Ford 428 Cobra Jet Logo
The legendary Cobra Jet was presented as a mid-year introduction in 1968 as Ford’s new muscle car engine. The pressure from Chevrolet’s 427 V8, Mopar’s 440 and 426 Hemis, and Pontiac’s 421 and 428 V8s made 427 Medium Risers obsolete. So Ford needed a new mass-produced muscle engine to battle its competitors. The Cobra Jet was an engine designed to be affordable but still durable and powerful enough. Ford rated the 428 Cobra Jet at 335 hp but it was apparent that their new mill puts out much more than that – over 400 to 450 hp to be precise (via MCI).
The Cobra Jet was the most common top engine choice in the Ford Mustang, but they were also available for other Ford models like the Shelby GT500 or Torino. To further enhance the appeal of this new and powerful engine, Ford envisioned a marketing campaign with a fierce cartoon snake that burned rubber. The logo appeared on cars as well as on promotional material, clothing, and factory brochures. Despite the fact it wasn’t used on all models, the cartoon cobra was so famous it’s still recognizable today.