I was taking my wife home when I took a side street I didn’t even know it existed. A narrow slit of pavement, on the edges of a middle-class neighborhood, not far from our home. Credit to Waze for helping me ‘discover’ new corners of our neighborhood in San Salvador. It was then that I saw it; the blunt square silhouette that screamed mid-’60s Ford product. But which one? As I got closer, I couldn’t place the model in my mind, which only meant one thing: It had to be a Mercury of some sort.
With heat waves being in the news recently, how convenient to come across a Comet Caliente; in hardtop version of all things. One of 29,000 built in ’65. Not that the Comet name was alien to me, but the 1st gen. and Maverick versions were the ones I clearly recalled. I had erased these mid-sixties ones from my mind, although a few Comet-related neurons got awakened once I researched the matter. It is part of the whole Mercury problem; unless you lived the period or happen to be a fan, aside from a few models, Fords are the first thing that pop to mind when coming across one.
Image from the Cohort.
Thanks to my Mother, I actually have some distant recollections of 1960s Dearborn products. Back in Puerto Rico, she owned a Comet (no idea what year) before I was born, and she only referred to it as ‘the car that developed an oil leak they could never fix.’ In any case, after a few months of dealing with the issue, she sold it away.
Besides the Comet anecdote, for reasons I can’t remember, Mom borrowed a white mid-’60s Fairlane or Galaxie during a brief stay of ours in San Juan. It’s one of the few memories of my childhood riding American cars, and I clearly remember moving freely in the front bench seat while the car idled away in San Juan’s notorious traffic jams. The fun one could have before seatbelts! (As long as no accident occurred).
Now, the lack of trim in my find didn’t help matters in identifying the model. Though the grille seems to say it’s indeed a Caliente. And what is it doing in Central America? I’m pretty sure it was sold here back in the day. While most local Fords came from the company’s European divisions, a small number of US-built models were also sold. This Caliente most likely being one of them.
So, I have a Caliente on my hands. After a quick search, I discover the 2-door hardtop hasn’t appeared at CC before. Even at the Cohort, ’64-’65 Caliente sightings are rare. Well, I would have preferred for this job to fall on a Mercury fan, or even a Ford one, but such is fate. So bear with me as I do a quick review of the Caliente, and hopefully, this package isn’t too hot for me to handle.
As it’s known, first there was the ’60-’63 Falcon-based Comet, the luxury compact originally meant for the Edsel division. As Edsel imploded, the Comet was dumped on Mercury dealers, and sold from ’60-’61 without any divisional badges. A ‘Comet.’ In ’62-’63 the model became an official Mercury, and now the division had its own entry to face the ongoing ‘compact wars;’ which was a kind of thing with the Big 3 at the time.
A new Comet was released for ’64. Probably reflecting Ford’s need for production streamlining, the 2-gen. Comet arrived looking more Falcon-based than ever; though sporting a nifty Continental-inspired grille. Like all of Detroit’s models then, the Comet began to branch out into a whole family of options, bodies, and trim packages. The base one being the 202 Series, followed by the 404 Series.
With performance becoming a marketable thing in the early ’60s, it was now time for Ford Mercury to release hot Comets. And so the Caliente came to be in ’64. Now, how many Americans knew how to say Kah-leean-teh back then? I guess Ford’s Mercury’s marketing team had watched The Three Caballeros too many times. Or played too many Xavier Cugat records.
In any case, as the 1965 brochure states, the Hot-One, or Caliente, was an ‘action poised beauty … with winning performance.’ Standard equipment included the 120HP Fairlane 6, or the 200HP Cyclone 289, with a 3-speed manual. If you wanted your Caliente even hotter (I won’t stop with these), the 225HP Cyclone Super 289 was the ticket, with a 4-speed manual, or a Merc-O-Matic automatic.
Being a Mercury, the Caliente had to offer a gamut of luxury options. Walnut-toned insets in the instrument panel, deep carpeting, A/C, courtesy lights, power steering, power brakes, tachometer, and remote-control side view mirror; among others. The Caliente could also be had in various body styles: 4 and 2-door sedans, 2-door Hardtop, and convertible.
Of course, in the Comet performance arena, the Cyclone was the top model; with the Cyclone Super 289 delivering 225HP. But that’s a whole different story.
