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.
Lead trim: Comet 250 cu in Thriftpower six (155 hp, 1969) · up to 335 hp
Mercury Comet1968–1969
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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.
FactBy 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.
In 1968 Mercury's mid-sized models again received new sheet metal and styling resembling the full-sized Mercurys, sharing their chassis and many parts with Ford's mid-sized Fairlane and Torino (116 in wheelbase, 113 in for the station wagon; 206.1 in long, 76 in wide, 53.5 in high). The base model was the Comet (Mercury dropped the 202 suffix), available only as a two-door coupe; the Capri was replaced by the Montego and the Caliente by the Montego MX, and the top-of-the-line mid-sized models kept the Cyclone and Cyclone GT names. A 302 cid V8 (two-barrel, 210 hp at 4600 rpm) replaced the previous 289 midway in the 1968 model year. For 1969, the last year the Comet name graced a mid-sized model, the grille was modified and the headlight surrounds removed; a 250 cid inline-six (single-barrel, 155 hp at 4000 rpm) replaced the 200 as standard, with options of a 302 V8 (four-barrel, 220 hp at 4400 rpm, standard on the Cyclone), a 351 V8 (four-barrel, 290 hp at 5200 rpm, standard on the Cyclone Spoiler) and a 428 V8 (four-barrel, 335 hp at 5200 rpm, standard on the Cyclone CJ), replacing the 390s. After 1969 the Comet name was suspended as the base of the intermediate line became the Montego.
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
5 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 250 cu in Thriftpower six (155 hp, 1969) | 1969–1969 | 4.1 L Inline-6 | 155 hp | 240 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Comet 302 cu in V8 four-barrel (220 hp, 1969) | 1969–1969 | 4.9 L V8 | 220 hp | 300 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Comet 302 cu in V8 two-barrel (210 hp, 1968) | 1968–1968 | 4.9 L V8 | 210 hp | 300 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Comet 351 cu in V8 four-barrel (290 hp, 1969) | 1969–1969 | 5.8 L V8 | 290 hp | 385 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Comet 428 cu in FE V8 four-barrel (335 hp, 1969) | 1969–1969 | 7.0 L V8 | 335 hp | 440 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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This DeVille/Fleetwood was the first production car anywhere to mount its V8 sideways, Cadillac's front-drive gamble on the new C-body.