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85-651: A largely equivalent vehicle was also sold under the Mercury marque as the Cyclone Spoiler II . The 1969 Torino Talladega was based on the Fairlane "Sportsroof" (Ford's trade name for a fastback ) 2-door hardtop. To make the car more aerodynamic at high speeds, a sleeker front section (whose design and construction is often attributed to the Holman-Moody race team's shop) was added. Regular production Fairlanes and Torinos had

170-501: A Torino Talladega is a very collectible car. It was a special purpose built vehicle (some have even called it a "showroom race car") with a very strong racing history, with major links to the NASCAR teams of 1969, that achieved great success during the Aero Wars . Those few examples that still exist today, do so in very limited numbers. Until recently, their values had not risen nearly as high as

255-635: A completely new brand, personally selecting the Roman god's name from over 100 options – in spite of the name having been used just four years earlier for the Chevrolet Mercury and no fewer than seven separate failed automobile companies from 1903 to 1923. In November 1938, Edsel Ford introduced four body styles of the Mercury Eight at the New York Auto Show . Along with a two-door sedan and

340-584: A distinct higher-performance variant of the Monterey. In a design change, the fastback Marauder roofline was discontinued; the Breezeway design was dropped in 1967 (the latter, following the increasing availability of air conditioning units integrated within the ventilation system). In 1967, Mercury debuted its two most successful and longest-running nameplates: the Mercury Cougar and Mercury Marquis. The Cougar

425-603: A downsized Marquis; while nearly matching the Cougar sedan in exterior footprint, the 1979 Marquis gained interior space over its 1978 predecessor. The Capri made its return, shifting from German-produced captive import to counterpart of the Ford Mustang ; for the first time, the Capri adopted Mercury divisional branding. Bolstered by the redesign of the Marquis and the popularity of Cougar XR7,

510-527: A following as a street rod , making an appearance in several films. The 1949 redesign of the Mercury model line proved successful, with the division increasing its sales six-fold over 1948, becoming the sixth-most popular brand in the United States. In contrast to competing medium-price brands from Chrysler and General Motors (and independents including Nash , Hudson , or Packard ), Mercury continued to offer

595-623: A four-door sedan, the Mercury was also introduced as a two-door convertible and a two-door trunked sedan; the body design was overseen by E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie. While similar in concept to the modestly restyled De Luxe Ford, the V8-powered Mercury was an all-new car sized between the V8 Ford and the V12 Lincoln-Zephyr. For 1939, the Mercury was launched at a starting price of US$ 916 ($ 20,064 in 2023 dollars ); over 65,800 vehicles were sold in

680-683: A full model range (replacing the Montclair and Park Lane outright) and the Colony Park as the only Mercury full-size station wagon. To differentiate the Marquis from the Monterey, Mercury introduced hidden headlights for the former. Replacing the S-55, the Mercury Marauder became a stand-alone full-size two-door, competing against the Oldsmobile Toronado and Buick Riviera; an optional 429 cubic-inch V8

765-638: A new Grand Marquis was slotted between the Marquis Brougham and the Lincoln Continental. Intended as the successor for the Comet, the Monarch led to a completely new market segment: the luxury compact car. The model line was met with success, with examples used as personal cars among Ford executives (including Henry Ford II ). Following the 1974 discontinuation of its engine, Lincoln-Mercury ended its sales of

850-407: A power steering oil cooler, staggered shocks, a 3.25:1 Ford 9 inch 31 spline nodular open rear end, and most surprisingly: a heavy duty C-6 (cast iron tailshaft) automatic transmission that was column shifted. These other special performance parts were normally only available when ordering a "drag pack car" which would have been equipped with a 4-speed and a limited-slip rear end. Also unique to

935-403: A stand-alone model range, slotted above the Cougar. To further establish the brand in motorsport, the aerodynamically-optimized Cyclone Spoiler II was homologated as the 1969 Mercury entry for NASCAR. For 1969, the full-size Mercury line was given an all-new body and chassis (again shared with Ford, on its own 124-inch wheelbase). The nameplates were again revised, with the Marquis becoming

