How Mercury Cars Work

Mercury was conceived for the most part by Edsel Ford , who saw a place for it in the Ford Motor Company lineup some metre before his father Henry did . It arrived for 1939 in the same price league as the Pontiac Eight but somewhat below Oldsmobile – precisely where Edsel wanted it and Dearborn postulate it .

WhileMercurywould take many years to go up those GM makes in intensity , it was successful from the start . yield averaged about 80,000 per twelvemonth in the early ' 40s , skilful for 12th or 13th in the diligence , thus acquire important new business for Dearborn by filling the vast toll gap between Ford and the Lincoln Zephyr .

The original Mercury engine would remain in yield through 1948 . A 239 - cid liter - head V-8 , it was a slenderly larger interlingual rendition of the Ford " V-8/85 , " experience the same stroke but a larger bore . Brake horsepower was 95 through 1941 , then 100 .

Mercury quickly gained a reputation for execution appropriate to its name ( after the winged messenger god in Greek myth­ology ) . Well - tune descent good example were quick than V-8 Fords , and were commonly up to of rick close to 100 mph .

Mercury bowed on a 116 - inch wheelbase , four in longer than the ' 39 Ford ’s and sufficient to give its interchangeable styling a " more - important " flavour . A splasher with striptease - type instruments was also like Ford ’s , but Mercury ’s column - mounted gearshift was a talk full stop at the time . Styling for 1939 - 40 feature a crisply point " fore , " beautifully curved fenders , and round off physical structure lines .

Initial offerings comprised two- and four - door " beetleback " sedans , a notchback sedan coupe , and a convertible coupe span a cost range of $ 916-$1018 . A $ 1212 convertible sedan chair was added for 1940 , that twelvemonth ’s heaviest and most - expensive Mercury . But four - door ragtops had waned in popularity , so this one was dropped for 1941 . Only about 1150 were build .

Models inflate to seven for ' 41 with a two / four - passenger coupe , business coupe , and wood - bodied station coaster wagon . Styling , again in the Ford mold , was chunky and less graceful despite a two - inch longer wheelbase ; with high , bulkier ­fenders ; a partition - bar grille ; and fender - top parking light .

Mercury essay hard for 1942 with a serious facelift , the aforementioned 100 - bhp engine , and a new extra - cost semi­automatic transmission called " Liquamatic . " The last try very troublesome , though , and was quickly canceled . America ’s accounting entry into World War II circumscribed model - class production to fewer than 23,000 units . Chrome was " in , " at least before the government diverted it to war use .

All ' 42 Mercs wore a broad , glittering two - section horizontal - bar grille , double chrome band on each cowcatcher , and a undimmed full - border molding at the beltline . Parking lights reposition inboard to flank a still - pointy hood . The worldwide effect was meddling than ' 41 , which had been fussy than 1940 . Like other ' 42s , the mostly chromeless , late - production " blackout " Mercurys are now prized by collectors .

Before state of war ’s end , Henry Ford II , Edsel ’s son and quondam Henry ’s grandson , repay from the Navy to guide Ford Motor Company . Edsel had died in 1943 of complications due to stomach cancer . Old Henry would experience until 1947 . HF II quickly resumed civilian production , and Mercury placed 10th in the 1946 industry race with about 86,600 units .

As Dearborn delay its first all - new postwar exemplar to 1949 , interim Mercurys were interchangeable to the ' 42 editions . The inboard parking lights and two - band fender moldings remained , but the hood was dull above a new vertical - streak grille carrying a bombastic " Mercury Eight " nameplate . Mechanicals were unaltered except the fact that Liquamatic did n’t return . Ford ’s borrowing of the 239 V-8 for 1946 was ­hardly to Mercury ’s advantage .

Mercury After World War II

Mercury ’s prewar batting order also carried over into 1946 with a individual exception : The business coupe was replace by the novel Sportsman convertible . Comparable to the like - named Ford model , Mercury ’s Sportsman was adorned with maple or yellow birch frame with mahogany inserts .

The wood was geomorphological , not merely cosmetic . This created a trouble at the back end , where standard fenders would n’t fit . Both Sportsmans thus used 1941 sedan saving buffer and Sir Henry Wood shaped to suit . The solid - wood frame was attractively mitred and finish with multiple pelage of varnish . But with only 205 sold , the Mercury Sportsman was drop after ' 46 . The likely grounds for the low sales was high price : $ 2209 , some $ 200 more than Ford ’s version , which did honest business organization and continued into 1948 .

Ford ’s most - crucial 1947 corporate growing was the organization of the Lincoln - Mercury Division . Henry II make up one’s mind that the two makes could be more competitive as an auto­no­mous operationa lathe various General Motors units . That yr ’s Mercurys used more of the in the altogether materials that had been scarce during wartime : mainly aluminum ( for pistons and hood ornament ) and chrome ( midland hardware and grille frame ) .

Belt molding now ended just forward of the cowling . Postwar puffiness boosted prices an average of $ 450 , lift the reach to $ 1450-$2200 . Production of the ' 47 models did n’t begin until February of that year , so Mercury ’s yield was about the same as its 1946 tally .

Except for sequential number and omission of the two - room access sedan , the ' 48s were unchanged . They were sell from November 1947 through mid - April 1948 , when the ' 49s appeared . As a result , model - year yield ended at only about 50,250 .

The ' 49 Mercurys bowed with flush - fender " invert bath " styling like that of the 1948 - 49 Packards and Hudsons . Mercury ’s young look stem from sporadic wartime work by Dearborn designers . Wheelbase was unchanged , but bodyshells were deal with a new standard Lincoln line instead of Ford , the result of a last - second change in postwar plan .

Styling was good : massive , yet clean and streamlined . The lattice looked something like the ' 48 affair , but was lower and wider . A single bright molding run full - length at midflank . As before , a unmarried serial publication offer up four body elan : coupe , four - door Sport Sedan ( with " suicide " rear - hinged back doors ) , convertible , and a new two - threshold wagon with less morphologic wood than the superseded four - door flair .

Like ' 49 Fords , Mercurys were treated to a new chassis with fully independent front suspension , free weight - saving Hotchkiss drive ( interchange torque - metro ) , and a live axle on parallel longitudinal leaf leap , ousting at last old Henry ’s care for single thwartwise leaf .

take up its magnate Pb over Ford , Mercury get a stroked V-8 with 255.4 Criminal Investigation Command , duple downdraft Holley carburettor and 110 bhp to become a literal 100 - mph performer for the first time . Also introduced was an automatic - overdrive option price at $ 97 , team up with a 4.27:1 rearward axle instead of the standard 3.90:1 .

The 1949 Mercury was an attractive buy with its Lincoln - like looking , gloomy prices ( $ 1979-$2716 ) , and a V-8 more - strong than Ford ’s ( necessary to offset some 100 extra pounds in curb weight ) . buyer answer by taking over 301,000 of the ' 49s – more than three sentence the mass of Mercury ’s former best year and good for sixth in the diligence , another all - meter gamey .

Despite few major modification , sales go on strong for the next two season : closely to 294,000 for 1950 and a disc - setting 310,000 - plus for ' 51 , when Mercury again take sixth . The 1950 models gained a hood - front chrome molding bearing the Mercury name ; the ' 51s unite this with a big semicircular crest and also sported more - outstanding grille bars , larger parking lights ( swept back to the front wheel wells ) , and longer rearward pilot with rounded corner and vertical trailing boundary .

Horsepower rose a nominal two for ' 51 , when a significant new choice arrived in Merc - O - Matic Drive . This was , of course , the unexampled three - speed in full automatic transmission evolve with the Warner Gear Division of Borg - Warner ( and also offered for ' 51 by Ford as Ford - oxygen - Matic ) .

1950, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954 Mercury Cars

Mercury add a twain of new models to its card for 1950 : a stripped price - leader coupe ( $ 1875 ) and the interesting Monterey .

The latter was a spiffy limited edition with upgraded interior and a top cover in canvas or vinyl . At around $ 2150 , it cost some $ 160 more than the standard coupe , but it was n’t the dearly-won 1950 - 51 Merc : The wagon was over $ 400 more . Monterey ’s purpose , as with the Ford Crestliner and Lincoln Lido / Capri of those year , was to stand in for the pillarless " hardtop - convertibles " being offered by GM and Chrysler rivals .

Bodyshells were again shared with Ford , though Mercury retain a three - in longer wheelbase , all of it ahead of the hood . Also apportion with Ford was tight , fair styling , though the resemblance with that yr ’s equally young Lincoln did n’t hurt . Higher compression boost the flathead V-8 to 125 bhp on unaltered displacement . The Korean warfare limited 1952 production throughout Detroit , so Mercury build up only 172,087 cars to finish eighth in the annual race .

Mercury bowed its first formal two - series line for 1953 : the Custom series offered a hardtop and two- and four - room access sedans , while the Monterey line listed a transformable , hardtop , beach wagon , or four - doorway sedan . Retained from ' 52 was a trendy fascia with big aircraft - type lever flank a large half - lunation standard of measurement clump .

Business picked up with the end of Korean war restrictions , and Mercury move nearly 305,000 cars , though it once again ran eighth . price vagabond from $ 2000 for the Custom two - threshold to intimately $ 2600 for the Monterey wagon .

A important engineering variety for 1954 was Mercury ’s first overhead - valve V-8 , a bigger translation of the new " Y - Block " design feature on that yr ’s Ford . Though little larger than Mercury ’s previous L - head at 256 cid , the ohv had modernistic short - stroke dimensions , a five - master - bearing crankshaft , and much more H.P. – 61 with the standard four - barrel carburettor . With a low 3.90 rearward axle and standard transmission , the V-8 made any ' 54 Merc quick off the blood . Equally note­worthy was a ball - joint front suspension , another development shared with Ford .

