(Click on any image to open up the hi-res gallery)

Back in 1969, Ford's Kansas City district sales office wanted to come up with a special package for the Kansas City area and beyond.  Something that meant something to everyone…something familiar.  They arrived at something everyone knew about and could relate to, no matter where they lived in the country: Dorothy, Toto, and Twisters.  Fast forward and Ford’s directives resulted in 96 Mustangs, 100 Torinos, and 4 Rancheros.  Even still today, not one enthusiast has been able to verify the Rancheros' existence.  Most likely, they are is sitting in Leno’s basement.

Those that do have authentic Twister Specials™ are able to link up and verify their own cars’ existence by heading to the Twister Special™ Registry, run by an orange-blooded man by the name of Terry Fritts.

So how does R&A Motorsports fit into this niche of history?  Well, for starters, they are a renowned automotive restoration shop and have been in the restoration business (Shelby Mustangs as their focus) since 1975.  One day, a customer brought in his Twister and wanted to bring it back to its honorary roots and get it completely restored to glory.  After finishing the restoration and providing a fantastic product, Jeff Yergovich, President of R&A Motorsports Inc, said “…we should build an updated version [of this car].”

So here we go…

R&A procured a 2007 Grabber Orange Ford Mustang GT and started to toy with it in the shop.  Matt Korich from CDC started scribbling down ideas and came up with some conceptual renderings of the car-to-be.  The ideas and excitement kept flowing, and it showed by the constant anthem of “…wouldn’t it be cool if…” followed by the execution of their ideas.

Jeff thought about contacting Ford to gauge their interest in the project.  Bob Sight Ford, a local dealership, met with R&A and found the concept pretty cool and a catchy idea.  A local representative from Ford said he’d run it up the chain of command back to Dearborn.  After some deliberation, the answer back down the pipe was a “no”.

Not dismayed by the initial rejection, R&A continued the push forward and sought after becoming an authorized up-fitter for Ford.  The only hitch from pushing ahead now with a one-off specialty was to get the name.  Some pitfalls made the road hard to travel, with bureaucratic delays regarding the trademark and patent on the Twister name.  At first, the request was submitted as “Twister” and was subsequently denied because the name was already registered at the US Patent Office.  Refusing defeat, R&A gave the wheel another spin and tried “Twister Special”.  Bingo.  The trademark was born.

All this said, the resolve at R&A never waivered.  They pushed ahead with their dream of making 96 of these 2008 Twister Special™ Ford Mustangs.  With numerous exhibitions to date, including one this summer at the Mid America Shelby Meet in Tulsa, R&A is well on their way to making the dream an owner’s reality.  Thousands of Mustang fans have contacted R&A expressing interest and are chomping at the bit to see this Twister Special™ edition Ford Mustang in person.  Well, wish granted.  The coupe and convertible are planned to be on display at the CDC booth later this year at SEMA.

Convertible items

• Twister Special™ Package
• Graphics Package
• Foose Wheels 20x8.5
• Includes “Twister Special™” center caps
• Pirelli Performance Tires
• Lower ground effects blacked out
• Chin Spoiler
• Widows Peak Hood with mar resistant textured black stripe
• Centered Headlight Grill w/ Tri-bar Pony
• Tail Light Panel
• Functional Shaker with Engraved “Twister Special™” in scoop
• Ducktail Spoiler
• Sequential Taillights
• Detail Corral
• Embroidered “Twister Special™” Floor Mats
• Ford Racing Exhaust
• Lowering Kit
• Hood Struts
• Embroidered "Twister Special™" headrest covers
• Lightbar with embroidered "Twister Special™"
• Personalized Vehicle Identification Plate

Coupe items

• Twister Special™ Package
• Graphics Package
• Foose Wheels 20x8.5
• Includes “Twister Special™” center caps
• Pirelli Performance Tires
• Lower ground effects blacked out
• Chin Spoiler
• Widows Peak Hood with mar resistant textured black stripe
• Centered Headlight Grill w/ Tri-bar Pony
• Tail Light Panel
• Functional Shaker with Engraved “Twister Special™” in scoop
• Ducktail Spoiler
• C-Pillar Scoops
• Sequential Taillights
• Detail Corral
• Embroidered “Twister Special™” Floor Mats
• Ford Racing Exhaust
• Lowering Kit
• Glassback Roof
• Hood Struts
• Embroidered "Twister Special™" headrest covers
• Personalized Vehicle Identification Plate