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1020-417: A then-fashionable inset grille and headlights, which fared poorly in the wind tunnel. The Torino Talladega replaced this nose with one that extended the car's length by about six inches, with a flush-mounted grille on a more aerodynamic front end. The close-fitting bumper was actually a rear bumper that had been cut, narrowed, V'ed in the center, and filled on the ends to create a crude air dam, further improving

1105-553: Is believed a total of 754 Talladegas may have been built, although the Talladega/Spoiler Registry can only account for 750. This number includes all prototypes, pilot cars, and production cars built, plus a special post-production car for the president of Ford Motor Company, Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen , in March 1969. The Knudsen car was significantly different from all of the homologation cars with regard to options and color, and

1190-548: The Continental (1956–1960), Edsel (1958–1960, formally designated Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division), Comet (1960-1961), and Merkur (1985–1989, forming Lincoln-Mercury-Merkur ). Through the use of platform sharing and manufacturing commonality, Mercury vehicles shared components and engineering with Ford or Lincoln (or both concurrently), serving as counterparts for vehicles from both divisions. Following an extended decline in sales and market share for Mercury, Ford announced

1275-623: The De Tomaso Pantera in 1971. Assembled in Modena, Italy, the Pantera was a two-door, mid-engine coupe powered by a 330 hp (330 PS; 250 kW) Ford 351 cubic inches (5.75 L) V8 . For 1972, the intermediate Montego line (based on the Ford Gran Torino) was redesigned with a body-on-frame chassis, creeping into full-size dimensions. After years of losing market share to the Cougar,

1360-596: The Ford LTD II , with the Cougar XR-7 hardtop becoming a counterpart of the Ford Thunderbird . The revision was well-received, as Cougar sales nearly tripled. In contrast to the downsized model ranges introduced by General Motors, the 229-inch (5,800 mm) long Marquis/Grand Marquis was powered by a 460 cubic inches (7.5 L) V8 (the second-largest displacement engine used in an American automobile). 1978 commenced

1445-578: The King Cobra and Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II , based upon their new for 1971 body-styles, but with a long aerodynamic nose (similar to the Daytona and the Superbird). As with Chrysler, due to the NASCAR rule changes, the project was abandoned. However, three prototype cars were produced and are today considered highly prized due to their rarity. Every five years, fans and owners of Aero Warriors gather to celebrate

1530-642: The Lincoln Model K . In contrast to the Ford V8, the Model K was among the most expensive vehicles built and sold in the United States, rivaled in price by the Cadillac V-12 (and V-16 ), Duesenberg Model J , and the flagship lines of Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce . To address the gap between Ford and Lincoln, Ford Motor Company launched its own version of the late 1920s General Motors Companion Make Program , leading

1615-658: The Mopar "aero cars" in spite of their rarity and their great track successes during the pinnacle of stock car racing (the aero wars years). Some experts have assumed that this was due to the sheer outrageousness of the Dodge Charger Daytona and the Plymouth Superbird , with their bolted on huge rear wings and nose cones; as the MOPAR winged cars' prices had eclipsed the far more subtle, and aerodynamically integrated, bodywork of

1700-536: The NASCAR circuit by Dodge , Plymouth , Ford and Mercury for the 1969 and 1970 racing seasons. The cars were based on production stock cars but had additional aerodynamic features. The first Aero Warrior was the 1969 Ford Torino Talladega . The Torino already had a fastback design; the Talladega added a longer, slightly rounded front end. The second Aero Warrior was the 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II . The Cyclone

1785-644: The Plymouth Road Runner ), which had the same aerodynamic additions as the Daytona. Because of their wings, the Mopar Aero Warriors are sometimes called the Winged Warriors . Due to NASCAR homologation rules a minimum number (500) of these cars had to be offered for sale to the public so there are approximately 3,000 of these cars in private ownership. The Aero Warriors were successful in winning many races, but NASCAR made rule changes that equalized

