9. 1978 Ford Mustang King Cobra
The second generation of the Ford Mustang debuted in 1974. It was on the market for four years until 1978. Despite the fact it was the subject of so many jokes and bad press, the Mustang II was an important model. Downsizing the whole Mustang range, introducing economical four-cylinder engines, and part-sharing with other Ford models helped it survive the recession of the ’70s and the death of the muscle car movement. But all of that doesn’t mean there weren’t any interesting Mustangs between 1974 and 1978. They just were just slow compared to previous editions. There was one particularly interesting model, however, the special edition King Cobra.
Ford knew their 5.0 V8 engine produced only 140 HP in the Mustang II and the performance was unimpressive. They also knew that by dressing up the car they could attract some buyers. They introduced the King Cobra with a flaming snake on the hood, front and rear spoilers, and a full body kit. The King Cobra was a typical ’70s factory custom car. They mated the 5.0 V8 to a four-speed manual transmission in an attempt to make a performance car. Needless to say, the performance was terrible, but the outrageous body kit stole the show. Today, the Ford Mustang King Cobra is a vaunted collector’s item.