Rare Non-Mustang Ford Classics Collectors Are Chasing

The Ford Mustang is one of the most collectible (expensive) classic cars of all time. Late ’60s Mach 1s and Boss 429s are high six-figure rides, and rare Shelby creations like the 1967 Super Snake can fetch millions at auction. With the Mustang being such an American icon, which is still going strong today, it’s understandable that most people forget Ford made other amazing classics that are every bit as desirable. The Pinto and Maverick never really impressed Ford fanatics, but nameplates like Galaxie, Fairlane, and Torino are legendary with the insider crowd.

Ford

Founded

June 16, 1903

Founder

Henry Ford

Headquarters

Dearborn, Michigan, USA

Owned By

Publicly Traded

Current CEO

Jim Farley

There are some super-obscure Fords like the 1993 Taurus SHO Boss Wagon and Ferrari-killer GT40, but those aren’t exactly production vehicles, and we want to focus on rides anyone could have bought new when they were released. Casual observers may have overlooked these hidden gems, but hardcore enthusiasts know their value and jump on any rare car that pops up. Here are the non-Mustang Ford classics that real collectors can’t get enough of and which every performance fan should be aware of.

1969 Ford Torino Talladega

Estimated Value: $132,000

1969 was a crazy year for NASCAR with several manufacturers fielding “aerocars” that had advanced aerodynamics, which pushed track speeds up into the 200 MPH range. While not as extreme as the crazy nose-coned, flying rear wing Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Super Bird, the Ford Torino Talladega was a force on the NASCAR circuit, winning the 1969 Manufacturers’ Championship. As is the case with any car or engine, a certain number had to be sold to the public to qualify for NASCAR competition, so Ford beat the 500-unit homologation number by building 750 for the screaming race fans.

Limited Production Specs

The 1969 Torino Talladega differed from the regular production version with an aerodynamic nose, flush grille and rear bumper, as well as rolled rocker panels. Also, the Talladega came with the 429ci Cobra Jet V-8 and a heavy-duty suspension to handle that extra power. A 1969 Torino Talladega sold recently at a Barrett-Jackson auction for $132,000, and is the most expensive recent example. The car is actually a prototype with options not available on the regular production version, so it went for a premium. Despite their rarity and awesomeness, ’69 Talladegas can be had for as low as $60,000 for a good condition model.

1963 Ford Galaxie 500 Lightweight

Estimated Value: $148,000

In the early 1960s, all Big 3 Detroit automakers arrived at the same conclusion that they needed to make limited-edition factory drag cars, and that may have been the catalyst for the Golden Age of American Muscle. Ford produced several on this list, including the 1963 Galaxie 500 R-Code, which was equipped with a 425-horsepower dual-quad 427ci V-8 engine. With over 6,000 produced in 1963 and 1964, this isn’t as limited an edition as others, but the Lightweight version with fiberglass body panels is exceedingly rare, with maybe 200ish units built.

Limited Production Specs

A run-of-the-mill, as if that’s a thing, Galaxie 500 R-code can be a six-figure ride depending on condition. A ’63 Galaxie Lightweight, however, is guaranteed to be a $100k+ car because of its extreme scarcity. One was sold at Mecum Kissimmee 2022 for almost $150,000, which is a testament to just how desirable these cars are. The ’63½ Galaxie 500 Lightweight was meticulously restored and used NOS parts when available, nailing every detail down to the cardboard visors. These cars were meant to race and were stripped of every comfort unrelated to blowing doors off.

1957 Ford Thunderbird F-Code

Estimated Value: $231,000

The Ford Thunderbird, introduced in 1955, was one of the first American cars that served no other purpose than to be enjoyed. It wasn’t a family car, a daily driver, and certainly not a work vehicle, so the only other alternative was to pull that top off and drive around having a blast. The Thunderbird was Ford’s answer to the Corvette, which came out a couple of years earlier, but while the Chevy was going for a European sports car kind of thing, the T-Bird was billed as a personal luxury ride. All first-gen Thunderbirds are collectible, but the ultra-rare ’57 F-Code is an enthusiast’s dream.