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1870-491: The 1941-1948 Mercury, the 1949 redesign placed Mercury and Lincoln within a common bodyshell. Largely distinguished by headlight and grille designs, Mercury and Lincoln would also feature separately-trimmed interiors. Mechanically, Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury each offered a separate version of the Ford Flathead V8. For many years after its production, the 1949–1951 Mercury Eight (most commonly in two-door form) would develop

1955-546: The 1942 suspension of production, Mercury did not return the Liquamatic transmission option. Alongside the wood-paneled station wagon, Mercury introduced a wood-bodied Sportsman convertible. For 1947 and 1948, few major changes were made. The rare Sportsman convertible was dropped for 1947 and the hubcaps were restyled; 1948 Mercurys were effectively carryover. In 1949, Ford Motor Company launched its first all-new post-war designs for all three of its model lines. In contrast to

2040-578: The 1969 NASCAR Manufacturer's Championship with David Pearson winning the Driver's Championship, and it won the 1969 ARCA Manufacturer's Championship with Benny Parsons winning that Driver's Championship. Chrysler 's initial competitor was the Dodge Charger 500 , which proved to be aerodynamically inferior to the Talladega, especially on NASCAR's super speedways (tracks of a mile or more in length). After realizing that Ford's Talladega (and its sister ship,

2125-521: The Capri II in late 1977, leftover examples were sold through the 1978 model year. Of the 580,000 vehicles sold; nearly four out of every ten 1978 Mercurys were Cougars. For 1979, Mercury continued its modernization; as the division shifted away from performance vehicles at the beginning of the decade, the fuel crises of 1973 and 1979 sparked the decline of the landyacht . Two years after General Motors downsized its full-size model lines, Mercury introduced

2210-460: The Comet was a divisional counterpart of the Ford Falcon (stretched to a 114-inch wheelbase); styled with four headlights (instead of two), the Comet was also fitted with wide tailfins. Coinciding with its Edsel origins and concerns about potential negative impacts of compact cars on the Mercury brand, the Comet was sold as a standalone product until the brands merged for the 1962 model year(similar to

2295-663: The Cougar replaced the Monarch; a counterpart of the Ford Granada, the Cougar was largely a Zephyr with a formal roofline and Marquis-influenced fascias. As in 1977, the expansion of the model line nearly doubled Cougar sales (though far below its previous rate). Replacing the Bobcat, the Mercury Lynx was introduced as the counterpart of the Ford Escort. The first front-wheel drive vehicle of

2380-634: The Custom the Medalist (to avoid confusion with the Ford Custom ). For 1957, Mercury redesigned its model range, with a 122-inch (3,100 mm) wheelbase sized between Ford and Lincoln. In a move upmarket, the slow-selling Medalist was discontinued, with the Monterey becoming the base model Mercury. Previewed by the 1956 XM-800 concept car, the Turnpike Cruiser (the pace car of the 1957 Indianapolis 500 )

2465-518: The Cyclone was quietly discontinued. The 1973 model year brought major functional changes to the Mercury line, the fuel crisis notwithstanding; in various forms, all Mercury cars were given 5-mph bumpers . The Marquis and Monterey were given an exterior update, adopting a "pillared hardtop" roofline (frameless door glass supported by a thin B-pillar). As American manufacturers shifted away from convertibles,

2550-614: The DeTomaso Pantera. 1976 saw the expansion of the smallest end of the Mercury model line. Introduced in Canada in 1975, the Bobcat was the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Pinto, sharing its coupe, hatchback, and station wagon body styles. The Capri was restyled with a hatchback and was renamed the Capri II. The Capri II (devoid of any divisional branding) became the second most-imported car in

