10. Ford Mustang King Cobra
The second generation of Ford Mustang debuted in 1974 and was on the market for four years, until 1978. Despite the fact it was a subject of so many jokes and bad press, the Mustang II was a very important model. The downsizing of the whole Mustang range, the introduction of economical four-cylinder engines and part sharing with other Ford models helped the model survive the recession of the `70s and the death of the muscle car movement.
There was one particularly interesting model, and this was the special edition King Cobra. Ford knew that their 5.0 V8 engine made only 140 hp in Mustang II and the performance was very slow, but they also knew that by dressing up the car they could attract some buyers. So, the King Cobra was introduced. With a flaming snake on the hood, front and rear spoilers and full body kit, the King Cobra was a typical `70s factory custom car. The 5.0 V8 was mated to four-speed manual transmission in an attempt to make a performance car. Needless to say, the performance was not great, in fact, it was terrible, but the outrageous body kit stole the show and today King Cobra is considered a collector`s item.