What’s the best thing about this 1971 Ford Torino? It’s green! Yes, that’s my favorite hue, but I know that’s not the case with many BF commenters. No worries, this sharp-looking Cobra has a lot of other notable features, and I’ll get to them post haste. Found in Long Beach, California, by Jack M., this midsize performance entry from Dearborn’s FoMoCo is available here on craigslist for $41,000.

If you’re a performance car enthusiast, you may consider 1971 to be the beginning of the end. Cars endowed with years of ever increasing cubic inches and asphalt-melting capability first stubbed their toe in the late sixties with insurance premium surcharges on cars with outsized powerplants or HP-to-weight ratios that were considered “concerning”. The next, and biggest blow, however, arrived in late 1970 with the passage of the Clean Air Act and the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency as an enforcer. The target was mobile sources of air pollution, and the cannons were trained directly on the automotive biz. GM got on the bandwagon immediately with reduced compression ratios across its five divisions, as mandated by CEO Ed Cole, and AMC followed a similar suit. Ford and ChryCo started in that direction but didn’t really turn up the squelch until ’72. Fortunately, cars like this Torino Cobra still had some 1971 “go” under their hoods.

A 1971 Torino Cobra is a fairly rare beast; only about 3,000 were assembled that year, and that’s out of a total of 326K Torinos of all stripes. Cobras were about performance and appearance, and the subtlety of this car’s visuals (lack of glaring stripes) is appreciated. The rear panel is blacked out, and model-specific badges are in place, but it’s hardly over the top in terms of eyeball effects. Said to have only 67K miles of experience, the beautiful green finish is still deep with plenty of sheen, while the blacked-out hood gives no indication of fade or white wax residue – the seller adds, “absolutely no rust!” The only deviation from stock is the swap to American Racing Torque-Thrust-style wheels at all four corners.

The “go” factor is supplied by a 285 gross HP, 351 CI V8 engine, and in this case, it’s mated to a four-speed manual transmission. This version of the 351 registered 300 gross HP in ’70, so we are starting to see the early impact of emission controls, though this particular motor still claims a 10.7:1 compression ratio. No, it’s not the big 429, but I imagine this Cleveland V8 will move this Torino with alacrity. The seller claims, “Runs and drives perfect!”

The interior with its bench seat and horizontal speedometer doesn’t project much of a muscle car vibe, but the floor-mounted Hurst shifter certainly does. Beyond that, auxiliary gauges have been dash-inserted, and that’s it for modifications. The black vinyl upholstery, dash pad, and carpet are all in fine nick – the interior needs nothing!

While I gravitate, firstly, to the ’68-’69 Torino/Fairlane, I really appreciate these follow-on ’70-’71 models. The styling is svelte, and they certainly proved their mettle on the high banks of Daytona and Talladega so many years ago as they waged NASCAR war with the Dodge Daytona and Plymouth Superbird. Clean and green is how I’d rate this Torino Cobra, how about you?

Merry Christmas to All!