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2026 Chevrolet Tahoe ReviewCool Car Find: 1969 Mercury Cyclone CJ
This well-preserved 1969 Mercury Cyclone CJ, finished in white with a Dark Red interior, is one of just 105 built in this configuration.
Mid Street Luxury
You’d be forgiven if the Mercury Cyclone doesn’t ring the same bell as, say, a Ford Torino, Chevy Chevelle, or any other American muscle car legend. Something of a muscle sleeper, the Cyclone occupies a similar niche as the Buick GSX Stage 1.
That being classic cars from brands aimed at mid-level luxury, but that also happened to deliver serious performance. Produced between 1964 and 1971, not every Mercury Cyclone was an all-out stoplight racer. But the 1969 Cyclone CJ, with its surprisingly brief one-year production run, certainly was.
Short for Cobra Jet, this fairly rare Cyclone variant was packing a 428 cubic inch V8 rated for 335 horsepower. Standard content included a Ram Air hood, a 735 cfm 4-barrel Holley carburetor, a low-restriction dual exhaust system, a 4-speed manual, and a 3.50:1 axle ratio.
In period marketing, Mercury referred to these Cyclones as “streep sweepers”, meaning ready to sweep the strip and the street (streep). A beast out of the box, buyers could of course add a host of optional upgrades via special order, which is apparently how the fabulous white over dark red vinyl example currently for sale originally came to be.
This Cool Car Find
Benefitting from a partial restoration, this 1969 Cyclone CJ has been refinished in its factory shade of white and retains the original Dark Red vinyl interior. The 428 V8 features a newer 770 cfm Holley carb and it has received a long list of recent service.
Highlights include a new gas tank, replacement wheel bearings, fresh front brake rotors, new rear drum brakes, a wide range of suspension replacement parts – including upper control arms – a new heater core, and rebuilt power steering. But perhaps the more exciting aspect of this Cyclone is how many factory original options it was built with.
Most obvious is the Ram Air induction system and locking hood pins, though it was also optioned with Whisper-Aire air-conditioning, power-assisted brakes and steering, and the Select-Shift automatic transmission. Then there is the Sports Appearance package that added color-keyed racing-style side mirrors, front bucket seats with a console, styled steel wheels, and a dash-mounted 6,000-rpm tachometer.
These details result in a rather rare combination for the one-year-only Cyclone CJ. Mercury only built 2,175 of these Cobra Jet-powered Cyclones in 1969. Of those, 200 were painted white and just 105 of these featured the Dark Red vinyl bucket seats found in today’s cool car find.
A Rare Find in Pristine Condition
A deluxe Marti report backs up all the fascinating details of this ’69 Cyclone CJ, but it is the photos that really drive the point home. This Mercury was built almost 60 years ago, and yet, it looks to be in tremendous condition. The originality stands out, but a life of garage-kept maintenance certainly helps in this department as well. Though it’s not clear if the odometer has rolled over, it currently registers just 17,728 miles.
In either case, this 1969 Mercury Cyclone CJ looks to be an incredible example of an under-the-radar, but awesome, example of classic American muscle. It’s not exactly cheap at $74,900, but for the serious American muscle car aficionado, it seems a small price to pay for such a well-preserved piece of automotive history. Those with a penchant for Mercury in particular should also be sure to keep an eye out for the Cyclone Spoiler, another high-powered variant of the era.
