The Zephyr's waterfall grille and ribbed taillamps didn't stay exclusive for long — the same styling language spread across the Mercury lineup, turning up on the Lynx, Capri, Cougar and Marquis too.
Lead trim: Zephyr 200 cu in Thriftpower six (85 hp) · up to 139 hp
Mercury Zephyr1978–1983
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FactThe Zephyr's waterfall grille and ribbed taillamps didn't stay exclusive for long — the same styling language spread across the Mercury lineup, turning up on the Lynx, Capri, Cougar and Marquis too.
From the 1978 to 1983 model years the Mercury Zephyr served as the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Fairmont, replacing the Maverick-based Comet: the first models on Ford's rear-wheel drive Fox platform, replacing Falcon-based cars. The Zephyr shared the Fairmont's model range and infobox: offered as two- and four-door sedans, a five-door station wagon and the two-door "Zephyr Z-7" coupe, with 105.5 in wheelbase, 193.8 in length, 71.0 in width, 53.5 in height and 2,747–2,959 lb curb weight. It was externally distinguished by four headlights, with a waterfall-style grille, horizontally ribbed taillamps and non-functional front fender vents used across Mercury lines in the early 1980s; the Zephyr was slotted between the Bobcat (replaced for 1981 by the Lynx) and the Monarch (replaced for 1981 by the Cougar). Trims were standard, ES (a successor to the ESS trim of the Monarch) and Ghia, with the GS trim replacing both for 1981; the wagon offered a Villager option package with simulated woodgrain. Engines per the page's Fairmont powertrain table: the 2.3 L Lima four (88 hp at 4800 rpm and 118 lb-ft at 2800 rpm through 1981), a 1980-only 120 hp turbocharged version, the 200 cu in Thriftpower inline-six (85 hp for 1978–79 and 91 hp for 1980–83) and the Windsor V8 (302 cu in, 139 hp at 3600 rpm and 250 lb-ft at 1600 rpm for 1978–79, replaced by a 255 cu in V8 for 1980–81, whose rating the page gives as 119 hp in the table for 1980 and 115 hp in the text, so no rating is entered). For 1982 the 4.2-liter V8 option and the station wagon moved to the more upscale Cougar line; the Zephyr was replaced by the front-wheel-drive Mercury Topaz for 1984.
Collectors Spotted in the Mercury Zephyr Lineage
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Trims & Figures
6 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zephyr 2.3 L Lima four (88 hp) | 1978–1981 | 2.3 L Inline-4 | 88 hp | 118 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Zephyr 2.3 L turbo Lima four (120 hp, 1980) | 1980–1980 | 2.3 L Inline-4 | 120 hp | 145 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Zephyr 200 cu in Thriftpower six (85 hp) | 1978–1979 | 3.3 L Inline-6 | 85 hp | 154 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Zephyr 200 cu in Thriftpower six (91 hp) | 1980–1983 | 3.3 L Inline-6 | 91 hp | 160 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Zephyr 255 cu in Windsor V8 (1980–1981) | 1980–1981 | 4.2 L V8 | 119 hp | 194 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Zephyr 302 cu in Windsor V8 (139 hp) | 1978–1979 | 4.9 L V8 | 139 hp | 250 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
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Rivals
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