Text by Patrick Bell.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Mercurys and have owned a few along the way. They weren’t exactly the most popular cars of the 1960s, although the Cougar was certainly a bright spot. The brand found a much stronger niche during the Brougham boom of the 1970s, when plush styling and personal luxury were all the rage. Today’s gallery has some good examples from both decades, so let’s take a look.
We begin with a cat sniffing out a bigger cat. That is a black and white cat sniffing at the rear wheel of a 1968 Cougar in blue with a black Oxford (vinyl) Roof. It also appeared to have upgraded seats, which meant it was equipped with the optional Decor Group that also included the Deluxe Wheel Covers. The body side molding was likely aftermarket.
The Cougar was introduced for the 1967 model year as what Mercury termed a “luxury sports car”. The XR-7 model really pushed the luxury side of it, and they also had the GT (1967) and GT-E (1968) models for those whose main objective was going fast.
Here was a close to new looking 1960 Montclair 2 door Hardtop Cruiser with fender skirts, a period California license plate, and a curb feeler on the fender.
The 1960 model year brought the Park Lane as the new top of the line series, which bumped the Montclair down a notch to mid level. That left the Monterey as the entry level. Standard power on the two upper series was a 430 cubic inch V8 with 310 horsepower.
Also new for 1960 was the compact Comet, though technically it was not a Mercury until 1962. Shown above was a 1960 Comet 2 door sedan, the entry level model.
It was touted as a roomier and more luxurious compact that had a 4.5″ longer wheelbase, and was over a foot (13.7″) longer in overall length than its platform mate, the Ford Falcon.
A 1962 Monterey 4 door sedan from California and its people were enjoying a scenic view on a cool, damp day.
Mercury changed direction with their full size line in 1961, and went for the low price market. For the first time a 6 cylinder was standard on the entry level series. Sales suffered, and the restyled 1963 models had a 390 ci V8 for the standard power plant.
And a 1961 Comet 2 door sedan with the optional back up lamps showing the minor trim updates for the new year.
The big news for 1961 was a much needed larger engine. For 1960 the only engine available was a 144.3 ci Thrift-Power 6 cylinder with 90 hp. An 85 hp version of that same engine was standard in 1961, and a 170 ci Thrift-Power 6 with 101 hp was optional.
A man and a cute youngster were posing along side a 1966 Monterey 4 door hardtop with a New York license plate that was used from 1966-1972.
The 1966 models were in their second year of a 2 year cycle that was introduced in 1965. Standard power was a 390 ci Marauder V8, with an optional 410 Marauder and a 428 Super Marauder available for you to choose from.
Three people in their Sunday best were standing next to a 1968 Montego 4 door sedan. It had the optional deluxe wheel covers, and a Colorado license plate that was issued in Denver.
The Comet grew into an intermediate sized car in the 1964 model year, and it was reskinned in 1966 and 1968, when the Montego name debuted. Comet was reduced to the base 2 door model, where it served as the least expensive Mercury for two years. It then took a break for a year, and came back in 1971 as a compact.
The leveling jacks were under the travel trailer, so that leads me to believe this was a chosen parking place for this 1967 Park Lane Brougham 4 door sedan. And then the rain came…
The 1967 full size line was reskinned, and the Marquis nameplate debuted as the top of the line that was only available as a 2 door hardtop. The above Park Lane Brougham was the top of the line 4 door, and the sedan model was equipped with Breezeway Ventilation, which was the retractable back window. It was redesigned with a rearward sloping roofline, as opposed to the previous reverse canted style.
A 1968 Monterey 2 door hardtop was parked by the blooming bushes showing off its new fastback style roofline that was used on all full size 2 door hardtops except the Marquis.
Otherwise the 1968 full size line was a carryover with some minor trim upgrades. No one seemed to notice the new fastback style, as they sold about the same as the 1967 models.
A new two year reskin cycle came about on the 1970 Montego line as seen on the MX Brougham 2 door hardtop above.
As you would guess, the MX Brougham was the top of the line series in the Montego line. They had concealed headlights as standard equipment, and this one had the optional vinyl roof, body side moldings, and deluxe wheel covers.
And a rare 1969 Montego MX Brougham 4 door sedan, with a 1968 Buick Riviera to the right. Both of them appeared to have California license plates.
The MX Brougham series was new for 1969, but it did not catch on as only 1590 of these sedans were produced. The 2 door hardtop was more rare, with only 1226 units for the year. The one shown had the optional 351 ci V8, vinyl roof, and aftermarket wheels.
On to 1974 where the Cougar grew up to be a personal luxury coupe, and was offered in only one model, the Cougar XR-7. This one could have been a 1974-1976 model, as there was no exterior change that I am aware of.
