1966-1967 Mercury Comet
Okay, you're going to need to sit down, take a few deep breaths, and steel yourselves. I have something shocking to say, and you're going to need every bit of fortitude you can muster just to cope with it. Are you ready?
Okay, here goes: Mercury used to make interesting cars.
Pardon me for blowing your mind. I know we've all become used to seeing a Mercury lineup stocked exclusively with somnolent, chrome-laden, and drearily redundant Ford clones. Mercury is most remarkable for its application of pretty cool names to vehicles that have no particular reason to exist. In an era in which way too many cars are named alphanumerically, Mercury actually bothers to give its cars evocative names. Milan, Mariner, Sable, Mountaineer--these are all great car names, but it's a shame that they are wasted on cars that bring nothing unique to the vehicular world.
This sad state of affairs has not always been thus. While Mercurys have almost always been derivatives of similar Ford models, Mercury used to have a performance reputation, established by powerful, good-looking cars that high-schoolers found desirable. The 1966-1967 Comet was one such car.
For 1966, the formerly compact Falcon-clone Comet was re-purposed as an intermediate--the Mercury equivalent to the Ford Fairlane. With the upgrade came some stylish new duds and a whole lot of muscle. I think the 1966 Comet is one of the prettiest domestic cars of the mid-1960s, with its vertically stacked headlights, trim dimensions, and elegant freshly-pressed angular lines. Under that pretty origami sheetmetal came the most powerful engines Ford had available in 1966--all the way up to the monster 335-horsepower 390 V-8.
Car and Driver had a comparison test between the hot muscle cars of the time, and the Comet and Fairlane were among the fastest. Of course, they were both extremely hairy to drive and, as it turned out, heavily and illegally modified to win the competition. When I first read that road test as a pimply-faced teenager (as opposed to the pimply-faced middle-aged man I am today), I immediately disregarded the impropriety and thought, "Cool!" When was the last time you found yourself thinking that about a Mercury?
When the conversation turns to 1960s muscle cars, I typically lean towards GM or Chrysler--but the Comet is one of my favorites and an all-time object of my lust. Add in the fact that the Comet line included a station wagon, and it's an obvious winner.
Like today's Mercurys, the Comet had a cool name working for it as well. Comet is a great name by itself, of course--it implies something flashy, fast, and completely inexorable. And, combined with the Meteor name, Mercury showed clear leadership of excellent space-related names (Plymouth Satellite notwithstanding). But consider for a moment that the Comet could be had with a Caliente trim package. Fantastic. I can't imagine any of today's automakers having the intestinal fortitude to give one of their cars a Caliente package.
Mercury would later blaspheme the Comet name by placing it on a rebadged Ford Maverick--a guilty pleasure of mine--but these Comets require no guilt and no irony. They're as brilliant as their stellar namesake.
The video below is a walkaround of a particularly nice 1966 Comet Cylclone. There's also a nice video available of the Comet Voyager four-door station wagon; while embedding is disabled, I can still link you to it here. That's a gorgeous wagon.
The top image comes courtesy of Flickr user osubuckialum; the second two come from Flickr user kenmojr, and the Caliente badge detail image was taken by Flickr user born1945.
--Chris H.
That Car Guy on December 31, 2008 at 12:31 PM
I really like these year(s) Fords/Mercurys. The doors have a nice "snap" when they close, they were about the right size for the time, and they just seemed tighter and better built than comparable GM cars, which had good features too. The dash lit a nice green, too.
Maybe the only negative thing I can say about these cars is that these Fords had a reputation for being cold-natured to start, but once warm, they were hot! I saw people put manual chokes on them just because of this. GM had a great automatic choke system, but Ford was behind. On the GMs, just floor the gas pedal, let off, wait a second, then turn the key. Varoom!
Mochi Mochi on January 01, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Comet Cyclone - gorgeous. Stationwagon - gorgeous. 289 V-8 SO SWEET.
