The top-of-the-line Cyclone CJ
The 1969 Mercury Cyclone series was an intermediate-sized car and came in only one body style, a fastback, which the factory named "Sports Roof." The aggressive profile gave the machine an instant performance theme which not only looked cool, but the slippery shape also provided fantastic aerodynamics on high-speed NASCAR racetracks. During this era "Race on Sunday and Sell on Monday" really did apply, especially in the southern states where stock car racing was most popular.
This powerplant was the top-level version of the "FE" Series for 1969, incorporating a 4.132-inch bore with a 3.984-inch stroke. The actual displacement turned out to be 426.544 cubic inches, however, Ford had decided back in 1966, when the Thunderbird and Police Interceptor versions debuted, to label it the "428" so as to not confuse it with the 427 engines.
The black-out grille was reserved for the Cyclone series, with center-mounted badge identification. The hood pins came when Ram Air option was ordered.