2635-554: The Eight as its sole model line. For 1950, the Monterey name made its first appearance, denoting a special edition of two-door coupes (alongside the Lincoln Lido and Ford Crestliner ). Intended to compete against the hardtop coupes from General Motors, the Monterey simulated the appearance of a convertible through the use of a canvas or vinyl roof (though with a pillared roofline). During

Ford Torino Talladega - Misplaced Pages Continue

2720-668: The Eight. As part of an interior redesign, the Eight received a dashboard configured similar to the Lincoln Zephyr. For the first time, the Flathead V8 was offered with 100 hp (100 PS; 75 kW) in standard form. To compete with Fluid Drive (Chrysler) and Hydramatic (General Motors), the 1942 Mercury offered Liquamatic, the first semi-automatic transmission offered by Ford Motor Company. Shared with Lincoln, Liquamatic proved complex and unreliable, with many systems replaced by conventional manual transmissions. As production

2805-709: The Ford Torino Talladega and its sibling, the Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II . Regardless, most experts still consider the Talladegas and the Spoiler IIs to be very undervalued; but, in 1969 (and overall during the two years of the Aero Wars) Ford's Talladegas (and Spoiler IIs) owned the high banks of NASCAR and ARCA . Mercury (automobile) Mercury is a brand of medium-priced automobiles that

2890-543: The Mercury Spoiler II) were much more effective as race cars, Dodge went back to the drawing board to create the Dodge Charger Daytona , which managed to win a total of 6 races during the 1969 and 1970 NASCAR seasons. Richard Petty finished second in NASCAR's Grand National points race in 1969, driving a Talladega. 1969 was Ford's last year of factory involvement in racing of any kind for several years. Following Congressional hearings in which they were questioned about

2975-420: The Mercury brand reached its all-time sales peak, with nearly 670,000 vehicles sold. As Lincoln-Mercury entered the 1980s, Mercury continued the modernization of its model line, redesigning its entire lineup between 1978 and 1982. Since the early 1960s, the use of platform sharing had left Ford and Mercury model lines styled virtually the same, differing only by grilles, wheels, badging, and minor trim. Through

3060-630: The Mustang, the Cougar was repackaged as a competitor of the A-body coupes ( Chevrolet Monte Carlo , Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme , Pontiac Grand Prix ) of General Motors. Slotted below the Montego, the Comet made its return as a counterpart of the Ford Maverick (sharing much of its chassis underpinnings with the 1960 Comet). At the other end of the performance spectrum from the Capri, Lincoln-Mercury began imports of

3145-475: The R&;D costs of racing vs. improving fuel economy and safety, Ford completely abandoned all of their racing programs, starting with the 1970 season. Subsequently, most of the NASCAR and ARCA race teams that were running Fords continued to run their 1969 Talladegas in 1970 without any factory support, when it became apparent that their Talladegas were aerodynamically superior to the 1970 Torinos Ford had intended to be

3230-608: The Talladega was the presence of competition black hoods and rear tail panels on all production cars, as well as the only interior offered: black vinyl and cloth with a front bench seat. Racing versions of the car were initially fitted with the FE 427 side oiler engine that had been Ford's main racing engine since 1963. Later in the season, the Boss 429 engine was used by many of the teams, after it had finally been declared "officially homologated" by NASCAR president Bill France . The Boss 429 engine

3315-409: The Talladega's replacement. After the 1970 season, NASCAR effectively banned the "aero cars" by restricting all five of these "production" cars to having to compete with engines no larger than 305 cubic inches of displacement (vs. the 426, 427, & 429 cubic inches other cars could use), and the competitive history of the Talladega (and its aerodynamically developed rivals) was essentially over. It

3400-497: The Turnpike Cruiser and Voyager; the two-door Commuter was in its final year. Mercury was one of the first American full size cars to adopt parallel-action windshield wipers. As with many medium-price brands, the Mercury brand was hit hard by the economy of the late 1950s. While remaining eighth in sales from 1957 to the end of the decade, Mercury saw a 60 percent drop in sales in 1958, outranked by Rambler . While outselling

