1971 Ford Ranchero Squire 429CJ. Photo by Daniel Strohl.
Lore has it that when Chevrolet and Pontiac began inserting 396- and 400-cu.in. engines into their respective Camaro and Firebird pony cars, a couple of employees at Tasca Ford – located in East Providence, Rhode Island, and coincidentally the largest volume Ford dealer in the world in 1967 – took issue with the thumping the 390-powered Mustangs were taking both on the street and at the strip and created their own “hot” engine based on the police interceptor 428. Using a slew of existing bolt-on Ford performance parts, though not exclusively, Tasca’s “KR-8” Mustang was able to knock down a 13.38 e.t. at the drag strip once completed and tested. As Tasca invited the automotive press to wring power out of their mystery 428, and thus help drive sales, the dealership also shared their technical findings with Dearborn officials.
Whether Ford actually had something cooking in engineering or not, by January 1968 Ford had released 50 Cobra Jet Mustangs to homologate their new hi-performance big-block for NHRA duty. Street versions of the FE-Series 428 Cobra Jet engine were released in April; a 428 Super Cobra Jet soon followed. Initially available in Mustangs, Cougars and Shelby’s G.T.500 (as the G.T.500KR), Ford’s marketing prowess took the engine to legend status almost overnight, becoming a regular production option in both the Ford and Mercury intermediate line of cars as well. Though the FE engines were scheduled to be phased out, both the CJ and SCJ lived on in 429-cu.in. guise – those blocks having originated from the 385 Series – though the 1971 season. Like its predecessor, the 429 CJ and SCJ, though pricey, were available in the respective division’s pony and intermediate cars.
In hindsight, cost versus desire ultimately created some unique examples of the Cobra Jet breed between the mid-1968- 1971 lifespan, including the utility vehicle pictured above: one of the mere two documented, real-deal 1971 Ford Ranchero Squires equipped by the factory with a 370hp 429 CJ engine backed by a Toploader four-speed manual. A former Hemmings Muscle Machines feature car (issue #50; November 2007) and owned by Chuck Stoodley, it’s scheduled to appear in a class honoring the Cobra Jet era at the 10th annual Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance. A venerable production anomaly, it will be accompanied by several other Cobra Jet-powered FoMoCo models at the Concours in one of 14 classes that will grace this year’s show field.
Held on Sunday, September 25, in the picturesque Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, New York, the Concours d’Elegance will be preceded by the Hemmings Rally to Lake George on Friday, September 23, accompanied by Lia Infiniti’s Test Drive Event. Concluding the day’s activities will be the catered unveiling of the 2017 Infiniti Q60 and QX30 at the Saratoga Automobile Museum from 7-9 p.m. Saturday opens with the Hemmings Cruise-In Spectacular followed by the Concours evening banquet, the latter headlined by a keynote address from this year’s Honorary Chairman, automotive legend Lee Holman. Joining us throughout the weekend will be Porsche, Tesla and Prestige, each offering test drive/test ride opportunities, while Ed Lucas will once again be our Master of Ceremonies throughout the three-day affair.
Although many classes have been filled to capacity already, we are still accepting vehicles for consideration (refer to the list of classes on our event page). If you would like to have your vehicle considered for this year’s and the 2017 Concours (the class details of which will be announced shortly), please send full contact information, photos and a brief write-up about it to Hemmings Motor News Concours, Attn: Matthew Litwin, 222 Main Street, Bennington, Vermont, 05201, or by email at concours@hemmings.com.
The Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance is presented by Gullwing Motor Cars, in conjunction with supporting sponsors McCollister’s Transportation, Restoration & Performance Motorcars, Restoration Parts Unlimited Inc., Stewart-Warner Genuine Parts, Magic Creeper, Colonel Crawford Eagles All-Sports Booster Club, the New England Auto Auction, Coker Tire, Car Dolly, Microbead Car Covers, an hospitality sponsor Prestige Family of fine cars.
For more information about the 10th Annual Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance presented by Gullwing Motor Cars, including tickets and accommodations, visit Hemmings.com/Events/Concours. A portion of the Concours proceeds goes directly towards the Saratoga Automobile Museum’s educational programs focused on safety and distracted driving awareness. To learn more, visit SaratogaAutoMuseum.org.
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