23. 1968 Ford Mustang 428 Super Cobra Jet
The Mustang exploded onto the car scene in 1964, introducing a new concept to the market in the pony car. It was a compact, sporty, and good-looking coupe with enough power for a lively performance. The concept was successful; Ford built the millionth example just a year-and-a-half after its introduction. Despite the Shelby GT350, the Mustang didn’t have a proper muscle car engine to offer to the general public. They knew they needed one that could compare to those mighty Hemis or Chevy 427s. In other words, Ford and its Mustang didn’t have much street cred. But all of that changed in 1968 when Ford introduced the new 428 Cobra Jet V8 engine. With a conservative rating of 335 HP, it was clear that the new engine could easily deliver around 400 HP. But Ford wasn’t satisfied, so they presented an even more extreme version named the Super Cobra Jet.

It was an upgraded 428 with around 450 HP with conquering a drag strip in mind. Ford planned to win the Super Stock championship in 1968, and eventually, they did as Mustangs with this engine were unstoppable that year. To homologate the Super Cobra Jet engine for track use, Ford had to build some streetcars. They built only 57 cars with these upgraded engines and approximately 2,000 with the regular Cobra Jet engine. Those 57 SCJ Mustangs were not exclusively Fastbacks. Today, all those Cobra Jets are valuable, and the Super Cobra Jets are extremely pricey.