Most people remember the Falcon as being Ford’s first compact car. When it launched in 1960, it was quite successful and its platform would be later used for other popular Ford products, like the Mustang and Maverick. Fewer people remember the 1970 ½ Falcon, where Ford switched from compact to mid-size in the middle of the year. And it was only a half-year effort as the nameplate was gone in 1971. This beautiful example is a rarity today, 1 of only 42 equipped with the Super Cobra Jet V8 engine. This car is available here at Barrett-Jackson during its Las Vegas, Nevada auction on June 17-19, 2021. Thanks, Larry D, for another super find!
By 1970, the Ford Falcon was at the end of the line. The new Maverick had been introduced as its successor and the new sub-compact Pinto was waiting in the wings. So after just 15,000-plus cars built in the Fall of 1969, Ford changed gears entirely. Using the newly redesigned Fairlane 500 body, the Falcon was transformed into a half-year bare-bones version of that intermediate and the Falcon nameplate would go on an additional 67,000 cars before disappearing altogether. Whether that was a deliberate six-month plan or sales didn’t go as expected, who knows, but that enabled the seller’s car to be built.
This 1970 ½ Falcon is an unusual, unrestored survivor for which only a few dozen was produced with the mighty Super Cobra Jet 429 V8 motor capable of at least 360 hp. As the car’s Marti Report would confirm, the car was built at Ford’s Atlanta, Georgia plant in May 1970 and then sold via a Chicago Ford dealer where it stickered for under $4,000.
The bare-bones nature of the half-year Falcons made them popular with drag racers, and this car also went that route for a time. It has the optional Drag Pack and a Detroit Locker rear differential with 4.30 gears and a 4-speed manual. After that, it lived in a climate-controlled storage space for 40 years, which would explain why this Ford has a reported 6,018 miles on the odometer. It carries with it a few options beyond those for performance, i.e., power front disc brakes, vinyl seats and top, AM radio, and Magnum 500 wheels with the car’s original bias-ply tires.
You must wonder what a car like this might end up selling for. A 1970 Torino with the CJ set-up can easily be a $50,000 car in this kind of condition. But since this Falcon is a bit of an oddity today and has been in a time capsule for four decades, you’d think the ante could go higher. What do you think it’s worth?
Photos curiosity of Barrett-Jackson
If a trainer in the same condition with a 428 cobra jet pack is 50 K, this car should go for at least 100 K. It is very rare, I remember my neighbor who was a falcon expert telling me decades back that if he found one of these, in 25 years it be worth at least $50-$100,000. Oh yeah, he did have one of these and sold it for about 25 large two decades ago! Granted, it was not in this condition but rather a well used Street drag racer that was beaten heavily weekend after week on for decades and had rust.
I would expect the plan was for the “Fairlane” Falcon to hang around for a bit, since they went to the expense of building a two-door post body for this model only, for this one half-year only. It could just as easily have been a four-door only if its’ only purpose was to be a placeholder until the four-door Maverick was ready for ’71.
I have never seen one of these even at all Ford meets.Hope she brings big money.And please keep her original.
I agree, never knew they existed.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/1970%C2%BD-ford-falcon-mission-implausible/
Agree on never actually seeing one. I really like it, better then the Torino as I like the center post. Simple pure and fast!
Going out to buy a lottery ticket, if I win build a huge garage and start buying these cars!
Never liked a stick on the floor with a bench seat. Those up by the wheel were nicer in such cases. I am amazed why more people didn’t spend a little more for buckets. Won’t comment on the engine, there were better choices for people like me, but I will comment on the styling, it is superb.
Bucket seats were not very handy at the drive inn
There’s rare cars and then there is needle in the hay stack rarity,
like this killer machine here. Purposefully spartan and loaded for battle, in a way it doesnt fit in with the wild paint- stripes aplenty class of ’70, no hood scoop or big badges,
Just pure Ford muscle, what a nice ride.
I don’t remember seeing a US version of the Torino Falcon before. I think I’ve seen something Australian that looked like it could have been a derivative of the Torino with a Falcon designation but it’s been so long I’m no longer sure.
Regardless it’s an impressive car and I’m sure will go for some big $$.
The legendary Interceptor from Mad Max is what you’re thinking of, I believe. Swap out the 4.30s for 3.23s and running down the likes of the Toecutter becomes easy.
The ones i saw all had shaker hood scoops. Does that make this car even rarer?
I would have gotten the shaker (& a tachometer!) sooner than the vinyl roof or even the radio.
If the tires are original, can i assume most of the miles were put on when the tires were 10 yrs old or newer?
Hubcaps & chrome mirrors on this flat hood car could really fool someone at the traffic light. lol
By the time that this car was built, people were looking for all sorts of ways to avoid the ginormous insurance costs that “sports cars” were being saddled with. A savvy person could go through the option lists and buy the equivalent of a muscle car without the VIN giving it away. Dodge Charger with a U=code 440? Big insurance premiums! Four door Plymouth Fury with the same engine? Cheap insurance! Things we take for granted like seat belts and disc brakes resulted in an insurance upcharge before the feds mandated them. I still remember my father arguing with the Oldsmobile dealer over the extra insurance premium for seat belts in our 1966 Delta 88. “Sports car equipment” was the reason for the upcharge.
My brother-in-law bought one in 69 or 70. His was a really plain jane, white and don’t remember whether it was a six or eight cylinders.
