Vehicle Description
1970 1/2 FORD FALCON BELIEVED TO BE A TWO OWNER CAR ONLY 49,229
MILES 302 MOTOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION POWER STEERING RARE FACTORY
AIR CONDITIONING WITH A NEW (CORRECT) COMPRESSOR EXCELLENT ORIGINAL
INTERIOR FACTORY RUBBER FLOOR COVERINGS! BEAUTIFUL REPAINT (CORRECT
MEDIUM IVY GREEN) NEW VINYL TOP EXCELLENT BUMPER CHROME PERIOD
CORRECT MAGNUM 500 WHEELS RUNS AND DRIVES GREAT THIS IS A VERY RARE
CAR WHICH WAS IN PRODUCTION FOR ONLY A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
IT INCORPORATED THE BODY DESIGN OF THE TORINO WHICH ALSO DEBUTED IN
1970. THE FOLLOWING IS A PORTION OF AN ARTICLE WHICH WAS WRITTEN IN
AN ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN THE STRANGE HISTORY OF THIS AUTOMOBILE. 'EVEN
BEFORE FORD RELEASED THE 'HALF YEAR' MODEL THERE WERE MANY
SUB-PLOTS TAKING PLACE OUT OF SIGHT OF THE PUBLIC AT THE COMPANIES
DEARBORN MICHIGAN HEADQUARTERS. BY 1969, THE EXECUTIVE SUITE AT
FORD HAD BECOME A SEETHING PALACE OF INTRIGUE AND POLITICAL
INFIGHTING THAT THREATENED TO SPLIT THE COMPANY INTO WARRING CAMPS.
THE CORPORATION WENT THROUGH AN ENTIRE YEAR WITH NO PRESIDENT AFTER
BUNKIE KNUDSON WAS DISMISSED AND FORD REMAINED RUDDERLESS FOR MOST
OF 1970. COMPANY CHAIRMAN HENRY FORD II HAD GOTTEN BORED, RESENTFUL
OR EVEN JEALOUS OF KNUDSEN AND THUS THE WAY WAS PAVED FOR HIS
FAVORITE MARKETING SVENGALI, LEE IACOCCA TO ASCEND TO THE COMPANY
PRESIDENCY IN DECEMBER, 1970. THE REAL HISTORY OF WHO EXACTLY
GREENLIGHTED THE 1970 1/2 FALCON IS HARD TO PINPOINT. THE TORINO
WAS ONE OF IOCCA'S FAVORITE DESIGNS OF THIS ERA (HE APPROVED IT AS
A PROJECT AFTER JUST A SINGLE VIEWING). THIS MIGHT PARTIALLY
EXPLAIN THE BIZZARE COMINGS AND GOINGS OF ONE OF THE MOST OBSCURE
MODELS EVER MARKETED BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. TO THIS DAY, EVEN
KNOWLEDGEABLE FORD COLLECTORS CALL IT A TORINO. THIS IS THE CAR
THAT IN A SENSE, NEVER WAS. ONE THING THAT IS KNOWN IS THAT THE
LAST FALCON SHARED A BODY DEVELOPED IN 1967 BY BILL SHENK FOR THE
1970 TORINO. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE TORINO WON THE MOTOR TREND
CAR OF THE YEAR AWARD FOR 1970'.