Styling improved for ' 54 via wraparound taillights and a clear but more - aggressive lattice with larger bullet guards . unite premature models was a fresh top - line hardtop , the Monterey Sun Valley ( a name that must have amused Californians ) , which is more illustrious now than it was then . An offset of Dearborn ’s experimentation with plastic - overstep cars ( as was Ford ’s similar ' 54 Skyliner ) , the Sun Valley was decent in hypothesis : the airiness of a convertible aggregate with closed in - car comfortableness and practicality .

In practice , though , it was something else . Though the Plexiglas front half - roof was tinted and a snap - in shade was provided for raging weather , customers complain the interior heated up like a sweat room . Sales were unimpressive : just 9761 of the ' 54s and a simple 1787 for the follow - up 1955 Montclair reading .

At about 260,000 unit in all , 1954 was n’t Mercury ’s groovy sales yr , but hope were high for ' 55 . With colorful newfangled styling on the canonic 1952 - 54 shell , Mercury ’s first wheelbase increase since 1941 – to 119 inches except on estate car , which remained at 118 – and a more - stiff V-8 , the ' 55s could n’t miss . They did n’t : Model - twelvemonth product was a record 329,000 - addition .

1955, 1956, 1957 Mercury Cars

top the ' 55 Mercury fleet was the unexampled Montclair line : four - room access sedan , hardtop , convertible , and Sun Valley . All wore a slim demarcation - color venire outlined in bright metal beneath the side window .

A whole tone below were the Monterey sedan chair , hardtop , and Big Dipper , keep abreast by the Custom serial with the same body styles plus a two - threshold saloon . vulgar to all were Mercury ’s first wrapped windshield , an evolutionary shape of the ' 54 grille , hooded headlamps , and center - catching airfoil ornamentation .

A Y - block V-8 swelled to 292 Criminal Investigation Command was offered in two forms : 188 bhp for Custom and Monterey and 198 bhp for Montclair . The higher output interpretation was also available as an option for lesser models with the optional Merc - atomic number 8 - Matic .

Four - door Phaeton hardtops arrived for 1956 ’s " Big M " line , which represented an ambitious expansion into more or less chartless territorial dominion . To stay competitive in the human face of rising prices , Mercury field a cut - pace grouping of Medalist two- and four - threshold hardtop and sedans at the bottom final stage of the medium­-price ladder .

But inflation made these " low - Leontyne Price " Mercs more expensive than 1955 Customs ( $ 2250-$2460 ) – and not that much cheaper than the considerably - trimmed ' 56 Customs ( $ 2350-$2800 ) . Dealers pushed hard with two - door sedan , but Medalist sale came to only 45,812 in all . Custom , Monterey , and Montclair all crush the price - loss leader by more than 2 - to-1 . With that , Medalist was duly dropped , only to resurface for ' 58 , when it interfered in a monetary value square bracket that should have been hold exclusively for the fresh Edsel .

Mercury ’s ' 56 styling was a good update of its ' 55 facial expression . All models keep open medallist wore jazzy Z - mold side moldings that delineated the dividing line color area with optional two - toning ( the arena below was mostly matched to the roof ) .

Monterey and Montclair bestow Phaeton hardtop sedan chair at mid - season , replacements for their downcast - ceiling pillared Sport Sedans held over from mid-1955 . Mercury also offered a 2nd convertible for the first sentence , a Custom . The Y - block was enlarged again , this time to 312 cid , good for 210 bhp that could be tuned to 235 ; the latter was standard for Monterey and Montclair .

Though 1956 was a " breather " for the industry as a whole , Mercury was an elision with some 328,000 cut-rate sale , somewhat off its ' 55 footstep . An supporting preindication was the premium Montclair , which proved almost as popular as it had in frantic ' 55 . The midplane Monterey was still the grownup breadwinner , though . The ' 57s were all - new , trumpeted as " a dramatic expression of dream car blueprint . " They were preview in 1956 by the XM - Turnpike Cruiser show car , which also had direct salesroom counterparts in newfangled top - assembly line Turnpike Cruiser two- and four - door hardtops .

The Turnpike Cruiser had glitz and gimmicks galore : " skylight dual curve windscreen , " drib - down reverse - pitch rear window , and dual air intakes over the A - posts housing small horizontal antennae . If that was n’t enough , there was optional " Seat - O - Matic , " which automatically power the front seat to one of 49 possible positions at the construction of two dials .

Mercury also join Chrysler in offer pushbutton automatic transmission controls , another " quad - age " Cruiser standard . get in late in the time of year was a Convertible Cruiser , honor Mercury ’s selection as the 1957 Indy 500 pace car , and supplied with replica raiment decalcomania . Yet for all their contraption – and likely because of them – the Cruisers flunk miserably . They were not just expensive – $ 3760-$3850 for the hardtops , $ 4100 for the ragtop – they were too far out , even for the dawning space age .

importantly , the ' 57s had their own bodyshells on a new 122 - inch - wheelbase physical body – the first time Mercurys were neither " elderly Fords " nor " third-year Lincolns . " Like that yr ’s all - new Ford , this was done partly to prepare for the ' 58 Edsel line that borrowed some from both makes .

Monterey and Montclair were bereft of post wagons , which were break off as a separate series with six mannikin . Offered , from the top , were a woody - wait Colony Park , a four - door nine - seater ; metallic element - sided two- and four - door Voyagers ; and three Commuters with the various seat and door combinations . All had pillarless - hardtop rooflines , the new passion in Big Three Wain .

Styling matched the " Big M ’s " more - expansive ' 57 attribute , looking square , grave , and contrived . Up front , a monolithic dual - oblong bumper nestled beneath a slim concave grille of vertical legal profession . headlight were quads where legal , regular duals otherwise . Long scallops , typically contrast - colour , carry the beltline from midbody through the upper rear fenders to huge Proto-Indo European - slice taillamps .

free weight was up , but so was horse­power . A 255 - bhp 312 was fresh standard except on Cruisers , which carried a 290 - bhp , 368 - cid Lincoln V-8 that was optional elsewhere .

The 1957 Mercurys did fairly well , but less so than the ' 56s . Volume strike down to about 286,000 and the make ’s production social status fell from seventh to 8th – not encouraging for an all - novel design in a fairly strong sales twelvemonth .

1958, 1959 Mercury Cars

A small facelift yield slightly quieter styling for 1958 Mercury models , but product dunk to 153,000 in a disastrous industry twelvemonth . The Convertible Cruiser was give up ( after only 1265 of the ' 57s ) and the two closed Cruisers became Montclair submodels . low prices failed to perk up up cut-rate sale ( barely 6400 between them ) . The cheap medallist turn back for a brief encore with two- and four - door sedan , but again try out unsatisfying : Only 18,732 were sold .

Topping the line was the new Park Lane series of two hardtops and a transformable ( also available as Montclairs and Montereys ) . These were ostensibly Cruiser replacements with less hoke and a gargantuan 360 - bhp 430 - Criminal Investigation Command V-8 share with that year ’s Lincolns .

A Modern auto­matic transmission squall Multi - Drive debut ( basically Ford Division ’s Cruise - group O - Matic ) , as did a 383 - cid V-8 – the same size as one of Chrysler ’s new ' 58 wedgehead engines but with more - oversquare dimensions . The 383 was stock for all ' 58 Mercs , save Medalists ( which came with a 235 - bhp 312 ) and Park Lane , and delivered 312 or 330 bhp depending on model . Although the bottom dropped out of the average - cost market in ' 58 , Mercury remained eighth despite building only 40 percentage of its 1957 book . But significantly , Rambler passed the Big M in sales and was tight gaining on Pontiac , Olds , and Buick . Mercury would join the rush to compacts and inter­mediates before long enough . In the meantime , it could only offer more of the same .

More the ' 59 Mercurys definitely had , with even bigger organic structure on a four - inch farsighted wheelbase . Styling was still square but more graven , mark by a Swedish mile - wide grill , huge bumpers at each goal , enormous windshields and rear windows , and a more sharply creased adaptation of the odd 1957 - 58 back - fender scallops . The Medalist and Turnpike Cruiser model were bury , and Montclair and police van each slimmed from six models to four .

Engines were detuned in a faint nod to a newly economy - witting public . The ' 59 slating listed a 210 - bhp 312 for Monterey , a 345 - bhp 430 for Park Lane , and 280- and 322 - bhp 383s for others . Despite the retrenchment , model - yr volume failed to top 150,000 units – scarce the hoped - for retrieval .

Looking back , Mercury sale stumble after 1956 at least in part because the fleet , good - search cars of early years were abandoned for shiny , begadgeted behemoth that could n’t desire to sell well in a down economic system . But the make would bring back to " hot car " in the ' sixty and , with them , achieve raw success .

Indeed , volume went up substantially for 1960 – to over 271,000 – though that was owed mainly to the raw compendious Comet . The four - series vainglorious - auto line ( which might have been Edsels had thing gone intimately there ) remained two - gross ton colossus with vast compound - curve windshield , but a openhanded cosmetic surgery bump off a picayune chrome while add together a kempt concave grill and more - discerning " gullwing " rearward pilot .

Model selection were mostly as before : Cruiser two- and four - room access hardtops in each serial , four - door Monterey / Montclair sedan , Monterey two - door sedan , Park Lane convertible and , still a distinct serial , four - doorway Commuter and wood - sided Colony Park hardtop paddy wagon .

The 1960s: More Mercury Models, Fewer Buyers

Mercury offered three V-8s for 1960 , all with lower compression for the sake of economy ( such as it was ) . The 312 was cut to 205 bhp for Monterey and Commuter , the 383 returned as a single 280 - bhp alternative , and a 310 - bhp Lincoln 430 was standard elsewhere . output rose slenderly to some 155,000 .

The " Big mebibyte " shrunk observably in both size and monetary value for 1961 . In fact , it was again a " deluxe Ford , " though on an column inch - longer , 120 - inch wheelbase . This was done in the interest of production economies as well as fuel saving , and the result automobile were indeed light , thriftier , and more maneuverable .

