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 Dan Vaughan

202 Series Sedan
Chassis number: 7H01R544086

This 1967 Mercury Comet 202 Sedan is one of 22 R-Code Comet 202 examples built in 1967. It is one of 6 known to exist today. It is an original and unrestored example with less than 2,000 miles on the odometer.

The Ford 427 cubic-inch engine enjoyed early success on the nation's drag strips and this would continue through the mid-1960s as the faster Super Stock racers began their transformation into radical factory experimental machines. Sock and Super Stock remained ripe for the picking, and Ford in 1967 delivered a new wave of cars using the 427 Medium Riser V-8.

Mercury retained their reputation with their own R-Code Comets, employing the same 427/425 HP big block fitted with a high rise aluminum intake mounting dual Holley 4-barrels. There were 60 R-Code Comets built in 1967 and just 22 used the 2-door 2020 Sedan body.

This example was sold new to playboy sportsman Jack Reynolds, heir to the Reynolds Tobacco fortune and a dedicated Ford enthusiast. It has its original Onyx Black Super Diamond Lustre Enamel paint, Firestone Wide Oval Super Sport tires, painted steelies with hub caps, and a 4-speed. In the front are disc brakes. The car is also the only R-Code built with an AM/FM radio, an interesting feature considering there is no external antenna. Instead, it is mounted under the hood to keep it out of sight.

by Dan Vaughan

From 1960 through 1967 Mercury, a division of the Ford Motor Company, produced the Comet. In 1970 there was no Comet but production resumed a year later and continued until 1977. The Comet was initially built atop a Ford Falcon frame that was stretched and became Mercury's intermediate/compact entry vehicle. With a 114 inch wheelbase, many thought it would be considered an intermediate, but Mercury classified it as a compact. In comparison to the Ford Falcon, the Mercury had more lavish and upgraded interior trim details.

The Comet was intended to wear Edsel badging but when the brand was eliminated before the 1960 model year, Ford sold the Comet as a separate model through their Lincoln-Mercury dealers. The Comet continued to be its own model in 1961, the same year the S-22 model was introduced. The S-22 was two-door Comets with Moroccan vinyl bucket seats, stainless spoked steering wheel, and a center console. The carpet was upgraded, the wheel covers were stainless steel, and the rear quarter panels were given unique emblems. There were over 14,400 versions of the S-22 produced.

In 1962 the Comet officially became apart of the Mercury line. There were little aesthetic changes in 1962 but as the years progressed, there was more ornamentation and trim adorned on the exterior.

A convertible option was offered on the Comet in 1963, with 13,111 owners opting for the option. The Comet Cyclone with its V8 engine was also offered in 1963. The 260 cubic-inch engine and four-speed floor shift transmission gave the Comet the power many buyers were hoping for.

The 1964 Comets grew in size and became more square. Mercury introduced three new packages but with the same body style and drivetrains. The packages were the Comet Caliente, Comet 202, and Comet 404. The Cyclone continued to be the sportiest of the package offerings. The Caliente was also a sports car option. The 202 version was an economical version while the 404 filled the gap between the offerings.

The headlights became stacked and new finned taillights were added in 1965. A 289 cubic-inch V8 became available offering 225 horsepower. There were a few vehicles that came from the factory with a 289 V8 and over 270 horsepower, though this was technically not an option offered.

In 1966 the Comet was all new. It now shared a body and chassis with the Ford Fairlane making it a true intermediate with its 116-inch wheelbase. A GT option was offered for an additional $452 which included a 390 cubic-inch V8 with a four-barrel carburetor, dual exhausts, fiberglass hood with non-functional scoops, and was capable of producing 335 horsepower. Power was sent to the rear wheels courtesy of a four-speed manual or automatic transmission. The front brakes were discs and a special handling package was offered to help with the extra power. The GT's were distinguished by their extra striping and badging.

For 1967 sales began to drop considerably partly to due with the introduction of the Mercury Cougar. The name of the Comet was only used on the 202. This trend continued in 1968 and 1969 where the Comet name was used on the low-line models.

There was no 1970 Comet but a year later the Comet re-appeared. It was available only as a coupe or a sedan.

by Dan Vaughan

In the beginning, the Comet was designed as an Edsel model and not officially a Mercury until 1962. The Comet was based on a stretched Ford Falcon from 1960 to 1964.

Produced by the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company between 1960 and 1977, the Comet was classified as a compact or intermediate-sized car.

With a longer wheelbase and a better grade interior trim detail, the Comet was a much more updated version of the Falcon. The Comet had very distinct outer body panels.

During the mid-1960's, Comets were available with Ford's highest performance muscle car engines of the day. About 50 models were produced, Comet Cyclones that were ultra-high performance lightweight vehicles that were equipped with a racing two carburetor 427 engine.

Developed at the same time as the Falcon, the Comet received a new grille design before its March 1960 introduction.

In design, the Comet was much like the Ford Falcon, except the Falcon came with a split grille.

After the release of the vehicle, the split grille was reformed into a model more in character with the Edsel models. Though the canted elliptical taillights were used and carried the 'E' (Edsel) part number on them though the lenses differed in length and width.

The Comet was eclipsed by the new Mercury Montego before being relegated to low-line models.

by Jessican Donaldson