The Savelle Ford “135” Cobra Jet

We had two Ferraris here at Savelle. I took one out one day, and they were just slow compared to that Cobra Jet.”

- Wes Eisenschenk

John Woermer was a truck sales and leasing manager with Savelle Ford in Thomaston, Connecticut, in the late 1960s. His recollection of the 1968½ Cobra Jet has been echoed by nearly everyone who has sat behind the wheel of a “135” Mustang—Ford’s last big effort to support drag racing in the 1960s. John warmly remembered the day the transporter pulled up to Savelle Ford in the spring of 1968 with a Body-In-White (BIW) 1968 fastback Mustang on the hauler. Number 8F02R135024, one of 50 factory-produced Mustangs (the 18th car in the batch), would be campaigning under the Savelle Ford banner in what was shaping up to be the most competitive factory-supported effort of the muscle car era. But why was Savelle Ford receiving one of the most potent Fords of all time? Inventory at Savelle wasn’t exceedingly slanted toward muscle cars in 1968. In fact, a few short years later the dealer would be known much more for its Mazda sales than its 429 SCJ Torino sales. The likely answer resided in a