3485-464: The United States (behind the Volkswagen Beetle ). For 1977, Mercury made significant revisions to improve sales to its intermediate model range (its slowest-selling models). While technically a mid-cycle model update, the Montego was replaced by the Cougar, with the latter offering sedan and station wagon body styles for the first time. The Cougar base coupe, sedan, and wagon were counterparts of

Ford Torino Talladega - Misplaced Pages Continue

3570-588: The XR7 coupe. A longer-wheelbase version of the Zephyr, the Cougar XR7 was a direct counterpart of the Ford Thunderbird . Poorly received by critics and buyers, sales of the model line collapsed (to less than one-third of 1979 levels). Struggling to compete against newer designs, the aging Bobcat and Monarch were in their final years of production. 1981 saw Mercury revise its model line to combat falling sales. A standard trim of

3655-432: The advantages in 1971. Chrysler had funded testing of their new 1971 designs at Wichita State University's wind tunnel. The team used 3 ⁄ 8 -scale models of Chargers and Road Runners and fitted them with an array of wings, nose cones, and other aero bits, but it became a wasted effort when NASCAR banned the winged cars from competition. Ford had also planned to introduce 1971 versions of their Aero Warriors, named

3740-429: The aerodynamically sleeker roofline helped Mercury gain ground in stock-car racing. By the middle of the decade, the fate of Mercury was no longer entangled with the failure of Edsel, with a secure future competing against Buick and Oldsmobile, the middle of the Chrysler range, and the top of the American Motors range. For 1964, the Montclair and Park Lane were reintroduced while the S-models were dropped. For 1965,

3825-446: The aerodynamics of the car at high speeds. In another well kept secret design move, the rocker panels of the Talladega were reshaped and rolled to allow Ford teams to run their racing cars about an inch closer to the ground while staying within NASCAR rules; this also greatly enhanced the top speed of the car by lowering its center of gravity, and further reducing its wind resistance. The cars were also equipped with an engine oil cooler,

3910-501: The base-trim Custom; both shared bodies with Lincoln. In 1953, the expansion of the model line proved successful; after emerging from a war-depressed market, Mercury nearly doubled in sales, ranking eighth. While Mercury would have subsequently higher yearly sales, at 5%, this is the largest market share ever held by the division. For 1954, Ford replaced the long-running Flathead V8 (dating from 1932) with an overhead-valve Y-block V8 , with Ford and Mercury receiving their own versions of

3995-467: The brand shifted to a nine-year model cycle (the longest for an American brand). With the closure of Edsel, Mercury was to share its body with Ford (on its own wheelbase). In place of the five divisional bodies produced in 1958 (Ford, Lincoln/Continental, Mercury, large Edsel, small Edsel), Ford produced two for 1961 (Ford/Mercury, Lincoln). For 1960, the division released the Comet brand, its first compact car line. Originally developed for Edsel,

4080-436: The brand, the Lynx (as an option) offered the first diesel engine for a Mercury; three and five-door hatchbacks were offered along with a five-door station wagon. For the first time, Mercury used the GS and LS trim nomenclature; in various forms, it would be used through the 2011 model year. Aero Warriors Aero Warriors , also called aero-cars , is a nickname for four muscle cars developed specifically to race on

4165-491: The closure of the division at the end of 2010. During the mid-1930s, under the leadership of Edsel Ford , Ford Motor Company discovered that it needed to expand its brand footprint to match its largest competitors. In 1935, Ford offered only its namesake brand and the cars of its Lincoln Motor Company division. In contrast to the comprehensive line of brands from General Motors (seven) and Chrysler Corporation (four), Ford offered its Ford Standard/DeLuxe V8 range and