I had a friend that had one in 73 and it was a scary fast car. He sold it for 1k to another friend that blew the engine and do not know what happened to the car after that.Glad I got to ride in it when it had the original motor in it that 4:30 gear was the ticket to the acceleration this car had.I new it was rare back then.
It looks like a Torino to me!
I don’t believe that there was ever a Torino with a center post. Also, Torino had more helpline trim, etc… there may of been an exception with the Torino cobra, not sure.
Same body except for the sedan posts
Wow! Beautiful Car. Too bad I would drive it, a lot. If I were to buy one the 429 would be the first choice. 2nd would be an M Code 351 Cleveland 4 speed. Better tires, upgraded suspension and light mods, would be a fun car to drive. Guess so much for keeping it original.
I had forgotten about these.
Wondering if there was a station wagon version.
Ford did indeed offer the 1970.5 Falcon in a 4 door sedan and a 4 door wagon in addition to the 2 door sedan. The auction listing is incorrect. I have the original brochure. Why they went to the bother of tooling a unique 2 door pillared sedan when none of the other models offered one is a head scratcher. You’d think it would have been cheaper to just use the Fairlane 500 2 door hardtop as a basis.
Now we wre talking. I would not buy a Torino when you could have this. This is a Ford I want in my collection
MY dad had one of these when I was in my middle teens. Total plain Jane special, rubber floor mats, all ford green inside and out, dog dish hub caps. And under the hood was a inline 6 with a 3 on the tree. No speed demon but for a 15 yr old learning how to drive on dirt roads it was a blast. It’s how I learned to drive a standard. (I knew where the car keys were kept and when mom and dad were out …) Loved that car.
Wish one of today’s manufacturers would build such a bare bones car these days.
To Me It Looks Like Someone Got A Ford Torino and Then Just Slapped A Falcon Emblem On It To Try and Sell It As A Rare Car
It may look that way, however, Fords are easy to document. Which according to the ad this car comes with. Do no, it’s not a fake.
Steve R
Hi Everyone, I love these old classics and I learn a lot from everyone’s comments.
The SCJ 429 was very considerably under rated at 375 HP.
Check out Tim Allen’s video on his collection of cars. He has a black CJ Falcon with shaker hood.
Did anyone notice the FLAT circular shock mounting plates on top of the shock towers above? I thought it was supposed to look like this on top of the towers …
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-coODJRxolpg/U9c5m_Fo3eI/AAAAAAAAcR4/mOcutPW-1dE/s1600/1a.jpg
IMO, If THIS Falcon was avail down under with right hand drive & 429, i would think their frumpy 4 door boxy falcon with a 351 & shaker would not sell at all.
Can i assume this side decal is custom made? …
http://i0.wp.com/www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/1970-falcon.jpg
Also never seen RWL tires with 3 groups of letters, let alone yellow ones.
There are paints made for tires in various colors. Someone prob did it themselves.
I wonder where this car came from. My friend had a white one with gold and blue sides, last I saw the car, it was sitting in a field on his farm. Looks exactly like his car, bench seat and all, the super cobra jet, everything. Car was purchased at Beasley Ford in York, Pa. He then moved to WV!!
It sold for $77,000.00! I would have expected it to hit more but being that it did spend its first years on the drag strip, I can see some hesitation in its mechanical soundness. Still, what a beautiful piece of American muscle in complete original shape. If I would have been able to own this today, I would drive it until I couldn’t drive any more. I would also be sure to maintain its original set up and maintenance but just too great of a car to set and look at without driving!!
I’ve had 4 Torinos 70/71s in my life so I like the styling of those cars but this one is a mixed bag for me. On one hand the rear looks shorter to me and I like that but the post and vent window look out dated on this body style, still with the 4 speed and a true SCJ 429 I would love to have this car.
Actually, i’m surprised the ’70 1/2 falcon (as a 2 door) did not OUTSELL the 2 door fairlane & 2 door torino – weren’t vent windows still sorely missed by most people in 1970?
A post car is ideal for drag racing too.
Wonder if any 429 4 door 4 speed torinos, fairlanes, or falcons were built – gotta be even rarer than this!
Most 70 1/2 Falcons were plain jane stripper models, so unless you were looking for economy you would have walked right past one and gone for a more powerful and higher trim line Fairlane or Torino
Flashback: I was one year out of high school, shopping at the local speed shop for my ’66 Fairlane GT, 390, 4-speed car, and a guy came in looking for headers for his brand-new ’70 1/2 Falcon with 429 SCJ. I don’t recall if the shop had anything listed for the super-rare car, but I gave the guy my phone number and asked him to call when he got ready to sell the car. I never did hear from him……..I have only seen one of these in the wild since then at a Falcon owners show in Indy about 10 years ago.
Wow,what a rare,super nice car,also I’m sure it really, easily, has over 400 hp easy,1970 was the pinnacle year for performance, because that same that same year,smog laws with teeth were signed on to, and big changes came!
Saw one of these brand new. It was being readied to race for a customer by a Ford Service tech. First thing he did was pack up the whole front end, doors and deck lid and shipped them to Cali. for acid dipping. I was there when they came back, they were all paper thin and very susceptible to damage. The engine was a monster from the factory. He did some work on it though.
I bought a 429 SCJ from a stock car racer (short track asphalt) He had just switched from Chevelle to Torino and spun a rod bearing. He went back to Chevy and I still have this engine in my basement. Still deciding what to do with it. Probably best to sell it to make a numbers match car.