Of course , this also end four years of unequaled Mercury chassis and bodyshells , reflecting the prostration of Dearborn ’s wondrous mid-’50s " divisionalization " scheme , a thrust at a GM - fashion five - make bodily structure that had spawn freestanding Edsel , Continental , Lincoln , and Mercury Divisions . Dismal sales since ' 57 had interpret a separate Mercury platform unacceptably expensive , hence this issue to the make ’s original construct .

set out with the 1960 Comet , Mercury followed the grow industry trend of add models in new sizes , with name changes sometimes confusing buyers . The latter was perhaps symbolic of the make ’s mixed fortunes in the ' sixty .

Still , Comet and Monterey cross the entire decade . A fresh name was Meteor , long the brand of a Canadian - made Mercury derivative instrument , which appear on two quite different U.S. Mercurys .

The first arrived at the low end of the 1961 full - size line : two- and four - threshold sedans and hardtops in " 600 " and squeamish " 800 " trim , offer at vastly concentrate damage start out at $ 2535 . In effect , they fill the break left by Edsel ’s demise the previous year .

Monterey resumed as the premium Mercury , listing a four - door sedan and hardtop , a two - threshold hardtop , and a convertible . The separate Station Wagon series revert to formal pillared four - doors : six- and nine - passenger Commuters and Colony Parks .

Styling was even more conservative than in 1960 . The grille remained concave and Little Phoebe vestigial , but flank were rounded and ' 50s gimmicks were mere memories . Meteors comport a standard 223 - cid Ford six with 135 bhp ; the optional V-8 , include on Montereys , was a 175 - bhp 292 . Across - the - board options comprise a 220 - bhp 352 and new big - block 390s with 300 or 330 bhp .

Although Meteor actually outsold Monterey , sale were not spectacular . consequently , the cable was replaced for ' 62 by a " Monterey 6 , " and the name moved to Mercury ’s rendering of the new intermediate Ford Fairlane .

The Meteor ’s styling was fussy than the Fairlane ’s and model name were different , but bodies were shared . So were powertrains , including Ford ’s fine new low - block V-8 with 221 Criminal Investigation Command and 145 bhp or 260 cid and 164 bhp . Custom denoted the upmarket midsize Meteors , S-33 the sportier pail - seaters – a two - room access sedan chair for ' 62 , a hardtop coupe for ' 63 . Wagons – woody - look Country Cruiser and plain - sided Villagers ( a name transfer from the Edsel line ) – join hardtops as 1963 additions . For all that , this Meteor did n’t betray nigh as well as the Fairlane , and Mercury drop it for 1964 in favour of an extensively upgrade Comet .

Mercury Comet

Once project as an Edsel , the first Comet was basically Ford ’s enormously successful 1960 Falcon compact with square - up rooflines , a double - row concave grille , and an extended stern with canted pentad and ellipse taillamps . Wheelbase was 114 column inch on two- and four - door sedan ; wagons used Falcon ’s 109.5 - in duo .

Comet was n’t exciting , but it sell well : over 116,000 for the reduce debut time of year . sale set a record for ' 61 at 197,000 and were warm for ' 62 , which ache Mercury ’s novel Meteor manakin . In fact , one rationality Meteor did n’t sell well is that Comet was comparably sized yet more affordable . Mercury was thus wise to make Comet its only small machine after ' 63 . gross revenue jumped by 55,000 units for ' 64 and stay on high into ' 67 .

former Comets run less than $ 100 above comparable Falcons , yet were more elaborately trimmed . S-22 , a $ 2300 pail - seat two - door sedan , responded to the sporty - compact craze start in 1961 , when all Comets gained an optional 101 - bhp six . impost sedan and wagons and a swish Villager wagon with imitation Mrs. Henry Wood trim aided ' 62 sales .

The following year impart Custom and S-22 convertibles and Sportster hardtop coupes . A squarish cosmetic surgery arrived for 1964 , when S-22 was rename Caliente and any Comet could be ordered with the outstanding 260 - Criminal Investigation Command small - block . A midseason Caliente offshoot , the $ 2655 Cyclone hardtop , offered even higher perform­ance from a standard 210 - bhp 289 .

Comet receive its first major overhaul for 1966 , going from compact to liaise by shift to that class ’s new Fairlane program . This emphasize a basic selling assumption : Mercury emptor were wealthier than Ford ’s , and thus likely wanted a compact turgid than Falcon .

This 116 - inch - wheelbase platform continued on Comets through 1969 , but sales waned . By 1967 , the Comet parentage started with a pair of very canonical " 202 " sedans . The rest of that year ’s line comprised Capri ( borrowed from Lincoln to replace " 404 " ) , Caliente , Cyclone and Station Wagon .

All gave mode for 1968 to a three - serial publication Montego line on the same wheelbase . This offered a standard sedan and hardtop coupe ; MX sedan chair , hardtop coupe , translatable , and wagon ; and top - origin MX Brougham saloon and hardtop . The last was furnish with a high - quality textile interior and other luxuries . The Comet name was retained for one price - go two - door hardtop , then was temporarily postpone after 1969 .

Mercury leap into the midsize muscle - car marketplace with both foot and bring home the bacon several racing laurels . theoretical account - year 1966 convey a smooth Cyclone GT hardtop coupe and convertible power by Ford ’s 335 - bhp 390 and offered with a variety of utilitarian suspension upgrades . The ' 67 was even more thrilling with optional 427s delivering 410 - 425 bhp .

Similar street racers were available for ' 68 , though the 427 was detuned to 390 bhp . Besides Montego , that twelvemonth ’s midsize line included novel bag and GT Cyclone hardtop coupes with curvy new crushed - body contours and racy full - fastback rooflinesa laFord Mustang / Torino . There was also a one - twelvemonth - only GT notchback hardtop .

For 1969 , Mercury unleashed the Cyclone CJ with Ford ’s 428 - cid giving - pulley-block Cobra spurt locomotive . GTs and CJs had sinister grilles , special emblem , bodyside paint stripes , and singular rear - end styling . CJs carry a running hood soap when equipped with optional Ram - airwave induction .

Although Ford won the 1968 - 69 NASCAR championship , Cyclones turned in some of the most famous performances . A memorable highlight was Cale Yarborough ’s winnings in the ' 68 Daytona 500 at an mean speed of 143.25 miles per hour .

Full-Size Mercury Cars of the 1960s

For all its activity in concordat and intermediate , boastful cars remained Mercury ’s bread - and - butter in the ' 60s . one-year production average around 100,000 , though there were back - to - back record for 1965 - 66 – over 165,000 each twelvemonth .

Of all the big - Merc mannikin names , only Monterey lasted the total decade . The upper - echelon Montclair and Park Lane returned for 1964 - 68 , then vanish again , replaced by a full - range Marquis line .

With Meteor an average , the 1962 full - size fleet was reorganized around Monterey , Monterey Custom , and Station Wagon . The lone convertible shift to the Custom series . join Mercury ’s bucket - seat brigade at midyear were the S-55 hardtop coupe and convertible . Styling was fussy on all the big ' 62s , with tunneled taillights and a complex convex grillwork . All V-8s returned , as did the close " big six " as standard power for infrastructure Montereys and Commuter wagons .

A like raiment on the same 120 - in wheelbase turn back for 1963 , when a arduous reskin introduced " Breezeway Styling " for nonwagon unsympathetic model : setback - slant rearward windows that dropped down for ventilation as on the old Turnpike Cruiser ( and 1958 - 60 Continental Marks ) . Wagons were pared to a pair of Colony Parks . unite the S-55 subseries at midyear was a handsome " slantback " two - door like Ford ’s Galaxie Sports Hardtop . engine persist strictly V-8s : 390s with 250 - 330 bhp , a newfangled 406 - Criminal Investigation Command enlargement packing 385/405 bhp , and , as a late - time of year choice , a gamy - performance 427 with 410 bhp .

Tradition return for Silver Anniversary year 1964 in a quicken four - series line of Monterey , Montclair , Park Lane , and Commuter / Colony Park waggon . The first three listed Breeze­way two- and four - door hardtop and four - threshold sedans ( Monterey still included a pillared two - door ) , plus slantback " Marauder " hardtop coupes and sedans . A toothy convex grille supersede the concave ' 63 unit .

The late 390 V-8s proceed , but the 406s did n’t , give way to 427s with 410/425 ­optional bhp for all models relieve waggon . Big - in Marauders were awesome performing artist .

The record 1965 model year bring a larger full - size trunk with crisp , rectilinear lineage " in the Lincoln Continental tradition , " as well as a fresh " torsion box " frame ( tuned for each body to denigrate noise , vibration , and harshness ) . waggon now rode the 119 - inch Ford wheelbase ; other models were up to 123 .

Breezeways thinned to a trio of four - door sedans , all hardtops were now slantbacks , and the Marauder name was de - emphasized amid calls for greater automotive safety . V-8s now comprise a quartet of 390s with 250 - 330 bhp , plus a single 425 - bhp 427 . The canonical ' 65 look have a bun in the oven into 1966 with a new diecast " electric - small fry " grillwork and , for hardtop coupes , a " chimneysweep - style cap " with a concave backlight .

More - round bodysides immix well with sharp - edged fender for ' 67 . Sedans espouse established rooflines but still offer an optional drop curtain - down backlight . Hardtop coupes received " riotous " cap profile . Three new special - production line - topper go far : Marquis , a two - door hardtop with broad C - column and received vinyl group - roof natural covering , a similar Park Lane Brougham hardtop sedan , and a Park Lane Brougham Breeze­way four - door sedan . intermediate were waging Mercury ’s sporting - car wars , so the bucketful - seat S-55 ragtop and hardtop were in their final year – and just a Monterey option package now . Respec­tive output was minuscule : just 145 and 570 .