4250-471: The company to expand from two nameplates to five by the end of the decade. For 1936, Lincoln-Zephyr was introduced as a sub-marque of Lincoln, giving the line a V12 car competing against the LaSalle and Buick , the Chrysler Airstream and Airflow , and the Packard One-Twenty . For 1938, De Luxe Ford became a sub-marque of Ford, offering a higher-price V8 car with a model-specific interior and exterior trim. In 1937, Edsel Ford began work on Mercury as

4335-410: The decade, designers sought to give Mercury its own brand identity while maximizing production resources. Initially associated with full-size sedans and personal luxury cars, Mercury also diversified its model range. For 1980, Mercury ended the model overlap between the Marquis and Cougar, as the latter was downsized into the mid-size segment. In another change, the Cougar model range was pared down to

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4420-440: The division adopted the three-model range of Ford. As its premium model range, the Montclair was introduced above the Monterey (including the Sun Valley glass-top hardtop, for its final year). The revision proved successful, as Mercury reached its then-highest sales. The divisional structure of Ford was revised; Lincoln-Mercury was split (largely to accommodate the formation of the Continental division) In 1956, Mercury renamed

4505-428: The division, Mercury refocused itself further on building high-content vehicles. 1970 marked the entry of Mercury into the subcompact segment. In place of selling its own version of the Ford Pinto, the division commenced captive imports of the Capri (European Ford Capri ) from Cologne, Germany. Slightly larger than the Pinto, the Capri was marketed as a compact sports car rather than an economy car , becoming

4590-441: The engine. As a submodel of the standard Monterey hardtop, the Monterey Sun Valley was introduced, featuring a fixed-panel acrylic glass sunroof. While offering an open-air interior, the Sun Valley was difficult to market in warm-weather climates (as the glass panel warmed the interior to uncomfortable temperatures). In 1955, Mercury underwent a redesign of its model line. While again sharing much of its bodyshell with Lincoln,

4675-459: The entire division overlapping Mercury in price (a key reason behind its failure). The Park Lane was introduced as a flagship model line on a 125-inch (3,200 mm) wheelbase (with the Turnpike Cruiser becoming part of the Montclair line). Shared with Lincoln (and the Ford Thunderbird), Mercury introduced a 430 cubic inches (7.0 L) "Marauder" V8; optional on all Mercurys, a 400 hp (410 PS; 300 kW) "Super Marauder" version became

4760-418: The final convertible produced by Ford Motor Company during the 1970s was a 1973 Mercury Cougar. 1974 marked several significant changes throughout the Mercury model range, transitioning towards higher-content model lines. The Cougar underwent a redesign, shifting from the Mustang chassis to the Torino/Montego chassis, becoming the counterpart of the Ford Elite ; in what would later set the design precedent for

4845-450: The financial losses, several Ford executives (led by Ford President Robert McNamara ) proposed restructuring Ford down to its namesake division. McNamara (prior to leaving Ford to become Secretary of Defense) allowed the Lincoln-Mercury division to remain, under several conditions. Lincoln reduced its model line from three to one, with the all-new Lincoln Continental offering a much smaller exterior footprint; to establish model continuity,

4930-404: The first Ford Motor Company car in North America offered with (an optional) V6 engine. While sold through Lincoln-Mercury, Capris sold in North America from 1970 to 1978 had no divisional identification. For 1971, Mercury gradually distanced itself away from performance vehicles. The Marauder and Marquis convertible were discontinued, with the Brougham name making its return. Restyled along with

5015-402: The first mass-produced engine to be rated at 400 hp (410 PS; 300 kW). For 1959, Mercury underwent a revision of its body, expanding to a 126-inch (3,200 mm) wheelbase. Coinciding with the discontinuation of the Edsel Corsair and Citation, Mercury produced its own body and chassis (for the first time since 1940). The division pared several slow-selling model lines, including

