Revell’s brand new 1971 Mustang kit
It’s not often that a newly tooled model car kit is released, but as I mentioned briefly in the July edition of Scale Autos, Revell has done just that, with its new 1:25 scale 1971 Ford Mustang Boss 351. The muscle car era was virtually over by 1971, but Ford’s last hurrah offered one of the rarest Mustangs, produced before increased legislation and insurance premiums, environmentalist pressure and a looming Middle East fuel crisis, forced manufacturers to scale back their performance cars. Just 1806 Boss 351 cars were produced, with the R-code V8 351 (6.8-litre) Cleveland V8 providing 330bhp at 5400rpm and 370lb-ft of torque at 4000rpm. That’s powerful for a small block and almost the same performance as the big block Boss 429 Mustang!
The car came with a four-speed Toploader manual transmission, with Hurst shifter and a heavy-duty Competition Suspension package with larger front disc-brakes. A Traction-Lok 9in rear axle with 3.91 gears was the only option. 1971 introduced a larger and heavier body then previously, which is said to have been an acknowledgement of the perceived increasing age of its customer base and their need for a more family-friendly sized interior. The deeply angled rear roof looked good, but reduced the window to an inadequate slot. The vertical flat rear panel meant that back in the day we referred to the ’71-’73 Mustangs as ‘bread vans’, although I’m not really sure why.
The kit appears to be an accurate representation of the prototype and is available in both the flat European box and the more familiar American square one, with completely different artwork. The Revell Germany version should be readily available from all Revell stockists. It is a comprehensive kit with over 120 parts, divided into several clear poly bags to avoid scratching. It has a removable bonnet to display the multi-part V8 engine, a detailed interior, with its high-backed seats incorporating headrests and it is similarly detailed underneath. Chromed parts are minimal, just the wheels, bumpers, grille and so on, as befits the original. The decal sheet is comprehensive and has a choice of black and white graphics, which defined the Boss 351. It appears that other versions of the car will be offered in due course, with a few detail changes. A James Bond version, as seen in Diamonds Are Forever, should be the next one out.