The sporty car market was declining by the time 1970 rolled around. Insurance was killing sales, plus the market was evolving. While over 13,000 428 Cobra Jet Mustangs were built in 1969, not even 3,500 were built in 1970. Would a redesigned Mustang with the 429 Cobra Jet change things for 1971?

Not really. While the Mustang was longer/lower/wider and racier, especially in SportsRoof (fastback) form, sporty cars continued to tank. Production fell from 198,239 to 151,484 — this from a model that sold over 600,000 in 1966. Still wasn’t as bad as similar models like the Barracuda, but the whole market was reeling. It also made the 429 Cobra Jet Mustang quite collectible as only 1,865 were built, with 1,371 being J-code Mach Is, meaning the bulk of CJs built that year were Mach Is with ram air.

Join Muscle Car Campy as he profiles this Grabber Green Metallic Mach I that’s like few others because it was originally exported to Japan when new. Be sure to note the Japanese-market modifications that you won’t normally find on your typical Mustang.