Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II

The Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II is a muscle car that Mercury produced in early 1969, a special, more aerodynamic version of the Mercury Cyclone. It was built specifically to compete in NASCAR stock car racing against the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird from Chrysler and the nearly identical Ford Torino Talladega, and was sold to the public only because homologation rules required a minimum number of cars, 500 in 1969, to be made available for sale. A total of 503 were built in the first weeks of 1969, in Cale Yarborough Special versions, white with red trim, and Dan Gurney Special versions, white with blue trim, 285 and 215 respectively. It was based on the Cyclone Sportsroof fastback two-door hardtop with a sleeker front section that lengthened the car by about six inches and a flush-mounted grille identical to the Talladega's, and its rocker panels were reshaped so that racing teams could run about an inch lower. Racing versions first used the Ford FE 427 side-oiler engine and later the Boss 429, and the Spoiler II won eight Grand National races in the 1969 and 1970 NASCAR seasons. It is now considered a collectible car.