A historically significant 1968 Ford Mustang Cobra Jet is up for auction at Mecum. The auction will occur October 3rd-5th in Indianapolis, and this Mustang is one of their “Main Attraction” cars. What is your auction estimate for this Mustang? Thank you so much to Mitchell G for providing this tip!
One of the main reasons we are a part of this classic car community is that these cars are time machines. We put on our nostalgia-tinted glasses, jump in our vintage ride, and try to capture a feeling of a bygone era. So, let’s take a trip back to the 1968 NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, CA, in this car. Although Ford had introduced its new 428 Cobra Jet Mustang to the world at an AHRA drag race at the Lions Drag Strip in January of 1968, it pulled out all the stops in February at the NHRA Winternationals. Ford brought 6 Cobra Jets to this race and sponsored five drivers: Gas Ronda, Jerry Harvey, Hubert Platt, Don Nicholson, and Al Joniec. They raced in multiple classes, and Al Joniec beat Hubert Platt in the SS/E class. He also took the overall Super Stock title, marking Ford’s first win in this class (check out this great article about these cars here).
This specific car is the Jerry Harvey car from this event, making it quite an important car. According to the listing, this car was also the 1968 U.S. Nationals winner, adding to its allure. The cherry on top is that this car was 1 of 11 Mustangs built at the Holman & Moody-Stroppe California shop to this spec, making it very rare. The restoration work looks great, too, and the paint and lettering work is excellent. The interior is spartan and stripped-down for its drag-racing purposes. To top it all off are the period-perfect Cragar SS wheels.
When researching this car, I found this excellent YouTube video of the 1968 NHRA U.S. Nationals. While this specific Mustang is not in the video, you can really feel the vibe watching this coverage that this car gives off. Envision yourself sitting behind the wheel of this steed, waiting for the Christmas tree to go green with Grumpy Jenkins in the lane next to you. You drop the clutch and feel the torque of the Holman Moody engine pin you to the seat as you blast down the strip (insert Tim Allen caveman noises here). I’m sure this car will bring a pretty penny at the auction, but how much will you pay to travel back in time? Cars that evoke these feelings are priceless and are a lot of fun to bench race. Check out this Mustang here on the Mecum website. Happy bidding! Thanks again to Mitchell G for sending in this tip.
Wow. Would love to pilot this down the 1/4 🏁😎
Cool car. Glad it still exists as a race car.
Steve R
That steerin wheel just seems so out of place here & in the Shelbys too for ’68. I’d rather see the std early plain Pinto steering wheel here – also std in the ’71 mustang.
The story i heard was that the powers that be or government mandated collapsible steering columns in ’67. All fords had the big round button attached to the horn ring. In ’68 ford had that peculiar (only word that comes to mind) steering wheel that you see on the mustang and I believe the column was collapsible. I own a ‘ 68 Galaxie sportsroof with the same weird lookin steering wheel. B.T.W. it has a 67 t-bird 428 engine. Cobra Jet engines had a lumpier cam,bigger valves, and better exhaust manifolds, aluminum intake borrowed from the P.I. engine.
The factory 428CJ intakes were cast iron, the aluminum PI was a common upgrade.
Steve R
1967 Ford steering columns are not collapsible. The 1968 steering columns are collapsible due to government mandated safety improvements. Those same mandates were also responsible for the redesigned 1968 steering wheel.
Also included in those 1968 mandates were front seat locking seat backs and shoulder seatbelts.
Once again, a hearty tip of the hat to Dusty, hadn’t seen you in a while, then WHAM, if you are in your 60s or 70s, it was these cars you idolized as a pre-teen. We( I) built models of these cars, even though our actual sightings were few and far between. Seen only on Wide World of Sports, with limited coverage opposite women’s curling, or whatever. Thanks to the modern miracle of TV today, I can get a vintage NHRA channel that has a compilation of all those older events, many from the 60s and 70s, the heyday of cars like this. While it’s not easy to list all that raced these cars, couple big names should, nay must be included. The late, unbelievably great Bob Glidden raced one, and also Bob Tasca Sr. had great success. While Grumpy ( who I heard was actually a really nice guy, EXCEPT, when working on the car) was one of the best to beat, in the Mopar camp, Ronnie Sox was unbeatable. Still, I read, these were I think the Super Stock class, and did 11.5 at over 120mph, and that was mighty impressive. Any corrections welcome, but without question, the peak of the muscle car era. I also read, you could walk into a Ford dealer, and buy a street version, with practically everything you see here, but was pricey. A standard Mustang in 1968 was around $2700. The 428 was close to $4grand. Only about 2800 were sold in 1968 and I bet most became drag racers.