After a minor ' 68 facelift , the big Mercs were fully revised for 1969 . Wheelbases grow to 121 inches on wagons and 124 on other modeling ( except Marauder ) , sizes that would persist until their first downsizing for 1979 . Series regrouped around base Monterey , come to Monterey Custom , and a full Marquis line comprising Colony Park wagon , convertible , and base and Brougham sedan , hardtop coupe , and hardtop sedan .

Riding the shorter 121 - inch wheelbase was a new Marauder , a high - carrying out " tunnelback " hardtop that garner 14,666 sales . Offered in standard and snappy X-100 trim , it share Marquis ' hidden - headlamp front and the ventless side looking glass used by most other model . V-8s be the usual 390s and a raw 429 - cid gravid - block with 360 bhp , the latter being received for Marauder X-100 , optional elsewhere .

The 1970s were basically reruns pull through minor trim and equipment revision . Sporty big railroad car had mostly disappeared by now , and so would the Marauder after just 6043 sales that model year .

Mercury Cougar Origins

One of the most interesting and desirable ' 60s Mercurys was the Cougar . An upscale rendition of Ford ’s wildly successful Mustang ponycar conception , it premiered for 1967 as a two - room access hardtop in three basic permutations . convertible were added for 1969 .

Sriding a three - inch - longsighted wheelbase than Mustang – 111 in all – Cougar provide more luxury and stock power for about $ 200 extra ( prices started at $ 2851 ) . Where Mustang ’s base railway locomotive was a six , Cougar had a resilient 200 - bhp 289 - cid V-8 . The large 335 - bhp , 428 - Criminal Investigation Command CJ became an extra - cost option for 1969 - 70 .

The 1967 - 68 Cougars arguably looked advantageously with their crisply sew lines , hidden headlamps in an " electric - shaver " grille , and a coordinated back instrument panel with sequent twist signals , a gimmick take up from Ford Thunderbirds . duration and width increase on the ' 69s , which sported Buick - corresponding sweepspear bodyside form , ventless side field glass , less - distinctive " faces , " and full - width taillights . The ' seventy adopted a divided up vertical - bar lattice with a slightly bulged olfactory organ .

Early Cougars came in several build . The most sybaritic was the XR-7 , boasting a rich interior with leather idiom and full instrumentation in a simulated walnut dashboard . A GT choice deliver a firmer suspension for more - adequate to roadholding and a stock 320 - bhp 390 V-8 for extra go .

For 1968 number a GTE package with several unique appearance feature and a 390 - bhp 427 . The hottest ' 69 Cougar was the Eliminator hardtop , with 428 power and a received rearward - deck coddler . Convert­ibles see very low gross revenue : fewer than 10,000 total for 1969 and less than 4300 for 1970 .

Cougar never approach Mustang in popularity , though it was more solid and graceful , and just as roadable . Production was still more than respectable : 150,000 in the first year , about 114,000 in ' 68 , close to 100,000 in ' 69 , then about 72,000 in ' 70 . All are now gatherer ’s items .

Cougar was the crown tactile sensation to a X that saw Mercury move into sumptuousness railway car rivaling Lincoln even as it recaptured the performance aura it established in the former ' 40s and former ' 50s . But the undecomposed prison term of the ' 60s could n’t last .

As the ' 70s rolled along , Mercurys became more like equivalent Fords , while govern­ment mandatory and the vagary of fossil oil powerfulness - politics machinate to give public presentation on the twin altars of condom and fuel economy .

By 1980 , Mercury had once again resumed its original role as a plusher , pricy , and sometimes larger Ford . The only dispute were that the parallel model lines comprehend five or six unlike size socio-economic class or else of one or two , and that Mercury styling often refer more to Lincoln ’s than to Ford ’s .

Mercury Ponycars of the 1970s

The ponycar field was one area where Ford and L - M divisions parted company in the ' 70s . The Mercury Cougar began diverging from the sibling Ford Mustang as betimes as 1971 , when both models were redesign . The Mercury swelled by two inch in wheelbase instead of one ( to 113 in ) and looked substantially bulkier . Standard and XR-7 convertibles remained through the final stage of this coevals in 1973 , and have become minor collector ’s items , primarily by dint of dispirited yearly production : few than 2000 of each eccentric , except for the 3165 XR-7s in ' 73 .

Of naturally , this only reflected the disconnected drop in demand for all ponycars after 1970 , and it prompted Mercury to graph a young trend for Cougar . While Mustang became a low , lighter , Pinto - free-base sporty railcar for 1974 , Cougar mature into a kind of alternative Thunderbird , adopt the 114 - inch - wheelbase two - door platform of Mercury ’s midsize Montego models .

Oddly , the L - M studio apartment created the design chosen for the product Mustang II . But rather than field a badge - direct dead ringer of that automobile , the partition choose to go on with the German - built Ford Capri it had been selling successfully since 1970 – a " mini ponycar " like Mustang II , but better - establish and more roadable .

The Thunderbirdesque Cougar continued through 1976 as Mercury ’s marker in the midsize personal - sumptuosity segment dominate by the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix . The name was diluted for 1977 , when it replaced Montego as the sole intermediate line ( including a waggon ) , with the XR-7 label reserve for a unmarried top - ledge coupe .

Things were temporarily sorted out again for 1980 , when Cougar really was a Thunderbird , a counterpart to that class ’s raw downsized model on a special 108.4 - inch version of the " Fox " bodied platform .

In between , Ford again redesigned the Mustang , and this time Mercury wanted in . The result was a unexampled American - made Capri for 1979 . The lineal descendent of the genuine Cougar ponycar , it was well-nigh selfsame with that year ’s new - generation Mustang save pretty engaged styling on the Ford ’s three - doorway hatch coupe eubstance way , the only one useable .

Capri offer the same four engines as Mustang in theme and luxury Ghia ­models ( the latter honor the renowned Italian coachbuilder that Ford had purchased in 1970 ) . More enthusiastic types could set up a sporty RS bundle roughly like to the Mustang Cobra choice ( Mercury never called it " Rally Sport , " potential for fear of objection from Chevrolet ) .

One of the last cars of this epoch with a clearly Mercury character was the Cyclone , which bow out after 1971 . Offered that year with standard 351 and optional 429 - cid V-8s , this muscular midsize was impressively tight .

Swoopier sheetmetal set it clearly asunder from run - of - the - mill Montego linemates and Ford ’s comparable Torino GT and Cobra , particularly the protruding nozzle and " gunsight " grille that appeared with the midsize line ’s 1970 - 71 face lift . reflect the muscle - car food market ’s sad land of affair at the prison term , Cyclone sold poorly in its leave season , especially the suitable low - yield Spoiler hardtop ( just 353 of the ' 71s were built ) .

Mercury Badge Engineering

outdoors of ponycars , Mercury ’s new - manikin development history in the ' 70s was chiefly one of " badge engine room . " It began when the Comet name was revived for a restyled version of Ford ’s new - for-1970 heavyset Maverick , distinguished mainly by a Montego - mode nozzle . Announced for 1971 , this Comet soldiered on through ' 74 as the division ’s exclusive representative in a size and price sphere that take on urgent fresh grandness in the Wake Island of the 1973 - 74 Middle East oil embargo .

Help get in for 1975 in the contour of two Modern entries . One was the Comet ’s once - and - future replacement , the slightly larger Granada - based Monarch . The other was Mercury ’s belated , if inevitable , rendition of the subcompact Ford Pinto , bearing the cute name Bobcat and a pretentious minuscule stand - up grille . Ford replaced Maverick with the more - able Fairmont for 1978 , so Mercury draw a appear - like derived function , the Zephyr . If none of these moves was exactly original , they at least combined to bequeath Mercury much more militant in a grocery store that had been forever changed by an unprecedented combination of forces .

As with Buick and Oldsmobile , intermediate and full - sizing cars remain Mercury ’s mainstay through the ' 70s , and it was here that the changes were most dramatic – and most need . Mercury ’s midsize rival was a near duplication of the Ford Torino / LTD II , under the Montego name for 1972 - 76 , then , as noted , with the Cougar badge from 1977 through the last of this body - on - anatomy aim for 1979 . Like the Fords , there was little praiseworthy about these Mercurys , though they arguably looked nice .

Up in what was loosely called the " stock " socio-economic class sat the bighearted two - long ton Marquis and Monterey . Neither changed much through 1978 . exemplar names centered on Marquis exclusively after 1974 , and styling became increasingly more like that of the crowing Lincoln Continental , particularly up front .

These Mercs were mammoths , but serious 1 : quiet and true , powered by sanely potent V-8s ( 400s , 429s , and Lincoln 460s ) , and fully equipped ( if not always tasteful ) . Pillarless hardtop give way of life to pillared styling after 1974 .

Like Ford ’s LTD , the Marquis undergo the " big shrink " for ' 79 , lose 10 inches in wheelbase and about 700 pound sign in curb weight . The result would prove amazingly long - lived , though no one could see that at the sentence , least of all Ford Motor Company .

In retrospect , the ' seventy were not very good twelvemonth for Mercury . The make again abandoned performance , and not all the flaw lie with Washington and OPEC . A chronological succession of lowering , clumsier Cougars and confusingly named intermediate scarcely helped , while movement into the stocky and subcompact arenas were blunted by higher prices on cars that offered little more than the Fords they so obviously were . Meanwhile , Mercury ’s traditional big - car founding was rocked by the new ­economic order of a more energy - conscious world . Yet by 1980 , Mercury was turning the corner with cars like the exciting Capri , the virtual Zephyr , and reborn Cougar and Marquis .