Let’s move up close now, time to face the matter of the Caliente’s styling. Or lack thereof. Where you stand on this issue most likely depends on whether one supports ‘Team GM’ or ‘Team Ford.’ Of course, the Caliente’s Falcon origins have much to do with the model’s austere styling; a bit of a MacNamara and Ford engineering legacy. As the Falcon showed, both preferred rather plain and somewhat industrial-looking designs for the practically minded.
Practical and honest, two qualities that I’ve forever associated with Ford thanks to one of my closest friends; a Wyoming native, and a lifelong member of ‘Team Ford.’ Whenever the topic of vintage GM and Ford products came up, I always sensed that he found GM products a bit too flashy. To drive a Buick or a Pontiac was to call for undue attention, and the discrete service of Fords was more appealing to him. His view of the world was a novel concept to me.
True that. Against a Pontiac or Buick, a Caliente’s lines had to come off as somewhat outdated; even if in ’65 it was sporting the stacked-headlight motif that Pontiac had made popular. Then again, the early ’60s were filled with interesting performers wrapped in unassuming shapes; think Dodge Dart Sport, or Rambler 440 (among others).
Regardless of its current derelict state, our Caliente looks like a car that could easily be put back on the streets. I admit, its lines may have been rather drab against GM’s then-competition, but that’s all in the past now. Besides, the Caliente’s performance possibilities make it an unusual and interesting proposal.
The hardtop styling is certainly very Ford (Mercury?) of the period. It’s a roof shape that had first appeared in Ford’s full-sizers in ’63, spreading to the Caliente in ’64. And about its effect, let’s just say that in the Caliente, it makes for… not the most rousing of shapes. Still, it’s certainly distinctive.
The Comet would be extensively revised for ’66, moving up to intermediate, and sporting coke-bottle flanks. The time for the industrial-looking Dearborn products was about to reach its end. Meanwhile, Ford would keep making Mercury ever more redundant by adding more upscale Ford models; the Falcon Futura, the LTD, and so on.
So, it was time to say goodbye to my Caliente find. On my drive back home, I remembered a call I had last year with my Wyoming friend. The topic of Mercury had come up.
- There are no Mercurys anymore… isn’t that odd? – I said.
- Yeah… they had some nice models… from time to time.
True words. I leave it up to you to decide if the Caliente makes it into that list.
Further reading:
Curbside Classic: Mercury Comet 202 – To The Moon And Back
CC Capsule: 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente – Hot, But Not Exactly In The Best Way
I was enamoured of GM as a boy in the 60’s. I was aware of Ford mainly because of the Mustang, for which I gladly crossed the line. Mercury? Vaguely aware of them of them; other than that they made no impression whatsoever.
Apologies for the duplicate “of them.” No coffee yet.
Interesting car, great photos and history. It would be great to know where the pics were taken.
Good point. I didn’t say it clearly, it’s located in El Salvador’s capital city; San Salvador.
I remember these from my childhood, but never had any idea what “Caliente” meant until years later. To me (and I suspect many Americans) it was just one of those nonsense names that were found on so many cars back then. Like “Polara” and “Invicta”.
There were really very few Americans (certainly those of us not near Texas or California) who had much exposure to the Spanish language back then. I think that Cuban Desi Arnaz (Ricky Ricardo from I Love Lucy) and the Warner Bros. cartoon character Speedy Gonzalez may have been about it for most of us.
Actually, Speedy’s ‘Arriba Arriba’ could have been a better name for the car. Or not. But most would know how to say it, at least.
Funny… I do remember commercials for this car on the radio. “El Comet Caliente!”
I admit to being in that camp as well. In fact it wasn’t until 2016, when I wrote a CC on an Olds Toronado Caliente, that I realized Caliente actually had a meaning.
I like these Mercurys a lot for their clean styling (being generally a fan of Ford’s 1960s styling helps in this regard), and I recall seeing one at a car show a few years ago – of course now I can’t find the pictures I took of it.
Found a picture of it eventually – it was a ’64 Caliente:
I was just glad for Rich’s ‘pronunciaton lesson’ – I’ve been saying it wrong in my head all these years.
Amazing find. These are nondescript to the point of being anonymous – not caliente at all.
The usual comment “I don’t remember the last time I saw one of these” doesn’t seem to fit here – for all I know, I may have seen one at a recent car show and just walked past it thinking it was a Fairlane.