I'm with TCG - the ford/mercs of this period were really nice. Possibly the height of ford design, imho. The lines were clean, the size was right, the engines were beautiful. We had a 66 ford wagon with a 289 it was a California car that ended up in Boston. There may have been some choke issues, but if there were they were reasonably fixable. It more or less worked the way TCG described, put the pedal the to floor once, then turn the key. It was not a sure starter and occasionally did flood, but it was not bad even on a cold new england morning. That said i do remember my parents would let it warm up at idle for a few minutes before driving anywhere. Our crazy neighbors had a somewhat later model merc wagon, they would go out on a cold morning and just rev that poor thing to death. I remember my father shaking his head and talking about how they were ruining that engine.
the following short "1966 Mercury Comet burnout" says it all about why these are such great cars.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wr-7SAex7c4&NR=1
you get a beautiful view of the tight lines, the sound, and the power.
Great way to start the new year Chris, thanks!
Happy new year all.
That Car Guy on January 01, 2009 at 06:02 PM
HAPPY DANG-DIDDLEY NEW YEAR to everybody, too!
Mochi Mochi on January 02, 2009 at 06:08 PM
I saw one of these merc comet's today! it was sitting in a stately pose at the side of the street clad in a beautifully oxidized red paint - hard to believe it was the original paint but who knows. it's a nice car - a very nice car.
stanczyk on February 10, 2009 at 09:11 AM
Cougar Eliminator - what a NAME ! , what a CAR !!!
where's Mercury now?
Ford coul use Mercury as Niche brand like Pontiac in GM now is considered...
and bring back some nice machines: Comet , Cyclone...or Marauder..
some could be retro-toys
modern muscle / personal luxury debate
ernwopr@wp.pl
stanczyk on February 10, 2009 at 11:57 AM
In design department I belive Ford's best achieement was
'70 G. Torino (and later Starsky 7 Hutch Torino :)
I find that mid-60-ties mercury /Fords fronts quite awkward (this thing suits 66 GTO , but Mercurys and Ford are not so prety faces for me
phillip thomas salem,or on May 11, 2009 at 03:29 PM
I have been blessed with one of these mild monsters. mine is a 67 mercury comet caliente, factory 390GT,C6,POSI.PS,PB and yes power seat.delay wiper. factory order gt hood,with now functional scopes.pearle wht/red interior.this car moves on down the highway.its on car domain, hubcap cafe and hotrod sight and now.popular hot rodding.THIS CAR IS NOT FOR SALE.
justin on June 10, 2009 at 03:27 PM
i need the back piece that says cyclone not the small emblem the big one p;ease e mail me at justinmarshall77@yahoo.com
A. McKnight on November 14, 2009 at 04:47 AM
The first car I bought for myself when I was a teenager in the early 80's car was a 1966 Mercury Comet Caliente 4 Door Sedan. It had a 200 CID 6 Cylinder and a "Three on the Tree" This was an awesome car and got fantastic gas milage for such a heavy car. I managed to "Semi" restore the car with what little funds that I managed to get my hands on. It was a great first car to have. I spent many a summer's night cruising the wheels off that thing. That car gave me some great memories!
Fifi on November 29, 2009 at 05:48 AM
Well I just interested in Comet cars since I watched One Tree Hill ...
But they're reallllllly awesome cars and I want one <3
bobby brown on January 02, 2010 at 08:13 PM
need a dip stick if any one has one for a big block ford cyclone call 423 -639-6994.......i have two 1966 cyclone
bill guthrie on January 23, 2010 at 07:09 PM
I am rotisorie doing a '67 caliente now and it is difficult to find parts for it so we have been fabricating sheet metal for it. Luckily, I have a friend that has the equipment and knowlede to do it right. These cars are some of the best that Mercury made and they ride great. It will be British Racing green on black.
tomm on June 24, 2010 at 08:32 AM
Those who don't think Mercury ever sold [they never made cars, Ford Assembly did] interesting cars are just too young.
nino rodriguez on September 24, 2011 at 11:09 PM
l have 1 1967 mercury comet 2 doors v8 is a 202 sadan sport for sale l m in califonia 626 316 0554 good $ ninobrownela@yahoo.com
Jocelyne Badr on November 16, 2011 at 11:42 AM
I too am fond of the Ford Comet. Looking to buy a 4-door 1966 model.
Jocelyne