For many car collectors, 1970 is the cutoff year for desirable vehicles. Once 1971 rolled around, American cars got heavier, less powerful, and a good bit uglier. Blame emissions, blame unmotivated automakers, blame an undecided consumer base, for whatever reason most cars built after the 1970 model year just aren’t all that popular, or valuable.
In a sense, the 1970 model year represents the last gasp of American muscle, and thankfully there were some truly spectacular vehicles built in that year. Among the most desirable is the 1970 Ford Mustang Boss 429, a vehicle available in many bright hues and with one of Ford’s most powerful engines under the hood.
Mustangs Daily reports that one of these rare beasts, painted an eye-catching shade of Grabber Orange, will be heading to the Barrett-Jackson auction block next weekend. It is just the fourth Boss 429 Mustang to go to auction this year, a telling trait on how rare these vehicles are. The 429 engine was so big, that Ford contracted Kar Kraft to widen the engine bay and shoehorn this big-block in.
This particular Boss 429 Mustang was driven by Bob “Quarterhorse” Martin for Russ Davis Ford. After retiring from racing, the Boss was kept in Bob’s shop until 2005, when restoration began. This numbers-matching, all-original, low-mileage 1970 Boss 429 Mustang (with a four-speed manual transmission to boot!) is prime collector car material.
The question remains though, how much will collectors shell out? Boss 429 Mustangs still draw big bucks and regularly break into the six-figures. But can this well-loved Grabber Orange model draw the big bucks it deserves? We’ll find out after next weekend.