Born of the fierce NASCAR competitions of yesteryear, this two-of-a-kind Torino King Cobra never had its day in the sun. Nevertheless, its extreme rarity, pedigree, and development make for a fantastic story on today’s eBay find. The auction number is 19088877118.

From every angle, it’s clear that this Torino is a real piece of work. Photo: RK Motors

It all started with the “Aero Wars” that raged in 1969 between Ford and Chrysler. Flamboyant and excessive in design, the cars were extending beyond what could practically be sold to the average American, and consequently only lasted a couple of years.

In 1970, Ford knew they had to hit back hard after the arrival of the Charger Daytona and Superbird, and thus went back to the drawing board to make something better than the Torino Talladega and Cyclone Spoiler II. It fell to Larry Shinoda, the mastermind behind the BOSS 302 and Corvette Stingray, to create a fresh design that would destroy any MOPAR it came across.

He came up with the King Cobra: a sleeker, meaner Torino commanding a 700 hp, 460 cu-in. engine. Two prototypes were constructed, and testing showed the cars to be real contenders. They would have entered the 1970 season too, except for two unforeseen events which prevented that from happening.

First, Lee Iacocca, the new president, cut the racing budget to 25% of its original amount. Second, the powers that be at NASCAR had finally caught on to the Aero Wars and barred any of the cars from using massive engines like the 426 and 429.

And after all that testing and tuning, the King Cobra program was quickly shut down and stowed away. But fate had dealt at least one of the cars a fortunate hand, and through years of restoration and passing hands, the above vehicle has reached its glory once again.

The beastly 429 rates at 700hp. Imagine what that does to an aerodynamic car weighing less than 3,000 pounds!

The engine bay is a work of art. The block is an original hi-po 429, restored to its former glory and perfected with aluminum heads, C9AE 9425-D aluminum dual plane intake, and a single Holley four-barrel. Period-correct touches include the plumbing and Autolite voltage regulator and Sta-Ful battery. “Turn the key and the Boss roars to life without hesitation,” says the description.

Because the car was meant for production, Ford gave the car a lot of the same features found on a standard Torino.

The car’s guts have changed very little. Original parts include the exhaust system, 9-inch rear, 3.50 gears, four-speed Toploader, and rear Monro-Matic shocks with leaf springs.

The interior is well-equipped for a prototype, with vinyl seats and wood grain-accented door panels, and the dashboard and instrumentation are all original as well. To say this car has aged well is a severe understatement.

Adding icing to this monstrous cake is all the documentation: the original invoice from Ford, vintage photos, MotorTrend’s October 1969 issue detailing the car’s origins, and much more.

All this and more just under $600K–or best offer. What would you do to get behind the wheel of this legend? Better yet, what would you pay to own it yourself? Let us know in the comments section below.