The Forgotten Aero Warrior: Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II

NASCAR's "aero wars" of the late '60s gave us some wild rides, but most gearheads only remember the winged Mopars. Turns out Mercury was in the game too, with a slick muscle car that's somehow faded into obscurity.

The Cyclone Spoiler II was Mercury's ticket to NASCAR glory when aerodynamics became everything. As tracks got faster, these guys realized their boxy muscle cars needed serious wind-cheating help. While Dodge and Plymouth went with those crazy-tall rear wings, Mercury took a subtler approach.

They basically grabbed their standard Cyclone, stretched the nose way out, added a flush-fitting grille, and dropped the whole thing closer to the ground. Only about 700 ever hit the streets - just enough to qualify for NASCAR competition.

Street versions weren't exactly fire-breathers, typically packing 351 Windsor V8s, though a few lucky buyers managed to special-order the beastly 428 Cobra Jet. The real monsters were on the track, where Mercury could go wild with engine mods.

They even tried drumming up some buzz with celebrity editions. Want a Dan Gurney Special in white and blue? Or maybe Cale Yarborough's signature on a candy apple red version? Mercury thought these racing legends might help move metal in the showrooms.

Despite Yarborough scoring a few wins in '69, the Cyclone Spoiler II never really got its moment in the sun. Ford seemed more interested in pushing their Torino Talladega, and by the early '70s, NASCAR changed the rules anyway.

Unlike those Dodge Daytonas that showed up in everything from "The Fast and the Furious" to Richard Petty museums, Mercury's aero warrior just kinda... disappeared. No movie cameos. No poster status. Nothing.

Collectors who actually remember these things will shell out serious cash today—think 60 to 100 grand if you can find one. It's the classic forgotten muscle car story: built for a brief, glorious moment when showroom stock cars were barely-disguised race machines.

The Cyclone Spoiler II might be the coolest NASCAR homologation special most people have never heard of. Just don't call it a "Mercury Daytona"—those Mercury folks worked hard on that nose cone, thank you very much.