Mercury resolutely dispatch that evasive action in the ' 80 , benefiting from the same astute management and timely product introductions that made Ford Motor Company the diligence ’s net loss leader by 1986 . Though no one Mercury line was among Detroit ’s top - selling nameplate , the make ’s entire production rose rapidly from 347,700 for 1980 to a ten high of nearly half a million U.S.-built cars for ' 84 – an telling recovery , though still far below record ' 79 ( 669,000 - plus ) . On the exemplary - year board , Mercury sat anywhere from sixth to 9th , as it had since the ' 50s , but make do fifth for 1983 , its best coating ever .

As before , the Mercury line paralleled Ford ’s except for somewhat higher Leontyne Price and different model / equipment mixes . Styling also remained similar through 1982 , but the following year see the paying back of a more - classifiable Mercury look .

Much sooner than GM , Dearborn had right conclude that too many ringer indulge the cut-rate sale broth . With the 1983 theoretical account , Mercurys again began standing more clearly apart from parent Fords – and GM competitor – to the ­undoubted ­benefit of sales .

Still , volume throughout the ' 80s remained much lower than Ford ’s model - for - model , and Mercury did n’t have the same rela­tive success with some of the same product . The Capri ponycar was one telling example . Like Mustang , it have almost one-year power increment and high performance , commencing with 1982 ’s " high - output " 157 - bhp 302 - Criminal Investigation Command V-8 . But then Mustang got a good-looking lift and a revive convertible , while Capri soldiered on for ' 83 with just a hatchback coupe and introductory ' 79 appearance except for a huge " bubbleback " rearward windowpane of dubious aesthetic merit .

It ’s almost as if L - M was ashamed of Capri , and it showed in half - hearted promotion that aggravated the want of overt change . Production thus steady wane , from nearly 80,000 for 1980 to only some 18,500 of the ' 85s ( compared with over 156,000 Mustangs ) . At that level , Capri was too costly to support , and it was banished after ' 86 .

The same fate expect another " bubbleback " Merc : the two - seat LN7 , introduced in former 1982 alongside the related Ford EXP . Both were sporty coupe descend from the front - private road Ford Escort / Mercury Lynx subcompacts , which had tally giving sale since replacing the sure-enough Pinto / Bobcat twin for 1981 .

Unfortunately , the coupe were anything but lovely , and no match for a number of Japanese competitors in carrying into action , refinement , or craftsmanship . Perhaps purchaser did n’t expect a two - seater in L - M saleroom , for the LN7 attracted a mediocre 40,000 customers before being retired after 1983 . A facelifted EXP then take on its bulbous backlight and proved moderately more popular .

Mercury Small Cars of the 1980s

Lynx was Mercury ’s entry in the increasingly tough small - car mart of the former 1980s , and it sold creditably , squeeze up over 100,000 unit in its first two seasons and about 85,000 a twelvemonth thereafter . Like its sibling the Ford Escort , it started life with a three - doorway hatchback door saloon and a neat five - door Dipper in trimming levels from sheer to fancy . These were bolster for 1982 by five - door sedans , a showy three - door RS , and a posh five - door LTS ( for Luxury Touring Sedan ) .

Through mid-‘85 , Lynx was power by the Escort ’s 1.6 - litre " CVH " four , also offered in H.O. and turbocharged guises . In mid-‘85 , both of the latter were deteriorate and a normal - melodic line 1.9 - cubic decimetre enlargement took over . A 2.0 - liter diesel four supplied by Mazda in Japan was also offered beginning with the ' 84s , though it attracted few purchaser as gas toll fell in an amend internal economic system . Appearance was clean up for " 19851/2 " with a smoother nose and flush headlamp in air with Dear­born ’s strong routine to aerodynamic styling . An even ­sportier three - doorway , called XR3 , bowed the following year .

But here , too , Ford planner would resolve that one clone was one too many , though a fall one dollar bill and lower offshore yield costs also figured in the decision to cast Lynx during 1987 . Taking over was the Mexican - built Tracer , a badge - engineer version of Mazda ’s likewise sized 323 . Yet despite generating less than half of Escort ’s book in most years , the Lynx can be judged a success , as it ring up crucial job for L - M ­dealers during some very hard times .

The same holds for Mercury ’s compacts and intermediate of this decade . For 1981 - 82 these contain the familiar ( and for the most part unaltered ) Zephyr credit line and a new upmarket Cougar sedan serial , both built on the proved derriere - movement vintage-‘78 " Fox " platform . weigh some 350 - 400 pounds less than the Monarchs they supercede , these Cougars were twins to Ford ’s redesigned ' 81 Granadas . Styling was similarly squared up and more formal than Zephyr ’s , appropriate for the higher prices . Though the inception of these model were obvious , there was evidently some conjuring trick leave in the Cougar name . Between them , Cougar and Zephyr netted well over 80,000 annual sales for 1981 - 82 , not bad considering the sorry state of the market .

Mercury did somewhat better by replacing the Fox - platform Cougars with a midsize Marquis for 1983 . This was yet ­another Fairmont / Zephyr pas seul , but its clean styling was a magnanimous improvement , even if it looked rather too much like the downsized 1983 LTD that took over for Granada at Ford . Still , the name link with a full - size Merc did n’t pain , and Marquis sale by 1984 amount some 108,000 , half again as much as the former Cougar serial .

To keep off confusion , the biggest Mercurys were renamed Grand Marquis after 1982 , one of their few important changes during the intact decade . Not that many changes were require . Roomy , tranquil , and comfortable , they remained traditional V-8 American family cabin cruiser whose sales take a hop strongly once the economy begin to recuperate and an oil glut pushed gas prices down to more - reasonable layer . Chrysler Corporation and the Buick , Olds , and Pontiac divisions of GM bestow a help hand by canceling most of their old rear - private road biggies by ' 85 , leaving the Grand Marquis all but alone in the medium - price full - size field .

Grand Marquis thus journeyed through the ' 80s with only the barest of updates . Two - door coupe were dropped after 1985 , the mainstay four - door sedan and waggon gained legato noses and tails for 1988 , and fuel injectant replace carburetor on the 302 - cid V-8 , but that was about it .

Once their original ' 79 tooling was amortize , the vainglorious Mercurys ( and Fords ) became the pet of corporate accountants and dealer alike , earning more net profit per unit than any other model in the line . Con­su­mers kept on purchasing despite the deficiency of modification . Grand Marquis sales totaled nearly 96,000 for ' 83 , over 148,000 for ' 84 , then 110,000 - 160,000 each yr all the way through 1989 . Obviously , the " Big M " still offer what a lot of folks wanted .

The Mercury Cougar in the 1980s

Cougar was Mercury ’s most - dramatic succeeder of the 1980s – not the 1970s - geological era saloon series but L - M ’s version of the Ford Thunderbird . Blocky and ornate , the downsized XR-7 of the seventies was little change through 1982 , and put a mammoth sales orchis , drop below 20,000 units .

But then get 1983 ’s handsome aerodynamic redesign , and volume more than tripled , reaching nearly 76,000 units . sales event rose by another 55,000 for 1984 , then hold above 100,000 through 1988 .

This Cougar had almost everything the late T - Bird did – which was plenty . Aiming for a more - conservative business , Mercury ease up it a near - vertical rearward roofline and offered a standard 232 - cid V-6 or optional 302 V-8 .

The essential Fox shape of 1980 - 82 was retain , but more fine tune up for a better ride / handle equilibrium , and interiors could be downright deluxe with just a modicum of options . No XR-7 model was offered at first , but it returned for 1984 as a counterpart to the Thunder­bird Turbo Coupe , with the same hyperaspirated 145 - cid four , befittingly squawk - up suspension , and standard five - speed manual transmission . The last was an point that ­hadn’t been seen on Cougars since the 1960s .

In all , it was a most pleasing parcel , made even more so by an interim rhytidectomy for 1987 , Cougar ’s 20th day of remembrance . This involved larger - look windows and a shapely nose bearing flush headlamps and a more - snappy grille .

At the same time , the XR-7 swapped its turbo four - cylinder for a newly fuel - injected 302 V-8 with 155 horses . For ' 88 total a hotter XR-7 with monochrome exterior and dual exhaust fumes for the V-8 , plus 20 more horsepower for the base V-6 ( now at 140 total ) .

But all this was simply a warm - up for the spectacular 1989 Cougar . Based on another all - fresh T - Bird , it come out low and wide-cut but no longer despite a 113 - inch wheelbase ( antecedently 104.2 ) . Styling was even more smoothly aero­dynamic , but a erect backlight and upright grille again lent ocular preeminence .

The new Cougar followed the 1989 Thunderbird in forsaking both a V-8 and the old turbo - four for a pair of fuel - injected 232 V-6s : a unremarkably aspirated 140 - bhp unit for the base LS model and a 210 - bhp supercharge version with intercooler for the high-­performance XR-7 – America ’s first supercharge six since the 1954 - 55 Kaiser Manhattan .

It was go up in a sophisticated Modern figure with all - independent suspension , varying - rate shock absorbers , and other technical features that made the newfangled Cougar a road machine worthy of comparison with premium European coupes .

No dubiousness about it : Cougar had been in full transformed in a satis­fying way of life . Sales remained satisfying too , though mass was down somewhat : to about 97,000 for 1989 , then to a more - troubling 81,500 . Higher prices were undoubtedly a cistron : nearly $ 16,000 for the 1990 LS , a bit over $ 20,000 for the XR-7 . Still , those Mary Leontyne Price tag looked sensible against the far soaring stickers of import sports - luxury coupes .

The Mercury Topaz and Mercury Sable

Mercury was well represented in the severely - fight back stocky and midsize struggle of the ' 80 , its several warrior being the Topaz and Sable .

Topaz , arriving for 1984 as the front - drive replacement for Zephyr , was a predictable kissin ' cousin of Ford ’s fresh Tempo and thus evolved in parallel with it . Included in developments through 10 ’s end were an available high - output signal 2.3 - liter four , clean two - doors , 1987 ’s raw all - rack - drive option , a radical - to - stern makeover for 1988 sedan , and an optional equipment driver - side airbag starting in 1986 ( one of the earliest domesticated cars to offer that feature ) .

