Like many muscle cars from the golden era, the Ford Mustang lost its range-topping engine at the end of the 1971 model year. I’m talking about the 429-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet mills, which reached the end of the line due to stricter emissions and fuel economy regulations. As a result, the 1971 Mustang is considered the final true high-performance iteration of the first-generation pony.
What makes the 429 Cobra Jet special? For starters, it’s the largest powerplant ever offered in the Mustang, tied with the 429-cubic-inch Boss. The latter was sold in 1969 and 1970 in the limited-edition Boss 429. Introduced as a replacement for the 1970 428-cubic-inch Cobra Jet, the 429 version was also the most potent Mustang mill of the era. Once again tied with the 429 Boss.
Thanks to a four-barrel Rochester Quadrajet carb, the Cobra Jet came with 370 horsepower and 450 pound-feet (610 Nm) on tap. The Super Cobra Jet version, equipped with a four-barrel Holley carburetor, delivered 375 horses and 450 pound-feet. These numbers are exactly on par with the 429 Boss V8 of 1969 and 1970. The lump was also notably more potent than the four-barrel 351-cubic-inch (5.8-liter) Cleveland offered in the Boss 351 (330 horsepower).
Much like in 1970, the Cobra Jet and Super Cobra Jet engines were ordered by few customers. Muscle car historians blame it on the high insurance rates for performance cars. As a result, 1971 Mustangs with these engines are hard to come by. Especially if you’re looking for unrestored and unmolested survivors because only a few of them still benefit from this status come 2023. The Light Pewter Metallic you see here is one of them.
Sure, it may not be finished in the most appealing color for its era. I also prefer Acapulco Blue, Grabber Lime, or Medium Bronze over this rather dull silver. However, the coating you see here is a whopping 53 years old as of 2023. That’s right, this Mach 1 has soldiered on with its factory paint until today, and it still looks the part. Yes, there are some battle scars here and there, but it’s arguably one of the nicest original-paint 1970s classics I’ve seen in recent years.
Moreover, the blue interior looks just as fantastic. There’s wear and tear on the driver’s seat and the steering wheel, but the upholstery is surprisingly nice for a muscle car this old. It must have been babied its entire life and kept in dry storage for at least a couple of decades. Both the body and the chassis are rust-free.
There’s good news under the hood as well. Not only does the 429 Super Cobra Jet mill still run, but it’s also the numbers-matching unit from the factory. The same goes for the four-speed manual transmission and all the goodies that come with the Drag Pack. And besides being an all-original survivor, this Mustang is also a rare gem.
Granted, the 1971 Mach 1 is far from uncommon at 36,498 units built, but only 1,371 examples got the 429-cubic-inch V8 Ram Air engine. And just 556 units were ordered with the four-speed manual transmission. Suppose we also factor in the Light Pewter Metallic paint. In that case, we’re looking at one of only 134 vehicles built in this exact configuration. But wait, there’s more! The blue interior turns this ‘Stang into a one-of-one classic. How cool is that?
All told, this 1971 Mach 1 is one of those unrestored and unmolested survivors you don’t see often. And we have the previous owner (or is it owners?) to thank for taking great care of this car and allowing us to admire it. And if you want to do more than just drool over it, the Super Cobra Jet is actually for sale. You can learn more about that in the video below, which also includes driving footage.