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In the late 1960s, a company called American Raceways Inc. offered Ford a deal to release a special run of limited-edition Mustangs. The models would be used as pace cars within the organization’s race tracks. Ford’s Grand Torino GT found success acting as the pace car for the 1968 Indy 500. So Ford was happy to build a few flashy, high-performance Mustangs that would be seen by fans on every race day.

A vintage 1970 Ford Mustang Twister Special driving.
1970 Ford Mustang Twister | National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images

Unfortunately, American Raceways never took delivery of these limited-edition Ford Mustangs due to ARI going bankrupt. But hope was not lost yet for these flashy Mustangs. Local Kansas City, Missouri Ford dealers were holding a special event called, “Total Performance Day,” and requested to take delivery of these special Mustangs that were already built and ready for purchase. The Mustang Twister Special was born. Ford aims to commemorate the Twister, one of the rarest Mustangs you can buy today, with a special edition Mustang Mach-E Twister. Here is everything you need to know about the 1970 Mustang Twister Special and the Ford Mustang Mach-E Twister.

What is the 1970 Mustang Twister Special?

Sold in Kansas City, Missouri at local Ford dealers, the 1970 Mustang Twister was part of the Total Performance Day event that took place there. Ford only made 96 examples, making this one of the rarest classic Mustangs ever produced. 

At first, every Twister Special Mustang would receive a 428 Super Cobra Jet engine. But Ford included the newly introduced 351 Cleveland V8 as well. All in all, the 428 Super Cobra Jet V8 powered 48 cars. The other 48 boasted the 351 Cleveland V8 engine. Half of these Mustangs used automatic transmission-equipped cars while the other half employed four-speed manual transmissions. Every Twister Special Mustang came in Grabber Orange paint and custom “Twister Special” graphics.

Mustang Mach-E Twister Special Edition

A Yellow Mustang Mach-E GT Twister on display in China
Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Twister electric car | PVCG/VCG via Getty Images

According to CarScoops, Ford plans to release a special edition Mustang Mach-E model. The model pays tribute to the 1970 Ford Mustang Twister Special. Oddly enough, it’s only offered to the Chinese market. Ford hasn’t yet released details regarding the final release numbers of the Mach-E Twister Special Edition. However, with how much interest surrounded the Mach-E Twister Special Edition in China upon announcement, there is a good chance that it will not be a low-volume special edition. Ford may offer it throughout the entire model year.

Mach-E Twister Special Edition specs and colors

The Mustang Mach-E Twister Special Edition will be identical in performance to the regular Mach-E. However, a Grabber Orange paint with Twister Special graphics will grace the body. Other paint colors for the Twister Special Edition include yellow and silver as Ford has showcased in China.

It is surprising to see Ford release a special edition mustang only available in China that pays tribute to an extremely limited run of Mustangs. Especially since Ford released them solely in Kansas City. As we get closer to the release of the Mustang Mach-E Twister Special Edition, we just may see a local release of the car in the United States if sales go well in China. Who knows?

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MotorBiscuit Contributing Writer

Steven Teleky

Steven Teleky holds a bachelor’s degree in education and music from Western Kentucky University and served as the educational specialist for the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he published an information newsletter titled Corvette Profiles.

An expert in classic American cars earned through his restoration work, Steven also has a deep passion for analyzing automotive history. His skillset in researching and explaining why certain models were highly successful or why a new car failed to sell was fine-tuned while he served as a museum educator.

Steven is also a semi-professional rally driver. He is a member of Monterey Bay Mopars, Malaise Car Club of Oregon, the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), SCCA Rallycross, California Rally Series, and NorCal Rallycross. He has been contributing to MotorBiscuit since 2022.