Did you mean a Falcon?
yes agree !00% my brother had a 65 fairlane the dash very mutch the same his was 2dr pilar had the 289 with 3 on the tree u could actualy put 6 adaluts in it was big step up from the falcon line up
I remember a 65 teal metallic Caliente coupe owned by a neighbor. I have the car clearly in my mind, it was a V8 with an automatic, and to my ears used to the 230 CID of my Dads 1968 Chevy II the Caliente was as silent as could be. Not that the Chevy was noisy, but the Caliente was excellent. He kept the car to about 1980, when it was traded for a Mazda 626. Of course, I remember his cars, not his name nor what did he do.
That “67 Ford sdn” is a much shinier,prettier, edition of the one we got in “1976ish”.
The “64” model is nicer looking then the “65”. (in my eyes)
Agreed. It’s that front fender at fault – it looks like it’s from a different car. I know it isn’t. The curse of change for the sake of change. Lincolns had beautiful simple elegant contours, while Mercury had this.
Nice find!
The ’64-’65 Comets are really just Falcon body middle sections with different fenders and hood in front and an extended rear wheelbase and body. But the whole middle section is identical to the Falcon, right down to the scallops on the doors; they interchange perfectly.
This explains why the greenhouse looks so small on these in profile; it was designed for the shorter Falcon; on the longer Comet, it looks microcephalic.
The Cyclone was also available with the hi-po 271 hp 289, not as a standard production option but something comparable to a Chevy COPO order.
And of course there were a few factory SOHC 427 Cyclones for drag racing, in the F/X class, IIRC. They got a lot of press, and did quite a bit to boost the image of the Comet Cyclone and Caliente. That did make it a genuinely hot car for a few years.
I always liked the look of the Comet a lot better than the Falcon. If I were buying a new car in 1965 I’d probably consider a Comet with a 289. The torque of the V-8 would move a light car like this very smartly. The problem was like the rest of the industry: stopping! Disc brakes were still a few years away.
Two of my favorite cars of the mid-sixties coincidentally look quite similar: the 1965 Comet Cyclone and GTO. It’s probably mostly due to the stacked, forward cant headlights and grille but, whatever the reason, I like them both.
I was a GM fanboy growing up, but I do remember the 1964-65 Comet Caliente. When I entered the 7th grade, our music teacher had a silver 1964 example. I also recall the “100,000 miles at 100 mile per hour” commercials featuring these Comets on endurance runs around a race track.
I like these, my favourite of the early Falcon based cars, the 65 has enough hard edges to minimise the soft looking Falcon bits of which I’m not a fan. I like the short roof look as well.
The 4 stud wheels would indicate a 6 cylinder in this one I would guess.
These Hardtops are always in my ever changing top 10 favourite cars
I’ve been a Comet fan since my father bought his first car, a 62 Comet 4 door sedan.
As a kid I always liked the crisp styling of the 65 models particularly the 2 door models. Over the years it seems like more of the early models survived up here then those produced after 1963. Just my observation as I rarely seem to come across Comets at car shows from 64 on.
During my recent week stay in Ketchikan, Alaska, driving up and down the island’s 25 -30 miles of road, I passed a parked white ‘64 Comet 4 door. It didn’t move in that time. Unlike a few other true CC’s I’ve seen in coastal Alaska under their own power.
I was a Jr. In Highschool when Mom bought a new 1965 dark blue 4 door comet. 6 cylinder with bubble wrap on the bench seats.Hot in summer and loud and embarrassing at the drive in. 🌽Those seat covers were still there when I got back home from Nam. I remember on a trip to Fla, putting bottle rockets on the front fender top while in a traffic jam. That car leaned like a feather in the wind around corners .yuk.
My friend had a Caliente 2 Dr I’ll never forget. He popped up one day with it….it was a beautiful red gasser and the 289 he built didn’t just sound mean….it was fast! I remember him cruising the high school in it every morning n I don’t remember the year but it was a newer one it had the real skinny tail lights in thr back n I thought that was the ultimate cool. The car sitting so high straight front axle teardrop hood scoop fender headers Firestone indy 500 wide tires in back with American mags. And boy could that 4 speed light up those indys! Thar car was one of my most favorites the bodystyle so cool. I saw pictures recently of that exact bodystyle.of a pro Streeter n it was truly a masterpiece. And a sexy one at that!…