To Be OFFERED AT AUCTION WITHOUT RESERVE at RM Sothebys' Monterey
event, 15 - 17 August 2019.
Estimate:
$65,000 - $85,000
- One of 1,299 Cobra Jet Mustangs produced in 1968
- Factory 428 cu. in. Cobra Jet engine
- Power disc brakes and four-speed manual transmission
- Documented by Deluxe Marti Auto Works report
In 1967 the Ford Motor Company initiated a program to create a
high-performance 428-powered Mustang. After research and testing,
Ford unleashed their new high-performance street terror in April
1968 as the 428 Cobra Jet. The Cobra Jet package consisted of a 428
short-block with police interceptor heavy-duty connecting rods and
topped by 427 "low-riser" cylinder heads and a Holley 735 cfm
four-barrel carburetor. The Cobra Jet claimed a 10.6:1 compression
ratio and used the same hydraulic camshaft as the 390 GT engine,
which was a fairly aggressive grind for a factory piece of the day,
with 270/290-degrees duration (advertised) and .481/.490-inch
lift.
Buyers would have to choose the GT equipment package if they wanted
the 428 CJ engine, though both could be applied to a coupe as well
as a fastback. Power front disc brakes were also required, and
buyers could choose between the four-speed manual, as this car is
equipped, or C-6 three-speed automatic.
Ford rated its new 428 CJ engine at a modest 335 hp�only 15 more
than the 390 it was replacing. That made it appear as a marginal
improvement on paper, and since buyers also had to take the GT
package, disc brakes, and the engine, the Cobra Jet Mustang was
rather costly. That, plus its mid-year introduction, may have
contributed to only 1,299 examples rolling off the line for
1968.
This stunning Wimbledon White 428 Cobra Jet left the factory 18 May
1968 and was delivered to Russ Davis Ford in Covina, California,
according to the Marti report that verifies this car's original
production specifications. This Mustang is in very clean condition
throughout, and the current owner states it has been the recipient
of recent mechanical sorting. These early Cobra Jet Mustangs are
highly coveted by muscle car collectors and are seldom offered for
sa �le, presenting a rare opportunity to acquire a fine example of
a hard-to-find Ford performance car for the golden age of American
muscle.To view this car and others currently consigned to this
auction, please visit the RM website at
rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/mo19.