maverick Grabber The Grabber appearance and tire package arrived in mid-1970 on the new two-door Maverick; no Grabber count for 1970 was found.
  • Ford Ranchero GT The Torino-based Ranchero GT could take the 429 Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet; reference counts give 3,905 GTs, while Barn Finds rounds the GT figure to about 3,600 of 21,640 Rancheros.
  • Ford Thunderbird The 429 at 360 hp was the standard and only engine listed in the 1970 catalog.
  • Mercury Comet and Cyclone A new, longer Montego-based Cyclone in three versions: the 429 Cyclone, the small-block Cyclone GT that outsold both others, and the Ram Air 429 Cobra Jet Cyclone Spoiler.
  • Mercury Cougar The last first-generation Cougar moved to the 351 Cleveland, kept the Boss 302 as an Eliminator-only engine, and built 2,268 Eliminators.
  • Mercury Marauder and S-55 The second and last year of the 1969-70 Marauder: production fell to about a third of 1969's, with the X-100 near half of it.
  • Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The 4-4-2 got a standard 455 rated at 365 hp, the W-30 went to 370 hp, and the small-block W-31 moved to the Cutlass and F-85 coupes.
  • Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda The E-body redesign split the line into Barracuda, Gran Coupe, and 'Cuda hardtops and convertibles, put every Chrysler performance engine through the 426 Hemi on the order form, and added the one-year AAR 'Cuda for Trans-Am homologation.
  • Plymouth Duster 340 and 360 Plymouth's new Valiant-based fastback coupe arrived with a 275 hp 340 performance model priced at $2,547; the Standard Catalog lineage counts 24,817 Duster 340s among 217,192 Dusters.
  • Plymouth GTX, Belvedere and Satellite Now hardtop-only, the GTX fell to 7,748 cars while its 440 Six Barrel option cost just $119.
  • Plymouth Road Runner Production halved from 1969, the 440 Six Barrel became a regular option, and the winged Superbird was built as a Road Runner hardtop to put Plymouth back on NASCAR superspeedways.
  • Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am A late-arriving, coupe-only second generation: 48,739 Firebirds, 3,196 of them Trans Ams, and 88 Ram Air IVs.
  • Pontiac GTO A new Endura nose, a 455 added beside the three 400s, and GTO production falling to 40,149.
  • Pontiac Grand Prix The SJ took a 370 hp 455, Hurst built the SSJ, and production fell to 65,750.
  • Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The T-37 and GT-37 bring budget performance to the Tempest.