This Montego didn't just launch a new name — by 1970 it had fully swallowed its own parent: Mercury dropped the venerable Comet name from its intermediate lineup entirely.
Median 108 hp across 251 similar cars
Lead trim: Montego 200 cu in six (1968) · up to 335 hp
Mercury Montego1968–1971
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Mercury Montego 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.
FactThis Montego didn't just launch a new name — by 1970 it had fully swallowed its own parent: Mercury dropped the venerable Comet name from its intermediate lineup entirely.
The Mercury Montego took its name from Montego Bay, Jamaica; its nameplate first appeared for 1967 in the Canadian market as part of the Mercury-derived Meteor line, and for 1968 it debuted across North America as the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Torino (itself phased in to replace the Ford Fairlane) for two generations. The first-generation Montego (1968–1971) replaced the Comet Capri and Comet Caliente under a single nameplate, while the high-performance Comet Cyclone became a stand-alone model line. It was initially offered as a two-door hardtop, two-door convertible, four-door sedan and five-door station wagon in three trims (Montego, Montego MX and Montego MX Brougham). The infobox lists 116.0 in wheelbase for sedans and 113.0 in for station wagons and a 76.0 in width; for 1970 the chassis gained an inch of wheelbase (for both sedans and wagons), the convertible was dropped and the Mercury intermediate range dropped the Comet name entirely. Engines were the 200 and 250 cu in inline-sixes and the 302, 351, 390, 428 and 429 cu in V8s: for 1969 the 200 cubic-inch six was replaced as standard by the 250, a 351 V8 was added as an option and a 428 Cobra Jet V8 was offered (for non-MX Brougham vehicles); for 1970 the V8 lineup dropped the 390 and 428 in favor of a 429 V8 (high-performance versions being reserved for Cyclones) and replaced the 351 with an all-new engine of the same displacement, and for 1971 the 429 was dropped, leaving the 351 Cleveland as the highest-performance V8. The page gives no horsepower ratings for the Montego.
Collectors Spotted in the Mercury Montego Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Mercury Montego yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
7 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montego 200 cu in six (1968) | 1968–1968 | 3.3 L Inline-6 | 115 hp | 190 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| Montego 250 cu in six (1969–1971) | 1969–1971 | 4.1 L Inline-6 | 155 hp | 240 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| Montego 302 cu in V8 | 1968–1971 | 4.9 L V8 | 220 hp | 300 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| Montego 351 cu in V8 | 1969–1971 | 5.8 L V8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Montego 390 cu in V8 | 1968–1969 | 6.4 L V8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Montego 428 Cobra Jet V8 | 1969–1969 | 7.0 L V8 | 335 hp | 440 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
| Montego 429 cu in V8 | 1970–1970 | 7.0 L V8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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
This Montego rode almost the same wheelbase as the full-size Grand Marquis but weighed nearly 500 pounds less — the new unibody D3 platform traded body-on-frame heft for mass savings.
The Montego GT only existed for two model years: Mercury's fastback answer to the Ford Gran Torino SportsRoof, built to replace the departed Cyclone.
In 1972 the Cyclone name dropped to a Montego option package for one year only — just 30 were built, making it one of the rarest Mercurys ever.
This Montego didn't just launch a new name — by 1970 it had fully swallowed its own parent: Mercury dropped the venerable Comet name from its intermediate lineup entirely.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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