The 4-Engine Ford Mustang With More Than 2,000 HP: A Crazy Dragster From the U.S.

As is well known, drag racing holds a special place in American culture. Straight-line racing created its own unique culture, which sometimes produced genuine monsters. One example is this 2,000-hp Ford Mustang Mach IV.

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In the mid-1960s, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) organized a new racing class called Funny Cars for unconventional race cars. As the class developed, increasingly outrageous dragsters appeared, often attracting more attention than delivering impressive results. Nevertheless, it also produced genuine monsters, such as the Ford Mustang Mach IV.

The idea of building a multi-engine drag car first occurred to actor and racer Tommy Ivo, who was well known at the time. In 1961, he set a series of records with his twin-engine dragster and showed that multi-engine dragsters had a future. Eight years later, another ambitious racer, Gary Weckesser, was inspired by Ivo's achievements and decided to build a four-engine dragster.

Ford Mustang Mach IV

A major fan of Ford, Weckesser chose a first-generation Ford Mustang as the donor vehicle. He built a strong chassis from chromoly tubing and installed four 351-cubic-inch Windsor V8 engines. Combined, they produced more than 2,000 hp, allowing Weckesser to cover the quarter-mile in 8 seconds and reach 289 km/h at the finish.

The two front engines were mounted facing backward and synchronized with the rear engines using a special clutch that transferred torque to the original transmission. In addition, unlike most dragsters, the Mustang Mach IV had all-wheel drive, which explains the installation of huge slicks on the front axle.

Since the Mustang Mach IV was primarily a show car, Gary Weckesser did not hide the engines under a fiberglass body. Instead, he left them fully exposed and further dressed them up with chrome trim.

Sent to a Museum

From 1969 to 1974, Gary Weckesser successfully toured the show circuit until the oil crisis and personal circumstances forced him to put the Mach IV into storage. After years of storage, the Galpin Motors Collection purchased and restored the car. It is now housed at the company's museum in San Fernando, California.