1969 FORD TALLADEGA PROTOTYPE

Details

This is the earliest prototype Talladega known to exist. It is the only red, Ram Air Talladega built. It was ordered as a special purpose vehicle by Ford Motor Company Administrative Services. The car was built with the options that was not available to any production Talladega, such as 428cid 4V Cobra Jet engine with Ram Air, C6 Cruise-O-Matic transmission, rim blow deluxe steering wheel, air conditioning selectaire, AM/FM stereo radio, rear seat speakers, tinted glass complete, deluxe belts

and warning light, tachometer, dark red vinyl bucket seats and Candyapple Red paint. Here is where the prototype comes into play, once at Ford Administrative Services the transformation began. The rocker panels were hand modified to lower the car and the front fenders were hand modified for aerodynamics. They removed the hood latching mechanism and installed hood pins as the only means to hold the hood shut. The car came with a white C stripe that was modified in the front for the longer nose and at the rear a piece stripe was added to cover the holes in the quarter panel where the Torino emblem used to be. The Ford T plate is also unique in the material it is made of and its placement on the doors. The tail panel was painted black, but still has the GT lower moldings on it. The hood, hood scoop and wiper panel were all painted flat black, not egg shell. When all that was done, they then fitted the car with chrome styled steel wheels and Goodyear white letter tires with GT caps. The car was used in some photo shoots and was seen in Stock Car Racing Magazine in April of 1969. Ford owned the car for almost four years before selling the car to NASCAR Hall of Fame legend Banjo Matthew in March of 1971. This car has the documentation including a copy of the original title in Ford's name, registration card in Ford's name, a loan contract, invoice and receipt from Ford to Banjo Matthews, a release agreement from Banjo to Ford and a Marti Report.