1967 Mercury Comet

The Comet was introduced in March of 1960 by the Ford Motor Company as an up-scale companion to Ford's compact Falcon line. Introduced on St. Patrick's Day, the new line was endowed with plenty of luck as this new concept in motorcars proved very successful. It was originally intended to rest within the Edsel line, but the demise of the ill-fated line meant it remained a stand-alone model until 1962 when it became a member of the Mercury family.

The Comet mirrored the Falcon line in many ways; in 1963 the Falcon received a hardtop and convertible body style, and the Comet followed with the same upgrades.

The small, compact size of the Comet produced a sporty persona that was reinforced when in 1964, Mercury fielded 21 specially built Comet hardtops in the NHRA's A/FX drag racing division. Powered by the 427 cubic-inch 'side-oiler' V8 engines, they competed head-to-head with Ford's Fairlane and Thunderbolts.

In 1966, the Comet was moved to the mid-size Fairlane platform. The 1967 Mercury Comet 202 Series continued to be based on the Ford Fairlane and wore very similar styling. The sides fenders featured a '202' nameplate and in the front was a horizontal grille with a vertical piece in the center. On either side were two stacked headlights. In the back were vertical taillights.

The base engine was a six-cylinder, overhead-valve unit displacing 200 cubic-inches and offering 120 horsepower. Body styles included a 2- and 4-door sedan. A total of 14,251 examples of the 2-door were produced while 10,281 were the 4-door sedans.

The Comet could be purchased with a wide variety of mechanical, convenience, and luxury options, including the Capri, Caliente, and Cyclone trim levels, along with body styles that included station wagons and convertibles. The Capri had mid-bodyside moldings that traversed nearly the entire length of the vehicle, and the 'Capri' nameplates could be found on the rear quarter panel. The interiors were done in vinyl and fabric or all-vinyl upholstery. Standard features included rear armrests and deep-loop carpeting. Body styles on the Capri included a two-door hardtop coupe priced at $2,460 and a four-door sedan selling for $2,440.

The Caliente brought a higher level of chrome usage and a nicer interior. Chrome ornamentation was used on the rocker panel, wheel openings, and fenders. There was a full-length upper-body pinstripe that helped distinguish the Caliente from the base 202 Series. Body styles included a 4-door sedan, hardtop coupe, and convertible.

The Caliente and Cyclone had similar appearances, but the Cyclone used less fender ornamentation and its grille had fewer horizontal pieces. In the back, the deck panel was blacked-out and the 'Cyclone' name was placed on it. The interior featured bucket seats and all-vinyl upholstery. Bodystyles included a hardtop coupe priced at $2,740 and a convertible selling for $3,000.

Station wagons were offered as Voyager or Villagers, both with four doors and seating for six occupants. The Voyager was priced slightly less than than the Villager at $2,600 compared to $2,840. The Villager had woodgrain side and tailgate panels and the interior were crinkle vinyl upholstery. The Voyager had a unique elongated U-shaped chrome piece located on the front fenders.

The base engine was an overhead valve six-cylinder, 200 cubic-inch unit fitted with a one-barrel carburetor delivering 120 horsepower at 4,400 RPM. The Cyclone came with a standard overhead-valve V8 displacing 289 CID and offering 200 horsepower. A 320 CID, two-barrel V8 with 270 horsepower, and a four-barrel 390 CID V8 with 320 horsepower were optional. A three-speed manual was standard with a four-speed manual and a Merc-O-Matic automatic optional.

by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2013