Limited Production Specs

The 1957 Thunderbird F-code came equipped with a 300-horsepower 312ci supercharged V-8, making it one of the most powerful cars to ever exist at that point. Also, supercharging was tantamount to sorcery back then, so it carried a mystique about it. With less than 200 units produced, this is a true classic Ford Unicorn car that might actually be undervalued. The most recent high-sale price of a ’57 F-Code was $231,000 at Mecum Kissimmee 2025, which is a ton of money, but there have been non-supercharged first-gen T-Birds that have sold for more in the past. It’s possible for a perfect F-Code at the right auction to hit the half-million mark.

1964 Ford Thunderbolt

Estimated Value: $253,000

The 1964 Ford Thunderbolt is a factory drag car based on the fourth-gen two-door Fairlane 500. While it looks similar to the Fairlane, it was radically different under the hood with a dual-quad 427ci V-8 with ram air induction through the headlamp holes, which was officially rated at 425 horsepower, but was more like 650 ponies. That kind of power would turn any intermediate car into a street/strip terror, but Ford put the Thunderbolt on an extreme diet, stripping all comforts and wrapping it almost entirely with fiberglass panels. The result was an 11-second car that dominated the NHRA Super Stock class.

Limited Production Specs

It’s hard to get a firm answer on the production numbers for the ’64 Thunderbolt, with some sources claiming as many as 127 units, but 100 is a safer bet. What is for sure is that the first 11 cars made were painted Vintage Burgundy, while the rest of the run were Windsor White. Obviously, the Burgundy cars are rarer, but the tighty whities are still serious collectibles, selling consistently for $200k or more. Most recently, that white Thunderbolt pictured above topped $250,000 at Mecum Indy 2025. That exact same car failed to sell at Mecum Kissimmee 2025 three months prior, with bidding stalled at $190,000, so this is clearly a classic on an upward trajectory.

1970 Ford Torino Cobra Twister Special

Estimated Value: $236,500

For 1970, Ford created a special appearance/performance package for the Mustang and Torino known as the Twister Special, which was only available in the Kansas City Sales District. Presumably, this was a reference to the area’s tornadic activity as well as the twister that carried off Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, which would probably get Ford canceled today, but was all kinds of fun back then. The ’70 Torino Twister Special only came in Vermillion (bright red) with a black-out hood and “Twister” as well as “Cobra” decals. Under that hood with tie-down pins was a 429ci Cobra Jet V-8, and there was a Super Cobra Jet option, but both engines had the same output, so there was no need for an upgrade.

Limited Production Specs

Only 90 of these killer rides were produced, with 30 equipped with a four-speed manual and the rest with a three-speed automatic. It is believed that only 29 still exist today, which seems pretty weird, as it was obviously a keeper from day one. Usually, cars with a collectible vibe tend to survive, and to that point, of the 96 Mustang Twister Specials built, 52 are accounted for, so the low number of Torino Twister Specials is peculiar. That rarity, however, has driven the price up on them like crazy. In 2021, one sold at Mecum Kissimmee for a record $236,500, with the next highest-selling ’70 Torino over a hundred grand cheaper. For what it’s worth, Mustang Twister Specials sell for between $82,000—$162,000.

1966 Ford Fairlane 500 R-Code

Estimated Value: $296,000

The fifth generation of the Ford Fairlane, from 1966-167, was a brief window when the two-door was a proper muscle car in terms of styling and performance, which are hidden gem collectibles in their own right. Then there’s the ’66 Fairlane 500 R-Code, which is the most lights-out ride Ford built during the classic era. The factory drag car came equipped with the dual-quad 427ci “Side Oiler” V-8, which is the same engine that powered the GT40s to a 1-2-3 finish in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans. The street application of this engine is made for a car that could run in the low-11s, making it a couple of ticks quicker than the ’64 Thunderbolt. Most comforts were stripped, but it retained enough stuff like glass windows and bumpers to be street legal.

Limited Production Specs

The ’66 Fairlane 500 R-Code was built to compete in NHRA/IHRA Super Stock, so Ford needed to sell 50 of them to meet homologation requirements, but they went ahead and built 57 just to be safe. All were finished in Wimbledon White, though many were painted afterward by racing teams, because, after all, these were serious drag cars. Many Fairlane 500 R-Codes were utterly destroyed chasing E.T.s, but it is estimated that around 25 of them are still in existence. That’s still a super-rarity on an awesome classic Ford, so they ain’t cheap and fetch top-dollar at auction. In the past couple of years, Bring a Trailer has sold a pair of ’66 Fairlane 500 R-Codes for $267,000 and $296,000, making this the ultimate non-Mustang classic Ford collector car.