26. Mercury Cyclone Cobra Jet
Mercury presented the Cyclone in 1964 and it stayed on the market until 1971. But the best version, which is the most interesting to collectors is the Cyclone CJ. Those two letters marked the presence of the famed 428 Cobra Jet engine, which was the first street-muscle engine built by Ford. With 7.0-liters displacement and advertised 335 HP, the Cobra Jet made over 400 horses in real life.
The Cyclone CJ was a serious street racing contender and this new engine significantly upped the performance. Along with Ford, Mercury was active in NASCAR racing during the late ‘60s, and Cyclone CJ played its part in racing efforts. However, they produced less than 3,500 Cyclones CJ in 1969, while the regular Cyclones without the Cobra Jet option were much more popular.