Packed with 428 CJ power, the 1969 MERCURY CYCLONE & SPOILER delivered maximum performance and head-turning styling.
It was a banner year for Ford Bosses: Boss 302, Boss 429, and Bunkie Knudsen, the new boss of bosses. His passion for racing—and racing what dealers could sell—supported the Boss 429 program, which helped impact Mustang sales. More importantly, it helped move mainstream Mercury Montego/Cyclone/Spoiler and Ford Fairlane/Torino models like those that dominated NASCAR, USAC, and ARCA.
If he wanted to beat Mopar Hemis on superspeedways, Knudsen knew its wind-cheating Cyclone Spoiler/Spoiler II and Torino Talladega needed a new engine. And, to get it homologated for NASCAR, the engine had to be available in a production car. Enter the Boss 429, with a unique 385-Series “dry deck” block, oversize aluminum heads with staggered valves, and crescent-shaped, Hemi combustion chambers. It was a pure racing engine designed and built by Ford and made available to the public only in a Boss 429 Mustang.
Both the Spoiler II and Talladega were more aerodynamic than the production Cyclone and Torino to be more competitive with Dodge’s Charger 500. Based on SportsRoof fastbacks, the Spoiler II and Talladega proved themselves on NASCAR’s Super Speedways.
To race at Daytona in February of 1969, Ford had to document a minimum of 500 production models. A total of 754 Talladegas, including prototypes, were built with standard 428 CJ engines, C-6 automatic transmissions, flat black hoods and cloth-vinyl bench seats. Similar Mercury Cyclone Spoiler IIs with large rear wings were also produced at the Atlanta, GA plant. To meet NASCAR homologation specs, Mercury added two special edition signature Spoiler IIs celebrating Cale Yarborough, with a red metallic roof, and Dan Gurney, with a blue roof. Unfortunately, they didn’t produce enough Spoiler IIs in time for Daytona. While the new, more aerodynamic cars were legal for Daytona, the Boss 429 engine was not. Ford teams had to run the old Tunnel Port 427s fitted with single Holley Dominator four-barrels. Ford partnered with Holley on the design and engineering of the new 1,000-1,100-cfm Dominator, giving them exclusive use of the new carburetor before public release.
LeeRoy Yarbrough won the Daytona 500 in a Junior Johnson 427 Talladega. And he did it in a backup car since he had wrecked his regular NO.98 Torino. He accomplished it with a last-lap pass of race-leader Charlie Glotzbach! Yarbrough, considered one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers, went on to win the Southern 500 and World 600 – the first driver to win NASCAR’s prestigious Triple Crown.
The first appearance of Boss 429 engines and Cyclone Spoiler IIs was at the Atlanta 500 on March 30, 1969. Cale Yarborough won the race in the NO. 21 Wood Brothers Cyclone Spoiler II, followed by David Pearson in Holman & Moody’s NO. 17 Talladega. Cale averaged 132.19 mph and led the race for 308 of the 334 laps in the new winged Mercury Spoiler II.
Everything you’ve always wanted to know about the 1969 MERCURY CYCLONE & SPOILER and midsize Montego can be found at OVER-DRIVE magazine, https://over-drive-magazine.com/2025/01/31/1969-mercury-montego-cyclone-fact-sheet/
The 1969 MERCURY CYCLONE & SPOILER 428 CJ models are covered in DAY ONE, https://www.amazon.com/Day-One-Automotive-Journalists-Muscle-Car/dp/0760352364/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493561421&sr=1-1&keywords=Day+One+by+Martyn+L.+Schorr