In 1966 a Comet Cyclone GT convertible paced the Indianapolis 500 — serious racing credibility for what had started out as a humble compact six years earlier.
Lead trim: Comet 390 cu in FE V8 two-barrel (265 hp, 1966) · up to 335 hp
Mercury Comet1966–1967
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Mercury Comet yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactIn 1966 a Comet Cyclone GT convertible paced the Indianapolis 500 — serious racing credibility for what had started out as a humble compact six years earlier.
Beginning in 1966 the Comet grew from a compact to a mid-sized car, now on the same chassis as the Ford Fairlane intermediate (the platform the previous-generation Comet shared with the Ford Mustang passed to the Mercury Cougar): 116.0 in wheelbase (113.0 in for wagons), 203 in long, 73.8 in wide and 54.3 in high. The 1966 Comet received distinct outer body panels; the Comet Capri replaced the 404 and the Comet Voyager four-door wagon replaced the 404 wagon, the 202 wagon was discontinued and the new top series was the Comet Cyclone GT; the wagon introduced a Dual-Action tailgate, able to fold down or swing aside. New engines for 1966 were the 390 cid V8 with a two-barrel carburetor (265 hp at 4400 rpm), a four-barrel version (275 hp) and a 335 hp 390 that was standard on the Cyclone GT and optional on other models (a GT with automatic transmission was the Cyclone GTA). Beginning with 1967 the Comet name was used only on the base Comet 202, available only as a two- or four-door sedan, with the other models known by their former subseries names (Capri, Caliente, Cyclone, Cyclone GT, and the steel-sided Voyager and wood-paneled Villager wagons). Engines on the infobox are the 200 Thriftpower Six, the 289 Challenger V8 and the 390 FE V8; the 1967 427 Comets are recorded as their own generation.
Collectors Spotted in the Mercury Comet Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Mercury Comet yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
3 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comet 390 cu in FE V8 four-barrel (275 hp, 1966) | 1966–1966 | 6.4 L V8 | 275 hp | 401 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Comet 390 cu in FE V8 two-barrel (265 hp, 1966) | 1966–1966 | 6.4 L V8 | 265 hp | 401 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Comet Cyclone GT 390 cu in FE V8 (335 hp, 1966) | 1966–1966 | 6.4 L V8 | 335 hp | 427 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
Mercury's 1971 Comet was really a dressed-up Maverick, and it didn't even get its own taillights — the pods were carried over straight from the 1970-71 Montego and Cyclone.
By 1968 the once-diverse Comet lineup had been stripped down to one body style only — a two-door coupe, sharing its chassis with the Ford Fairlane and Torino.
Only 60 1967 Comets ever got the 427 V8, and of those, just nine were W-code — with a single W-code Capri making it, by one account, the rarest Mercury ever built.
In 1966 a Comet Cyclone GT convertible paced the Indianapolis 500 — serious racing credibility for what had started out as a humble compact six years earlier.
Ford split its drag-strip muscle on purpose: the Comet Cyclone ran on wider tires in a different class than its Thunderbolt sibling, so neither car had to beat the other to dominate.
This Comet was almost an Edsel: it was conceived as one before that brand collapsed, and the first-year cars literally used Edsel parking lights and dashboard knobs left over in the parts bin.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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