The Storied Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet

The storied Ford Mustang Cobra Jet dates back to 1968—to a time when the muscle car era was in full swing and production-car drag racing was all the rage. Horsepower was king and enthusiasts wanted the most powerful engine in the lightest cars. Manufacturers fed the beast with special packages designed to out-match the competition. They recognized early on that weekend wins at the strip translated to weekday sales in the showroom.

With the Muscle Car horsepower race escalating for the 1968 season, Ford Motor Company introduced its all-new 428-cubic inch Cobra Jet engine. With 335 hp, the potent 428 CJ offered a huge leap in power over the smaller 390-cube V8, which was the top Mustang engine for 1967.

Bob Tasca of Tasca Ford in Rhode Island is credited with creating the engine recipe by mixing high-flowing 427 cylinder heads with the stout bottom-end of a FE 428 to create “Cobra Jet”. Ford immediately saw the performance potential and built 50 lightweight 428 CJ Mustangs for drag racing to showcase its new powerhouse… read more >