1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351

Ford's 1971 through 1973 Mustangs were the final generation to be influenced by 'Bunkie' Knudsen, the legendary former GM executive. The biggest Mustang designed, it was enlarged to meet buyer's requests for more luxury features, and Ford dealer demand for larger engine bays to ease under-hood access for service and maintenance. The larger bay also allowed for larger big-block performance engines. The wheelbase was increased to 109 inches for the first time, and even though they had a larger overall visual presence, the 1971 through 1973 were in fact only marginally larger than their predecessors.

The style and design were both bold and distinctive. The European GT-influenced design featured a broad grille, wraparound 1969-1970 GT-style front bumper, and a long, wide hood upfront. The 'Sportsroof' featured a nearly flat roofline, sloping below the horizontal plane by just 14 degrees. The Mustang hardtop coupe was more formal with a fashionably tunneled rear window and 'flying buttresses.' The inside featured a twin-cove dash design, deeply tunneled instrumentation, and a prominent center stack housing the radio and climate controls. Luxury options and amenities were abundant and catered to the mature buyers of the era.

The SCCA Trans-Am racing-inspired Boss returned in 1971, but with a 351 cubic-inch engine. The new 'Cleveland' engine featured free-breathing 'big-port' cylinder heads and a solid-lifter valvetrain, with induction via a large 750-CFMAutolite carburetor. Other features included a heavy-duty suspension, a four-speed manual transmission, and 3.91:1 rear-end gears. Distinguishable features included Special Boss 351 graphics and a flat-black hood.

Acceleration was impressive with zero-to-sixty sprints taking less than 6.0 seconds. The quarter-mile times were achieved in 13.8 seconds at over 100 mph. Ford built a total of 1,806 (as few as 1,801) Boss 351s in 1971.

by Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017