Standard equipment included a 351 ci V8, Select-Shift automatic transmission, power steering and disc brakes, landau vinyl roof, and opera windows. Optional engines went up to a 460 V8.
A 1973 Marquis Brougham 4 door Pillared Hardtop from New Jersey was parked with a levee in the background where people were walking by. The second image is a rear view of the car, with it parked in a slightly different location where you can see a tall “Golf” sign in the right background. According to the license number (MD-V 13), the owner was a doctor.
The Marquis Brougham was the premiere Mercury that year and was a very popular model. A full array of luxury equipment was standard, along with a 429 ci V8 to move it around. If that wasn’t enough you could select the optional 460 V8.
We close today with a 1979 Cougar XR-7 from Illinois. It appeared like it had the Decor Group, which included the Racing Mirrors, body side molding, and Styled Road Wheels. To the left was a 1978 Ford Pinto Cruising Wagon.
For the 1977 model year the Cougar absorbed the Montego line and became a full series with sedans and wagons. The XR-7 remained as the top of the line personal luxury coupe, and was the most popular model by far. This style was used through 1979.
Thanks for joining us and have a great day!
I like the XR7 .
-Nate
Very nice overview! Too bad you started in 1960, just missing one of my favorite Mercurys, the 59 Park Lane, but there are some very nice cars here, late 1960’s Cougar above all, and some very competent Broughams for those who appreciate them
I was always jealous of someone with a Mercury. They weren’t always more attractive than a Ford, but they always more exclusive than a Ford. The PLC 1970s decade was a success for Mercury, (Farrah Fawcett sold lots of them!), but as that faded throughout the next decade, the brand just couldn’t find a new direction.
My family had a Sable, which was a very good looking car. Later, I worked for an International rental car company which specialized with Mercury and Lincoln, so I got my Mercury fix eventually. I drove hundreds throughout the US during those years and really liked them. Of course, they were always new, so that has to be said.
I always enjoyed the exclusivity of a Mercury over a Ford, even when few could notice any difference between them.
I love that unique 60 model more every time I see one, and the color/body style of this one looks great!
I also love the 68 2 door fastback.
Same here, love the 60 Mercury! Bonus feature is the GM-like wraparound windshield.
That 1973 Marquis Brougham by the Jersey Shore Boardwalk has quite a unique license plate. Like you noted, it’s a Medical Doctor plate, but in addition to that, it’s a Medical Doctor “Courtesy” plate.
One of these Vintage Photos posts from a few months ago showed an example of New Jersey Courtesy plates, which were low-number license plates that people could request courtesy of their State Senator. Those plates were available with MD “Medical Doctor” prefixes as well, and it sure looks like that’s such an example.
To me, it looks like that third character is a “Y” (so MD-Y 13)… but either way, that letter was the county code. V was for Sussex County and Y for Cumberland County.
Odd that there’s no front plate, though.
Look a little closer, Eric. The front plate was improperly mounted, as the upper holes in the plate were connected to the lower mounting holes on the bracket, causing it to hang low.
Ah – I see it now. Thanks!
Great photos and commentary! I was thinking you might include a picture of Steve McGarrett’s black Parklane 4 door hardtop from Hawaii 5-0!
The first pic with the two cats is for sure my fav!!
The 74-76 Cougar is my favorite here for the selfish reason that a 1974 was *almost* my first car, a triple black 351CJ. Ultimately what ended that prospect is what’s beginning on that red example on the fender… rust!!! Nevertheless I still carry a soft spot for that generation… largely because it was(and still is) a classic car I can afford and still harbor the dreams I had for it(I’d been going back and forth with the seller for months between me and my Dad and saw it daily on my school commute), but also I kind of think it was the natural course for the Cougar, the 67 brought Tbird and Riviara like personal luxury to a smaller package, but perhaps for many it was too small. With the 69 Grand Prix/70 Monte Carlo these cars largely were a similar package to the Cougar but a size bigger, and ultimately that was where the market headed.
That said I can’t pretend it isn’t a very lightly restyled and tarted up (mostly via trim) Montego…. But then again that 72 Ford intermediate line most definitely took inspiration from the long hood/short deck ponycar/PLC ilk, and stylistically they weren’t actually a huge leap from the 71-73s so I generally can cope with the name debasement. I’ve seen far worse in just the last year alone from respected present day automakers.
The ’69 Montego MX Brougham almost has an Aussie vibe, between giving that same familiar-but-not-quite impression and being a 4-door with slotted mags.
Rich thank you for showing the beautiful photo of the lt. tan `60 Montclair hardtop! I’ve always been partial to this Merc, as it was the last year Mercury had their own larger bpdy. By `61 Mercurys were just glorified Fords.