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As we entered the 1970's car manufacturers were doing total redesigns on many of their familiar models. It was a sign of the times and when things changed in the auto industry, if you wanted to survive, you had to change with them. 1971 seemed to be the year of the last hurrah for real performance in most commonly known performance cars. Unleaded gas was coming, insurance rates were rising, Baby Boomers were settling down and having families and emmission standards were getting tougher.   The Mustang Boss 351 was kind of an afterthought really because of the Mustang's redesign. It was supposed to be the '71 Boss 302 but the new design called for more engine because it was a lot more car. This would be the largest Mustang design ever with an additional eight inches of length, six inches of width and about 600 pounds of curb weight. Even though the wheelbase was only extended one inch, the car was notably larger and the Boss 302 engine would in no way be enough motor to make acceptable motion in this new body.   Enter the Boss 351. This one-year offering would prove to be strong enough to contend with any of the performance Mustangs before it. It started out as a 351 Cleveland but this one really got the treatment. 11.7:1 compression, solid lifter cam, dual point vacuum advance distributor, special cooling package and a 750cfm Motorcraft carb. The Boss motor laid down 330 horsepower at 5400rpm and 370 ft/lbs. of torque at 4000! Back that up with a Hurst shifted Toploader 4-speed and 3.91 gears with a Traction-Lok dif and you've got a pony that'll kick down the fence. 0-60 came in just 5.8 seconds and Car and Driver ran the 1/4 in just 14.10 @ 100.6 miles an hour but I've seen tests as quick as 13.80 @ 104 miles an hour. Those numbers can hang with a 428 Cobra Jet Mach 1! Like many other cars of the early 70's, this car wasn't just a straight line street brawler, it could handle better than a Mach 1. It's suspension package was similar to the Mach 1 but it carried 5/8 inch rear sway bar (the Mach 1 had a 1/2 inch rear sway bar) and the Boss came standard with F60x15 Goodyear Polyglas bias-belted tires. (the Mach 1 got F70x14's )   The new style was basically broad an somewhat flat with the back window of the Fastback (or Sports Roof as some called it) being almost horizontal. A lot of people jokingly called it the Mustang "Flatback". However, all jokes aside, this was a very handsome design with the twin-scoop hood, optional T-spoiler, Magnum 500 wheels and an offsetting stripe package that made it standout just enough. The Ram Air insignias on the side of the scoops were a nice touch, but the Boss 351 decals were the things that let you know that the Boss was back and he's been working out. Though there was an optional Interior Decor Group, full instrumentation was standard and that gave you all the vital-function gauges and a tachometer.   At just over $4100 (compared to the Mach 1's $3268) the Boss 351 was well balanced musclecar that was really a pretty good bang for the buck. For whatever reason, Ford chose to only build 1806 of these cars so, if you've got one, keep it.   - Dan Davis.