How Many Talladegas Were Built?

Since the creation of the Talladega Spoiler Registry, we have documented two Talladegas that were not previously known. Since no one ever knew of these cars how can we 100% trust the production numbers we have so often quoted? The two new cars that have been added to the Registry list are referred to as “Gap Cars”. How dod the GAP Cars come about? Are there others? What about the Spoiler and Spoiler II cars?

There have been rumors since day one about how many Talladega and Spoiler II cars were actually built. Most of these rumors surround the thought that there were fewer cars actually built than the Ford and NASCAR records suggest. Now, we face the opposite situation, ADDITIONAL Talladegas that we never knew about. Are these Gap cars the result of Ford’s attempt to inflate production numbers of the Talladega? Is this the result of Ford “playing games” with Talladega production numbers? Or, is this a simple clerical error or a typo in the original Registry list? For many years we believed that they built 736 production Talladegas? Should that list now total 738? The Registry List of 14 1969 Prototype and Pilot ; thus 750. Should that number now be 752?

Given that all the other historical information is correct we currently believe that the total regular production, pilot, prototype and special Talladegas is 752.

Are the two GAP Cars the only ones or are there more? When anyone looks at our Registry list of Talladega VINs it is immediately clear that there are several gaps of only one car in the string of Talladega VINs. It is unlikely but are these also GAP Cars? If one mistake can be made, how many more might have occurred? If they omitted a Talladega VIN in error did some get added by mistake?

We have been assured that none of the real NASCAR Talladega race cars were never built from factory production Talladegas. However, many short track/dirt track cars and dragsters were likely built from real Talladegas. These are all good reasons why our attempt to register all Talladega and Spoiler/Spoiler II cars is so important.

We will probably never know the answers to these questions, but that will not stop us from searching for answers. Our goal is to document every Talladega as a Talladega. However, there are different classes of Talladegas listed in the Registry. I often see eyes glaze over when the subject of Pilot cars and Prototype cars comes up. I must admit that when I first studied the Ford Aero cars, there were many mysteries, some of which I still do not completely understand. Today I want to continue an open, positive and supportive discussion on what different Talladegas might exist. (This same discussion also applies to the Mercury Spoiler II.)

As of today, we believe that there were a total of 752 Talladegas built. Unfortunately, the Marti Report lists 750 as the total production. How can this be? Depending on who you talk to and what cars you count, the number varies; now with the discovery of the GAP cars the total number gets even more fuzzy.

One thing I believe is necessary before we dig too deep into Talladega production numbers is to come to some consensus and understanding what certain definitions are.

Definitions

The definitions presented here are those created by and for this Registry. However, I believe the terms bantered about regarding our cars may have caused some confusion over the years. I am as guilty of this as anyone. I believe it is important that we all agree on what these words mean before we can apply them to our cars. Regardless of how a car is defined, it remains a Talladega. I would like to present a series of definitions for use when discussing our cars to help put us all on the same page. If you have suggestions or recommendations on how to improve these definitions, please suggest them.

For these definitions and to be consistent with other data outside this Registry we will begin with the premise that 750 Talladegas were produced, this conflicts with our numbers but consistent with the Marti Reports. We will also start with the idea that only a Talladega documented by a Marti Report can be included in that 750 total. (Before everyone blows up at me, let me add that part of this exercise is to identify those rare cars that were built as Talladegas but may not have a Marti Report to verify them. These may be cars that are included in some definitions below. I believe unless we make this conclusion, there is no way to ultimately determine the total number of Talladegas. We may or may not conclude at the end of this process that 750 cars is an accurate number. The 750 may be dead on, too high or too low depending on what we count as being included as a Talladega. We do not intend this to “de-Talladega” anyone’s’ car, just an attempt to accurately classify and count them. Remember, this is a starting point and not a conclusion!)

Concept Car:

Such a car may or may not have begun life as an actual production car. Its VIN and Data plate may or may not support its final configuration. A Concept Car starts as a sketch of “what might be” and then develops into physical Concept Cars or parts. It is in this stage of development that different design approaches are tested and evaluated. A Concept Car may be built on a previous year of manufacture platform or may even be built out of clay. It may not even be a functioning, drivable vehicle. This is a styling exercise. Remember, the Ford and Mercury aero cars were not built until at least halfway through the regular production year. Today we would call these 1969 1/2 models. That being said, with the Talladega and Spoiler II  some Concepts, Mules and Prototypes could have been built on 1968 or 1969 platforms.

Mule:

After a design Concept has been agreed upon by designers and management, it is important to test how this new “Concept” might function in the real world. For the 1969 Ford Talladega this would likely have included wind tunnel tests and possibly road tests for cooling purposes and speed and handling tests at the racetrack. For the Talladega/Spoiler II some of the Concept Cars and Prototypes may have also functioned as Mules.

Prototype:

At this point in development of the ultimate vehicle the design and engineering team builds a Prototype of what might become an actual production car. Prototypes are generally had built and may also be Mules where ultimate designs are again tested. These cars might be used for early press release photos, crash testing, car shows or other similar activities.

Pilot:

A Pilot car is one that is assembled on the production line test and correct any production issues or procedures on the assembly line. These cars will normally not be available to the public for retail purchase. They are often kept in-house for corporate use and testing. However, some of the Talladega Pilot cars were sold to retail buyers.

Production:

This is the most simple definition. These cars are the regular Production cars that were built on the assembly line for retail sale to customers. Some of these cars may have been diverted to regional sales offices for promotional use or used by corporate executives for short periods of time.

Show Car or One Off Production Car:

These cars are a little more difficult to explain because they may overlap with any of the other definitions. These are cars built for a special purpose to promote the brand or model. They may also be built to special specifications for a VIP within Ford or celebrity outside of Ford. To make these definitions more specific to the Ford and Mercury Aero Cars we will define a Show Car or One Off Car as one built after the Prototypes. That means the Show Cars or One Off Cars built by Ford or one of its sub-contractors for promotional purposes and may have been built from a Torino/Fairlane to appear as a Talladega.

Race Car:

This definition will limit itself to the professional level of racing. We all know there were Talladega/Spoiler II race cars in 1969-1971. We do not believe any professional level of race cars were ever built from factory produced Talladegas or Spoiler IIs. Many were simply “re-skined” older race cars. All such cars were built by professional race teams using factory or factory style sheet metal. This definition excludes drag racing cars; we do not know of professional teams using a factory car but would sure like to see any evidence proving otherwise. It is also understood that some armature racers on both circle tracks and drag strips may have used production Talladega/Spoiler II bodies for racing.