The Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II SUPER FORD MAGAZINE Collector Series Literature For Sale

This Super Ford Collector Series is on: \"The 1969 CYCLONE SPOILER II\". This 11 X 17\" double print is in black, blue, & red on a real nice fine pebble finish white paper. It had been folded in the center by our printer way back in 1979 so it could be inserted in Super Ford Magazine. It opens up as you see it here.

Ford Motor Company\'s interest in racing dates back to the days of the Model \"T\'s\" when, ironically, the most famous name associated with Ford speed equipment was \"Louis Chevrolet\". No one could have guessed back then that Ford and Chevrolet would be locked into an eternal battle for supremacy in both car sales and motorsports racing.

Late 1959 found Ford Motor Company pulled in a number of directions all at once. The first Thunderbirds (1955-57) had already grown from two seaters to five seaters, the innovative, yet controversial Edsel, was in it\'s final production phase, and FoMoCo was already adopting a \"return to racing\" policy.

1960 found Ford Motor Company about to embark on what would soon prove to be the most all encompassing performance campaign ever launched by any automotive manufacturer !

After a four year embargo on factory participation in NASCAR racing by Ford, GM, and Chrysler, FoMoCo found itself loosing ground to GM on the NASCAR circuit. A quick analysis of the situation produced significant proof that GM was producing sophisticated engine and chassis hardware under the guise of \"special police equipment\", and pushing these pieces to the GM NASCAR teams. Infuriated with the trick GM had played on them, FoMoCo took up the challenge with a promise of NASCAR supremacy.

As if that wasn\'t enough, certain departments were working on a new type of car - the compact car.

The domestic car market was experiencing a number of major automotive changes. New car buyers were leaning towards the purchase of smaller economy type cars, and American Motors was filling the bill with it\'s Rambler American. Even the ailing Studebaker was feeling some revival with it\'s increased sales of it\'s Lark. Ford, GM, and Chrysler prepared to meet the challenge, and in the Fall of 1959, all three were ready. Ford introduced the Falcon, GM introduced the Corvair, and Chrysler introduced the Valiant.

The 1960 Falcon was the conservative member of the group in both styling and engineering featuring a standard 90 horsepower 144 cubic inch six cylinder with either a 3 speed standard, or a 2 speed automatic. By mid-1960, Ford introduced it\'s second entry into the compact car field, from the Mercury Division came the Comet.

After setting comfortably in the compact car slot, Ford was the first of the big three U.S. automakers to enter the intermediate car field. From Ford Division came the Ford Fairlane, and the Mercury Meteor was Lincoln-Mercury\'s entry. Sales of the Meteor were very sluggish from the start. By 1963 Lincoln-Mercury decided to drop the Meteor name, and concentrate their efforts on the newly redesigned Comet. A new name, \"Cyclone\" marked the sportier version of the Comet. Most performance Ford and Mercury enthusiasts want to look at the 1964 and 1965 Comet Cyclones and those wild A/FX Comets as the real mainstay of the Lincoln-Mercury Division performance campaign, and for the most part they were. However, these wild quarter mile warriors did little to sell new cars.

Lincoln-Mercury had commissioned the construction of 5 special Comets that went on to break over 100 world wide records for speed and durability, in addition to breaking scores of American records. 1965 found the Comets competing in another speed and endurance run, and the huge amounts of publicity netted a 57% increase in Comet sales.

1966 proved to be the best year yet. The new Mercury Comets had out grown their \"compact car\" status, and turned to more of a mid-size car status. The total redesign of the Comet was only the beginning of what would easily be considered the peak year for the Comet Cyclone. The big news was under the hood ! These new bodies would now handle the big block Ford FE engine series. Super stock Magazine named the Cyclone GTs the \"Performance Car of the Year\", it was also chosen to be the official pace car for the Indianapolis 500 in 1966. 1967 brought on only minor styling changes and no new engine options.

1968 found Mercury Division phasing out the Comet name and adding a new name, the Montego. The new Mercury Montego series was longer, lower, and wider, and more aerodynamic than it\'s predecessors. In fact the Mercury Cyclone fastback provided a 1.5 to 2 mph advantage over the Ford Fairlane bodies on the NASCAR super speedways. Both 1968 and 1969 will stand out as the years that Lincoln-Mercury showed Ford Division the short strokes in aerodynamics !

1969 was certainly a banner year for muscle cars. Ford powered cars dominated the racing scene, and the NASCAR super speedways were no exceptions. Much to the dismay of the Chrysler corporation, the new Ford Talladegas proved to be more than a match for the Plymouth and Dodge competitors.

These cars were so dominant on the NASCAR tracks, that NASCAR officials granted Chrysler\'s plea to allow a second four barrel carburetor on the Hemis. Even Richard Petty abandoned Chrysler and drove one of these aerodynamic new super speedway cars to a new track record during his victory at the Riverside 500.

In April of 1969, Mercury Division launched it\'s challenge for NASCAR supremacy. Mercury designed the Cyclone Spoilers for NASCAR warfare, and the Cyclone Spoiler IIs for the street.

This article goes on to list the special body modifications and engines for both the NASCAR versions as well as the street versions. Also included is the list of NASCAR victories, and the production figures. The article features artwork on Cale Yarborough\'s NASCAR race car, as well as the street version, along with the Dan Gurney Special street version.

The Cyclone Spoiler II\'s represent an important part of Mercury racing history when the sky was the limit, and Muscle cars were king !