Dearborn designers attempt to make Topaz look somewhat unlike from Tempo at each end and by edit the Tempo sedan ’s rearmost side window – not huge differentiation , but another little mansion that Mercurys were becoming individual once more .

A pleasant and capable covenant , though not state - of - the - art , Topaz follow Lynx in generate lower book than its Ford twin : 80,000 - 128,000 a class , about half of Tempo ’s sale . But again , that volume was helpful to L - M principal .

Sable , replacing the midsize Marquis , was far more helpful . Arriving with base Mary Leontyne Price in the $ 11,000-$13,000 chain , it immediately commanded almost 96,000 sales for debut ' 86 , then scoot up to over 121,000 for ' 87 and a resonant 130,000 - plus for 1989 .

Sable was Mercury ’s interlingual rendition of the acclaimed front - drive Ford Taurus , and thus apportion most of its wide praise basic design . There were exception , though . Where Taurus had three trim tier , Sable offer two : GS and upmarket LS . Mercury also settle it did n’t need Ford ’s small 2.5 - liter four after ' 86 – wise , as most Glen Gebhard vendee decide they did n’t need it either .

This left 3.0 - liter and , from 1988 , 3.8 - liter " Vulcan " V-6s . Both produced 140 bhp , but the 3.8 was the engine of pick for all - around drive due to its big displacement and commensurately greater torque ( 215 pound - feet vs. 160 ) . Sable also had more simulated wood on the hyphen and threshold ­panels .

But the substantial distinction was outside . Where the four - door Taurus sedan have on a " six - light " roof discussion , the Sable version had a rearward windowpane wrap to the full around to the rearward - doorway trailing edge for a sleek hidden - pillar force . Also , Sable ’s rearward wheel arches were straight - topped , versus rounded on Taurus .

Even more striking was Sable ’s unequaled front " light taproom , " a set of running light behind a wide central white lens that crystalize with the headlamps to make both the saloon and five - door wagons unmistakable at night . The net effect of these simple but canny difference was to give Sable an identity quite aside from that of Taurus . rarely in late time had a Mercury been more its " own car " – or more handsome .

Sable did n’t get anything like the gamey - carrying out ' 89 Taurus SHO , but this was a reasonable merchandising decision given Mercury ’s more luxury - oriented clientele . Those folks no doubt take account useful 1990 upgrades such as optional antilock brakes for sedan , a standard driver - side airbag for all Sables , a dash reworked to be more ergonomic , and new feature of speech like an optional compact - disc player and received tilt direction wheel .

With a stunning new Cougar to bear the execution banner , plus the update Topaz , evergreen Grand Marquis , and strong - selling Sable , Mercury could take justifiable pride during Golden Anniversary 1989 , when total domesticated volume ( debar " outsource " products like Tracer ) approached a boom 500,000 .

Despite episodic fault and some rocky periods in its first 50 old age . Mercury had produced some of America ’s comfortably - liked machine . Now , on the eve of its second half - century , it was doing so again .

But calendar - year domestic sales plunged to around 309,000 in 1991 , reflecting the onset of a mysterious fresh national recessional that would last a good three years .

The Mercury Villager and Mercury Capri

Despite falling gross sales , Mercury was able to claim 6th from Dodge in 1993 , then held the billet on steady jump bulk that reach nearly 387,000 units in 1994 . It was a quite believable performance considering that Mercury had only two products in this period not shared with Ford – and that only one was a actual achiever . These two products were the Mercury Villager and Mercury Capri .

The product in question was the Villager , arriving for 1993 as Mercury ’s first minivan . At first glance , it seemed just a belated copy of the Dodge Caravan / Plymouth Voyager that had been around for a X and still dominated minivan sales by a wide margin . Indeed , Villager espouse their wind by being a front - wheel - campaign purpose sized about midway between their stock and extended Grand models , tantalize a 112.2 - inch wheelbase and stretch out 189.9 inches overall .

But Villager had its attractions , starting with groovy , trim styling that was arguably more - fashionable than Chrysler ’s , plus standard ( instead of optional ) four - wheel antilock brakes . Mercury also avoided the sham of Leontyne Price - leader models with four - cylinder powerfulness and manual transmission , choose for GS and luxury LS editions with a 3.0 - litre 150 - bhp single - overhead - cam V-6 and four - speed overdrive automatic .

Villager ’s anatomy was more sophisticated , too , its forward-looking all - coil suspension get for even more carlike ride and treatment than Chrysler had . It even had a clever novelty in a slue three - post third - row workbench seat that could be move up on built - in flooring tracks to step in for the removable two - spot mediate bench ; it could also be slither halfway up to open up extra cargo space behind .

Trouble was , Villager was all but identical with Nissan ’s new Quest , built to the same designing that take over liberally from the Nipponese firm ’s Maxima saloon . The Mercury differed only in having an illuminated front " light bar " a la Sable , plus minor trim and equipment distinctions .

At least these Twin were built in the U.S. , grow under Ford auspice in Ohio . It was another joint speculation of the sort increasingly common in the industry , but Ford ’s influence here was confined to minor expanse like switchgear and interior material .

luckily for L - M , vendee were n’t at all rag by Villager ’s Asian origins , peculiarly with high - value base price of $ 16,500-$22,000 . In fact , thanks to a deliberate production bias in Mercury ’s favor , Villager outsell Quest by more than 2 - to-1 for debut ' 93 at nearly 109,000 .

While that was only about a quarter of combined Caravan / Voyager sales , it was hardly bad for such a Johnny - seminal fluid - lately . And , of line , it was all " plus " occupation for L - M monger .

For 1994 , Villager added a top - line Nautica poser with standard leather DoI , front and middle " chieftain ’s chair " bucket rear , and a bluish / cream color strategy inspired by Nautica sports­wear . Nissan was accorded more Quests that season , which partly explains why Villager intensity drop to just under 62,000 for the model twelvemonth .

Both versions added a stock ­driver - side airbag , but still miss a rider - side restraint like Chrysler ’s minivans . Production sank a piece further for 1995 , reflecting stiffer Mary Leontyne Price and mathematical product competition in this fast - moving market .

Mercury was n’t at all successful with its other unique product of this period , which was American only in the market place it target . This was an Australian - built two - ass convertible that appeared in mid-1990 as yet another Capri .

Like Tracer , it was based on the small 323 platform from Japanese affiliate Mazda , with the same proven front - effort mechanicals plus four - wheel - disc brakes , independent rearward suspension , driver - side airbag , and an optional liftoff hardtop . A 1.6 - cubic decimetre four deliver 100 bhp in the base model or 132 turbocharged pony in the uplevel XR2 .

Yet despite overt - air allure and affordable pricing in the $ 13,000-$15,000 range , this Capri just did n’t sell . Dumpy styling suffer as much as indifferent workmanship , and Mazda ’s own Miata offer a prettier , " more unquestionable " sports automobile with superior Japanese build lineament for not many more dollars .

With all this , Capri sales peaked at about 21,200 for calendar ' 91 , then plump to nowhere . Mercury yield up after 1994 , when it instituted a mild nip and tuck and stock passenger - side airbag . Perhaps the Capri name had been cursed .

1991, 1992, 1993 Mercurys

As ever , Mercurys of the early 1990s in general evolve like counterpart Fords . Thus , the subcompact car Tracer aped Escort with a full redesign for 1991 , while 1992 brought a Grand Marquis revamped like Crown Victoria and a Sable rework a la Taurus .

But Mercury did n’t adopt Ford in every way . The ' 91 Tracer , for example , offered no hatchback sedan , just a five - door police wagon and a four - door notchback .

The latter was a full yr out front of Escort ’s , though , and was the basis for a sporting model call LTS . Though it had twincam Mazda business leader like the Escort GT hatchback , the LTS brook asunder by wearing the front " clean bar " motif now used as a Mercury hallmark , though it ­didn’t illumine up on this low - monetary value railroad car . Base mannikin have this and other LTS appearance cue for 1993 , when Tracer follow Escort to " one - price " marketing : base models with air conditioning and reflexive infection selling at $ 11,665 .

Also like accompaniment , Tracer added a equipment driver - side airbag for ' 94 and optional ABS for the LTS . The follow yr convey a standard passenger airbag , plus a low - cost " Trio " trimness package that added a rear looter and admixture wheels to the base sedan . One thing Mercury could n’t seem to change was relative sales , and Tracer bulk stay on only a fraction of Escort ’s . Then again , with so many small cars to choose from , some buyers likely forgot that L - M dealers even had one .

Sable gross sales held generally steady , both in absolute turn and as a proportion of Taurus ' , but Mercury ’s midsize was quicker than Ford ’s to offer a rider - side airbag : first as an option with the ' 92 redesign , then monetary standard .

Though Sable still had no twin to the in high spirits - power Taurus SHO , Mercury did offer front bucket and console as new ' 93 extras for the ­uplevel LS saloon . These became received for the ' 94 version , which was unite late in the season by a sportier LTS variant with leather deep down and a " more Euro " reckon outdoors . Overall Sable production stay strong in this period of time , run 116,000 - 137,000 in all years make unnecessary recessive ' 91 , when sale dipped to just above 96,000 .

The full - size of it Grand Marquis indicate surprising sales strength with its ' 92 redesign , account for much of Mercury ’s increased overall book through mid - decade . In fact , the newly aerodynamic " Big M " outpolled its Ford sister in ' 92 exemplary - yr production by some 10,000 units with a comparatively awing 163,000 - plus . It then settled down to around 100,000 annual sales except for 1993 ( a bit over 90,000 ) .

Grand Marquis still eschewed any pretense of sport , but its ' 92 makeover was the same considered update harmonize Crown Victoria . highlight include Dearborn ’s new 4.6 - liter " modular " V-8 , stock all - magnetic disk pasture brake , available ABS , a good reworked rear - ride chassis , and a firm - ride Handling and Performance alternative with dual exhausts adding 20 bhp to the regular 190 .

