Presenting two key Blue Oval entries in the muscle car wars of 1969: Ford Cobra and Torino GT, both available with Ford’s killer 428 Cobra Jet V8. This vintage two-minute promo lays down the rubber-burning details. 

For all its domination in NASCAR, LeMans, the Indy 500, and professional drag racing, Ford struggled a bit at the consumer level in the muscle car battles of the 1960s. That is until mid-1968, when the mighty 428 CID Cobra Jet V8 was introduced. A parts-shelf special skillfully assembled from passenger car, police interceptor, and racing pieces, the CJ could run with the best of the big dogs on the street performance scene.

This quick promo from 1969 details two performance models on Ford’s Fairlane/Torino intermediate platform, each one offered with the Cobra Jet V8 option. The Cobra was Ford’s answer to the Plymouth Road Runner, if you will, with basic standard equipment and colorful fender decals. List price was a low, low $3,335 with the optional CJ engine included. The potent sedan bore little resemblance to Carroll Shelby’s original AC Cobra, of course, but it was a credible muscle car.

Meanwhile, the Torino GT was the upmarket version with extra comfort and appearance features, along with stylish C-stripes emulating the Ford Mark IV that won at Le Mans in 1967 with Dan Gurney and AJ Foyt. Both models were available in formal roofline or fastback SportsRoof body styles. And all the variations, needless to say, are highly sought by Ford muscle car collectors today. Video follows.