2023 Mustang Round Up highlight – 1971 Boss 351

The 2023 Mustang Round Up was the first edition of the concours and car show presented by the Victorian chapter of the Mustang Owners’ Club of Australia (MOCA VIC) since 2019. That long wait meant there was a big turnout for the show, with almost 500 cars entered.

Held on 29 October at the Dandenong Showgrounds (a familiar venue from past Round Ups), the 2023 event focused on the 1971-73 Mustang, so it’s only fitting to highlight one from that group, specifically a Boss 351.

The Boss 351 Mustang arrived at a time when ‘performance’ was becoming a dirty word in America. Rising insurance premiums and more stringent emissions regulations made owning a performance car of any type an expensive exercise at the start of the 1970s. However, there were still enough enthusiasts out there to make the Boss 351 a viable prospect for Ford. It would be a one-year-only deal, though, introduced in 1971 and gone by 1972. After that, the ‘Boss’ name wouldn’t return until 2012.

While the Boss 302 and Boss 429 from 1969-70 get all the attention, the Boss 351 was just as good, having been designed to homologate Ford’s entry for the 1971 Trans Am season. Ford pulled out of the road racing championship ahead of the season getting underway, but the Boss 351 still went ahead, with 1,806 produced for the 1971 model year. All were fastbacks, which by this stage were referred to as ‘Sportsroof’ bodies.

Unlike the Mach 1 from the same year, the Boss 351 was a genuine performer, powered by a 351 Cleveland V8 with four-bolt main bearings, solid lifters, 11.0:1 compression, an aluminium intake manifold and 750cfm four-barrel carburettor. Output was 330hp (246kW) at 5,400rpm.

That hi-po engine, along with a four-speed manual, wider tyres and competition suspension as standard, made the Boss 351 faster than a Mach 1, with quarter mile times in the low 14s.

The ’71 Boss 351 shown here is one of 344 finished in Grabber Yellow, which was one of the most popular colours. A sports interior (from the Mach 1), Traction-Lok diff, rear spoiler, AM radio, centre console, tinted glass and Magnum 500 wheels were all ordered by the original purchaser.

The current owner sourced the car from a marque expert in Texas, who described it as completely original inside and out, although it may have had a respray at one stage.

For JUST CARS report on the 2023 Mustang Round Up, click HERE.