Like Ford , Mercury now bail out of big wagons , but the GS and uplevel LS sedans were nicely tailor-make to stand more clearly apart from Crown Vics . difference of opinion include a modest wicket , a formal " four - short " roofline , and Sable - root on taillight discourse . Considering the conservative character of both the railway car and its clientele , the rejuven­ated Grand Marquis express a lot of sales lifetime in the early ' 90s .

1994, 1995 Mercurys

While some Mercury models were gain steam in the nineties , the same could not be said for Cougar , which lose interest value after 1990 – and a fortune of client .

In a means , this was probably inevitable . Like Thunderbird buyer , Cougar prospects were now principally those who care less about sporty carrying into action than fuck off the most luxury per buck .

Since there was no point in giving people something they did n’t want , Mercury swap engines for the uplevel ' 91 XR7 , yanking out the supercharged V-6 ( and its five - speed manual transmitting ) for a safe old 5.0 - liter/302 V-8 with 200 bhp ( and mandatory robotlike ) . At the same metre , the V-8 became a first - time option for the base LS , replacing its unblown ( and unchanged ) 3.8 V-6 . Both Cougars also tire a minor face lift involving the hood , headlamps , grille , and back panel .

painter change small for 1992 , a disappointing way for the exemplar to observe its twenty-fifth day of remembrance . So was the midseason birthday special based not on the XR7 but the everyday LS , with distinctions limited to just a monochrome exterior and fancy BBS - brand admixture wheels .

Model - year sales plunged by more than 13,000 to just over 49,000 , which was only about one-half of what Cougar had check with its 1989 redesign . Then again , Mercury was n’t pushing the car too firmly , and there were other , more - tempting coupes useable in Cougar ’s $ 16,000-$22,000 damage wall bracket . All the more surprising , then , that sale leaped to about 81,500 for 1993 despite only a unmarried , little - alter XR7 without so much as a number one wood - side airbag .

A square ' 94 freshening made the XR7 bet a bit dissimilar at each end without really improving it . But there were genuine improvements elsewhere : received dual airbags within a reworked fascia , new optional adhesive friction control ( with ABS require ) , and a switch in V-8 selection from pushrod 5.0 - liter to new unmarried - River Cam 4.6 " mod . "

Even with all this , the base Leontyne Price was hold to just $ 16,260 – which must have anger all those folks who ’d bought ' 93s . But fewer family bought ' 94s , model - year output easing to around 76,000 . few still prefer for the little­-changed ' 95s , which were pare down to just the XR7 .

By that point , Cougar again look like just another stray cat in the personal - luxury jungle , with nothing of substance to fend out in the competitive herd . It was sure a long way from the exciting luxury ponycar of the ' 60s .

Excitement was never a trait of Mercury ’s summary Topaz , and still was n’t when the line end after 1994 . The high point , such as it was , came with ' 92 , when all Topazes got a Sable - type " abstemious measure " human face and the sportsmanlike LTS sedan and XR5 coupe got the Sable ’s 3.0 - cubic decimeter 135 - bhp V-6 as stock ( optional elsewhere ) .

But the V-6 did n’t do that much for performance , and a lack of purchaser pursuit lastly killed off the useful all - rack - drive selection that class . Topaz was further diluted for ' 93 , down to just a two - door and four - room access gigabyte with " value " pricing but piffling standard equipment . Even a driver - side airbag be extra , and then only with the base four and optional automatonlike transmission ( the V-6 stay on available ) .

Like Ford ’s relate Tempo , this Mercury had fall to have more appeal for rental fleets than retail buyer , which might well explain why sales for 1990 - 93 were comparatively stiff at 80,000 - 100,000 a class . Like vanilla water ice cream , the Topaz was far from memorable , but offer enough to gratify many multitude .

The Mercury Mystique and Mercury Tracer

Mercury started the 1990s selling the Topaz as its compact car , but a much tastier succinct Mercury arrived for 1995 . yell Mystique , it was fundamentally that year ’s fresh Ford Contour with a slightly more - conservative look and somewhat higher prices .

The price stemmed from the cellular inclusion of several feature that were optional on the Ford . Thus , the $ 13,855 Mystique GS cost $ 545 more than the twin Contour GL , but gave buyers a full console , tachometer and power mirrors without asking . The uplevel LS boasted still nicer trim , a few more goodies and a starting Mary Leontyne Price of $ 15,230 .

To its citation , L - M Division did n’t mess around with the basic design originated for Ford ’s European Mondeo , so this front - driveway Merc had a genuine " summercater sedan " mystique . That was specially unfeigned for handle and roadholding , which place new standards for little domesticated four - door . Workmanship was also in a higher conference : miserly , solid and thorough .

Performance was rather meek with the humble 2.0 - liter 125 - bhp four - cylinder , but border on exhilarating with the optional , new 170 - bhp 2.5 - cubic decimetre " Duratec " twincam V-6 . The back seat was cramped enough for grown - ups to feel like sardius , but that was about the only serious ailment . Overall , Mystique was huge advance over the tepid Topaz .

Yet despite mostly positive other reviews , buyers just did n’t take to Mystique . Contour trade better , but also was n’t attracting as many vendee as its predecessor . Dearborn did what it could , reshape the front seatbacks and rear seat cushions to get ahead a precious in of aft legroom , touching up the exterior appearance , and retread the front suspension to more closely meet that of the European Mondeo .

But nothing seemed to help , and Contour / Mystique bow out after model - year 2000 . Hindsight suggest Mystique suffered more from its nameplate than from any inherent flaws , a factor that would increasingly bedevil Mercury in years to come .

The compact Tracer was reskinned for 1997 to go forth as a handsome , effective little machine , ­nicely fit and reasonably priced . Like sibling Ford Escorts , these four - doorway sedan and wagons appealed for competent route manners , a high standard of destination than many rivals , and a 110 - bhp single - Cam River inline - four that deliver decent performance , even with the optional four - upper automatonlike transmission .

But when Escort began phasing out for 2000 to make way for Focus , Tracer stepped aside to be replaced by … nothing . hydrargyrum sales had mostly been cut down of later , and Dearborn product wizard decide the first appearance - level Merc would n’t be missed .

Mercury ‘‘Cub’’ Cougar

The vintage-1989 Cougar was set off after 1997 sale of just over 35,000 , less than half the intensity of four years before . There was no surprise in this . emptor had been call on away from big coupes , and the basic Thunderbird - establish package looked quite dated after nine fashion model year .

Though the previous 5.0 - liter V-8 alternative was substitute for ' 94 by the mod 4.6 - liter " modernistic " unit , it was a decidedly mixed blessing that netted only 10 more Equus caballus and observably less low - final stage torsion . And whatever buyers still expected of the XR7 name , they were sure as shooting disappointed in the humble edition with its coarse pushrod V-6 date from the 1980s .

But while Ford went to working up a new T - Bird , Mercury had a raw Cougar at the quick , a model with no Blue Oval counterpart . It arrived for 1999 as a front - wheel - drive hatchback coupe based on the Contour / Mystique political platform .

Wearing the most adventurous Mercury styling in many year , this " lad " Cougar , the small-scale ever , opened to mixed limited review , but benefitted from fortuitous timing , as requirement for compact carrying into action coupes was on the rise . A relatively recollective wheelbase gave it a decent ride , and proficient suspension standardisation give it fine treatment .

Though Mystique ’s 125 - bhp 2.0 - l twincam - four engine was standard , the optional 170 - bhp Duratec V-6 proved far more pop , deliver excellent operation for only $ 500 extra . So equipped , the new little cat was a budget - pleasing match for most Japanese rival . Not everyone was tickle . Consumer Guide ® , for one , determine pile to criticize , though others react more favorably .

A Cougar S with a 195 - bhp V-6 was in the whole caboodle for 2000 , but never appear . There was no point . As often happens with voguish cars , Cougar sales peaked early – at nearly 57,000 for calendar ' 99 – then tailed off . The model was thus abolished after 2002 with no interim change of note save a minor ' 01 face lift .

Offered throughout the discharge was a desirable V-6 Sport , a package option through 2001 , and a freestanding poser for ' 02 . The V-6 Sport delivered such worthwhile upgrades as wide tires on 16 - inch wheel ( versus 15s ) , four - bike disk brakes ( made standard for all ' 02s ) , foglights , grippier bum , and a rear spoiler . Antilock brake , grip control and front side airbags were available , but only with V-6 . So , too , a few late - game cosmetic packages : C2 and Zn for 2001 , XR and 35th Anniversary for ' 02 .

The last twosome was interesting . The $ 950 XR alternative comprise 17 - in wheel , high - speed tyre , especial interior trim , and consistency add - ons attributed to seasoned Ford belt along specialist Jack Roush . The $ 1195 35th day of remembrance parcel also featured a specific rear coddler and dummy hood max , plus chrome wheels and firmer sport dangling . It was n’t much of a natal day present , but at least Cougar string up on long enough to label the juncture .

Mercury seemed to lose interest in the small Cougar presently after the press intromission ( for which it secured the services of belated - dark TV host and genial car hombre Jay Leno ) . That was perhaps perceivable given the early sales coast and secure new competition , especially the Honda - built Acura RSX .

But the independent reason this Cougar pass early was cancellation of the parent Contour / Mystique after 2000 , which rendered it a platform orphan with insufficient sales to cover manufacturing cost .

Mercury in the 2000s

The Mercury Villager minivan was a toast presently after a redesign for 1999 , its first major change since its ' 93 debut .

The makeover was extensive , contribute fresh looking at , 4.5 inches to overall length , 140 hammer , and a needed left - side behind sliding door as standard . A raw 170 - bhp V-6 helped offset the weighting amplification , but the revamped Villager was in reality heavier than the newer , somewhat longer Ford Windstar and the top - sell Chrysler minivans .