Very cool find, and since this is a drag racing thread, has anyone ever heard anything about John Force? Been hush hush since “the accident”. Took a pretty good hit to the head, allegedly what killed Eric Medlin. Why didn’t the chutes deploy when she blew? I say he’s strapped to a bed muttering advertisers slogans. Sadly, I doubt he’ll race again. Fact is, Forces 1st funny car was the “Night Stalker”, a ’71 Mustang, I believe.
Today, drag racing is horribly boring, the same guys always win, based solely on who sponsors them, the cars are not recognizable, and Toyota has replaced Oldsmobile, but around this time, it was a great time to be a teenager. Eat your hearts out with your phones and all, younguns. You’ll never have the fun we had, and I can take that to my grave.
From what I’ve seen, Force is out of the hospital and recovering at home. His car, BTW, just won TF/FC last weekend, with Jack Beckman at the wheel. I doubt Force will be back. But no one thought he’d be winning races at 70+, before the accident! So who knows?
Mmm hmm, I’m not that optimistic. While he may be at home, he hasn’t made any public appearances, not a word, and that’s just not John Force. Austin Prock claims he has talked with him, but it’s not far from Hollywood, and I just don’t believe anything that comes out of that town. That guy has been on fire, bounced off more walls, destroyed more cars than anyone, even saw Elvis at 1,000 feet in Kansas(?), I’m sure his driving days are over.
Thanks, Howard!
What a cool car with such history. I am sure a Mecum sale will prove the desire for this pony.
I would love to drive a couple passes 1/4 mile at a time and put it in my stable.
Good luck on sale of such a cool stallion pony.
As the band “Kings of Leon” state or ask a question in their latest song…
“There’s a mustang in the city
And it’s calling me out
Are you a mustang or a kitty?
What are you all about?”
This is definitely not a kitty…. :-)
What is amazing me today is that street driveable cars are running 6’s ( think Alex Taylor) and bone stock appearing cars with G70-14 Polyglas tires are running 10’s ( F.A.S.T. Series races)
Can you imagine a stock looking Duster racing lining up against this Mustang and gapping it at the finish line with a 10.39 at 130 MPH vs.11.59 at 113.06 for the Mustang!! Hardly seem possible for a Duster to be that fast..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhltEorQPQA
The 70’s were a simpler time and I wish we could revert (or at least de-invent the computer) as I really hate what technology has brought to us.
what a car!!
Same auction has some of the Del DeYoung truck collection. He had mostly Diamond Ts with a few others.
Hi Rallye, I personally saw DeYoungs collection many years ago. I used to pick up canned goods in Friesland, Wis. in central Wisconsin, and Del DeYoungs shop was there. His trucking company hauled exclusively as Adams Transport, still in business today. Harold Skinner, of Skinner Transport, also still in business, I think, from Reedsburg, Wis. had an impressive collection too, only his were all IH. Like all these collections, once the founder passes away, there just isn’t the interest, and I think most are usually sold, maybe keeping 1.
Howard,
I thought his trucks sold at auction a few years ago and I missed it.
Somebody told Del that I had bought a couple Diamond Ts and he invited my grandson and I for a private tour that included ALL of his trucks (restored, being restored and just acquired). He also took us to see all of his Packards and rare Buicks.
Did he always wear Diamond T suspenders, or did he put them on for our tour day?
2 or 3 times we went to his open houses.
My grandson also has enjoyed private tours at Motion Products, Pierce and others.
Well said Howard A !!!
I had a 71 Torino with the 429 cj and used to run 10/11 in the quarter stock better than the mustang with the 428 here. LOL plus the mustang you’d have to check the actual numbers on the engine head’s block etc to prove it’s a actual 428 knew that when I was a teenager Vin and fenders mean nothing specific . By them not a good enough pic of the motor to be exactly sure but looks like a 429 ..
wasnt the Super CJ a step up? in a heavier car?
Here is another interesting link to old school drag racing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqTJh1rhD2A
As an update of sorts, I realize this is getting pretty far away, but I watched that auction on tele, and this car did indeed cross the block. It had “spirited” bidding up to about $100,000, slowed to about $110,000, and sat for minute, and the “and the bid goes on” baloney comes on, meaning, it didn’t sell. I’m sure the seller thought, in a place like Indy, which is the absolute hub for drag racing, would garner half a mil,,,sorry Charlie, the ones that would want this are racing wheelchairs. Fact is, as a note, the prices were what I thought, WAY DOWN, Corvettes, dime a dozen, many under $10gs, or, get this, a 1954 Kaiser Manhattan, in PERFECT condition, struggled at a measly $4 GRAND, I think sold for $5. Naturally, the “regulars”, 454 Chevelles, regular CJ Mustangs and as always, the Mopars were bigger bucks, but it seemed $50 grand was about the most paid for anything.
Market realities start setting in????