And while emptor were flocking to Modern features like power slide doors and front - prat side airbags , Villager did n’t have them and never would . The resultant role was an also - ran that was easy to turn a loss when Ford and Nissan determine to break up their minivan joint venture in late 2001 .

By that item , Mercury itself seemed to be resolve . Though the make ’s combined car and truck sales were a robust 438,000 in calendar ' 99 , the 2000 tally fall some 60,000 units , and the ' 01 figure was under 311,000 . Shocking world events and a microphone boom economy gone bust were partly to blame , but many analysts felt that Mercury had earnestly fall back focal point and would soon set down in the heavenly junkyard next to Plymouth ( canned after 2001 ) and Oldsmobile ( phased out after ' 04 ) .

Dearborn heatedly denied such talk and made several movement to certify its commitment to Mercury . First , Lincoln - Mercury sales agreement and marketing staff were strike to Southern California to soak up that area ’s celebrated creative sunshine .

Soon afterward , Mercury and Lincoln were rolled into the recently formed Premier Automotive Group , fall in the famed ranks of Aston Martin , Jaguar , Volvo , and Land Rover , all recent Dearborn acquisitions . In 2002 , Mercury got its own pattern headman for one of the few prison term in its history . And he cover to one Elena Ford , cousin of chairwoman and CEO William C. Ford , Jr. , newly installed as Mercury group coach .

Besides their Porto Rico value , these and other efforts aimed to define a strong new image for Mercury and develop winning products to go with it . But the delegacy was soon derailed by a mixed bag of problem that increasingly threatened Ford Motor Company ’s very existence .

Thus , by 2003 , Mercury was again " co - located " with Ford Division in Michigan – and back to selling just retrimmed Fords developed on very skimpy budget . Mercury was on the same perilous path that direct Plymouth to its demise , gradually losing unique products to become just a " bird feeder " communication channel for a more - profitable , high - status brand in the same showroom .

And even share products were sometimes award with a funny reluctance . Mercury ’s first summercater - public utility vehicle was a case in point . call Mountaineer , it made an early 1997 entry as a gussied - up four - door Ford Explorer whose basic design was then eight geezerhood onetime . Given the booming demand for Explorer and most other midsize SUVs , it ’s amazing Dearborn did n’t do the Mercury sooner .

Appropriate for its high terms , Mountaineer had nicer furnishings and more standard equipment , including a 215 - bhp 5.0 - liter/302 V-8 with four - speed machinelike transmission , both options for Explorer . Two yr afterward , the siblings take over a new theme powerteam comprising a 205 - bhp 4.0 - liter V-6 and a first - in - course five - speed automatic transmission .

A 2002 redesign improved both versions with stock antilock brakes , class - first independent rear suspension , and new choice include curtain side airbags and a 240 - bhp 4.6 - liter overhead - cam V-8 with five - swiftness automatic . Mountaineer at long last got real visual distinction ( mostly up front ) , plus standard three - row seating for seven ( optional on the Ford ) and available all - bicycle ride or else of threefold - range four - wheel movement . bid a bit later was an antiskid system with rollover sensing element , shared with Explorer .

But Mountaineer ’s differences were n’t that compelling , and sale oozed along at between 40,000 and 50,000 a year . While this was welcome " plus " business for L - M dealers , it was only a tenth of Explorer ’s volume and unimpressive in a market crazy for sport utility .

Mercury stomach shorter time lag for two other hoped - for sales - boosters . A surrogate minivan with the nostalgic Monterey name bowed for 2004 as a close copy of that yr ’s new Ford Freestar , which was largely the old Windstar update .

Sailing in the survey year was Mariner , an upscale take on Ford ’s four - twelvemonth - previous Escape compact SUV . L - M trader also cheered these additions , however belated , but Mariner sales were modest and Monterey did n’t break four figures in its first 12 months . Mean­while , entire Mercury sales sustain shriveling , reduced to fewer than 194,000 units by calendar ' 05 .

2000s Mercury Sable and Mercury Grand Marquis

The railcar side of Mercury ’s business was faltering in the 2000s along with the ease of the company , peculiarly after 2002 , when only the Sable and Grand Marquis were left to carry the load . Significantly , Sable grant its spot as Mercury ’s best - betray motorcar just one year after its 1996 redesign .

All the underskin particular were course the same as for that year ’s unexampled lozenge - determine , ellipse - bedight Ford Taurus , including a more sinewy base of operations V-6 and a more elegant optional V-6 , the new 200 - bhp twincam Duratec . Sable was again more cautiously style than its Ford counterpart , but evidently not enough for Mercury buyers . consequently , the Y2 K editions got an unscheduled early facelift to look more established , plus a more orthodox splasher .

But after that , Sable followed Taurus in making only detail change each year , thus fall further and further behind import - brand competitors that were refresh more often . Sales , which faithfully topped 100,000 in the previous 1990s , go down chop-chop after 2001 , thudding to below 43,000 in calendar 2004 . By that full stop , Mercury had a replacement ready , so Sable was unceremoniously dumped after an abbreviated 2005 run .

The Grand Marquis fell on hard times too , but entered the young century as the best selling Mercury , car or truck . It had become as indispensible to the make as babe Town Car had become to Lincoln . And that was the worry . Like Ford ’s Crown Victoria , which shared the vintage-1979 " Panther " program , the heavy L - M sedan were relics of a foregone epoch .

And though considered update helped them keep pace with change technology , they still appealed in the main to older tribe whose numbers were dwindling . The only reasons the Panthers were able to become so gray were that they remained profitable – introductory tooling had been pay for geezerhood ago – and as full - size V-8 car with rear - wheel ride they had no domestic contender between 1996 and 2005 .

Nevertheless , Grand Marquis embarrass Mercury in the same fashion Town Car befuddled Lincoln . Both were too vital to lose , yet the longer they stayed around , the more their " geezer " picture inhibited each make from forging a more youthful identity as a way back to prosperity . Neither brand had resolved this dilemma by 2005 , and there seemed little fourth dimension lead to do so .

The crisis was particularly frightening at Mercury , where Grand Marquis accounted for an increasing percentage of car sales between 2001 and ' 05 even as its own calendar - year sale volume plunge from over 198,000 to less than 65,000 in that period .

The 2003s got a amazingly all-encompassing underskin update imply a stiffer raw - intention frame , revised suspension geometry , and more - precise wring - and - flight feather steering to supervene upon the outmoded recirculating - ball setup .

Optional front side airbags come , joining the antilock brakes and traction control that had been stock for several years . And power went up again , with the baseborn V-8 now at 224 bhp , the dual - exhaust version at 239 . Otherwise , the Grand Marquis story through 2006 was one of yearly shuffles in trig , equipment , theoretical account figure and pricing .

The Mercury Marauder

Although the Mercury Grand Marquis had evolved , by the 2000s , into a car aimed increasingly at an aging clientele , there was one exception : a blistering - rod Grand Marquis resurrecting the Marauder name .

create to liven up Mercury ’s irksome image , it was expose as a concept at the 2001 Chicago Auto Show , but hit the streets as a 2003 mannikin to take advantage of that class ’s Grand Marquis chassis upgrades . Apart from its four - doorway format , the raw Marauder followed the classic ' sixty ­muscle - automobile formula of more power , tight hiatus , and a sporty buckets - and - console interior ( recently pioneered with an LSE package option ) .

Horses numbered 302 , courtesy of a 4.6 V-8 with a new four - valves - per - piston chamber head , plus a specific intake manifold paper devised by piano tuner Jack Roush . Also specify were standard limited - slip derived function , eye - catch three - column inch - diam twinned exhaust system tips , polished five - talk 18 - inch admixture wheels ( versus bloodline 16s ) , productive izzard - rated tyre ( 235/50 front , 245/55 rear ) , atomic number 47 - faced gauges ( including tach and console table - mount oil - pressure sensation and AMP dials ) , and a leather - pare cabin with " dot - intercellular substance " appliqués and metal - look accents or else of the usual Grand Marquis role player wood .

key was anything you liked so long as it was black , though dark blue and other coloring were prognosticate . Mercury charged just under $ 34,000 for the reborn Marauder , which await a bargain .

America had n’t envision such a cable car since the last of Chevy ’s rear - drive SS Impalas , yet the Marauder try out a very rugged sell . Mercury hop-skip to move 18,000 a class , but had to reset the finish to 12,000 after just 2910 sales agreement in the first six months .

There were several trouble . Only fifty - somethings still call back Mercury ’s " hot gondola " days , and even they must have call back the Marauder akin to a grandpa dressed for a biker prevention . bad , operation did n’t live up to the " unsound male child " theatrical role .

While almost every road test praised the motorcar ’s dynamic symmetricalness and mechanical discreetness , Car and Driver was disappointed by a 7.5 - second 0 - 60 mph fourth dimension and a so - what quarter - mile run of 15.5 irregular at 91 mph . " It is , in character , more ' disciplined sedan ' than ' delinquent hot rod , ' " C / D concluded .

Some industry looker were n’t so tactful . Consultant Jim Wangers of Pontiac GTO fame tell trade weekly Automotive News that " While in concept it ’s a beneficial theme , in implementation the car is sadly short of anything they have any rightfield to promote as a serious enthusiasts ' car . " Another psychoanalyst can the Marauder as " just a half - hearted attempt at nostalgia . They would have been much better off doing it the right way . "

Another embarrassment was the last thing Dearborn needed , so the Marauder struggled through model - yr ' 04 , then softly vanished after figure sales of under 8000 over some 24 calendar month .

A better thought might have been to produce the two - door Marauder convertible security presented as a concept in former 2002 . It looked practiced , and no one else had anything like it . But as was becoming all too conversant for Mercury , the accountants just could n’t get the number to add up . Too bad . Many observers agreed that Mercury could n’t plow itself around without some kind of " difference to sell . "