5100-500: The first-generation Plymouth Valiant ). Vehicle Identification plaques of 1960 and 1961 models read 'Made in U.S.A. by Comet.' For 1961, Mercury released an all-new full-size range, dropping the Mercury-exclusive chassis in favor of sharing a chassis with the Ford Galaxie (extended to a 120-inch wheelbase). Though visibly sharing front doors with the Galaxie, the Mercury derived multiple elements of its styling from its 1960 predecessor. The Montclair and Park Lane were dropped in favor of

5185-410: The full-size line underwent a complete redesign. Though again derived from the Ford Galaxie, the Monterey/Montclair/Park Lane adopted many styling elements from Lincoln, with Mercury marketing the line as "built in the Lincoln tradition". For 1966, the Comet became the counterpart of the Ford Fairlane (effectively replacing the discontinued Meteor). After a two-year hiatus, the S-55 returned as

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5270-526: The heavily marketed Edsel by over a two-to-one margin; it would take nearly 1958 and 1959 combined to match the 1957 sales total. While affecting the American automotive industry as a whole, the economic recession of the late 1950s had the harshest impact upon medium-priced brands. Though Edsel was quietly discontinued early in the 1960 model year (before the end of 1959), the future of Lincoln-Mercury remained at risk, as Lincoln had lost over $ 60 million from 1958 to 1960 ($ 617,952,756 in 2023 dollars ). To end

5355-412: The inaugural model year. In response to the popularity of the model line, Ford revised its branding structure after 1940; De Luxe Ford was discontinued as a sub-marque (returning to its previous use as a Ford trim line), and all Lincolns became derived from the Lincoln-Zephyr (including the Continental) as Lincoln retired the Model K. For 1941, the Mercury underwent its first redesign; in another change,

5440-416: The last 247 homologation cars were built between February 14 and February 28, following a 2-week break in production.) It is unknown as to why Ford built an "extra" 247 homologation cars, once the homologation requirements had been met during the initial run, as it is thought that Ford lost several thousand dollars on every Talladega that was built. The only options offered on the production vehicles (besides

5525-420: The model line adopted the Mercury Eight nameplate used in sales literature. To consolidate development and production, the Mercury Eight shared much of its bodyshell with Ford, distinguished by its 4-inch (100 mm) longer wheelbase. To further separate the two model lines, the Eight was given a model-specific grille, exterior and interior trim, and taillamps. For the first time, a wood-bodied station wagon

5610-413: The model line for over two decades, the Cougar was styled as a Mercury version of the Ford Thunderbird. The Montego saw a revision to its model range, as its fastback body style was discontinued. For 1975, the Mercury model range underwent a series of transitions. Following the discontinuation of the long-running Monterey, the Marquis became the sole full-size Mercury nameplate; to expand the model range,

5695-404: The modernization of the Mercury model range, marked by the introduction of the Zephyr compact, replacing the Comet. The counterpart of the Ford Fairmont , the Zephyr marked the introduction of the Fox platform , a rear-wheel drive chassis architecture that underpinned some compact and mid-size Ford and Lincoln-Mercury vehicles from the 1970s into the early 2000s. After ending the importation of

5780-414: The new 428 Cobra Jet , which, while very powerful and reliable, was intended as a street engine for Ford's muscle cars, as it developed high torque at low RPMs, rather than being a high-revving race engine. The Torino Talladega did exactly what Ford hoped it would do on the racing circuit: it won 29 Grand National races during the 1969 and 1970 NASCAR seasons - far more than any other model. Further, it won

5865-426: The three color choices, including Wimbledon White (286 built), Royal Maroon (258 built) or Presidential Blue (199 built)) were power steering, power brakes, color keyed racing mirrors, AM radio and argent styled steel wheels with F70 X 14 wide oval tires. All production Talladegas received the same options with no substitutions including the C6 automatic transmission and Code 9 3.25 ratio conventional rear axle. Today,

5950-462: The war, dropping the Zephyr nameplate; the Continental (and the V12 engine) ended production after 1948. On November 1, 1945, the first 1946 Mercury vehicles rolled off the assembly line. In line with Lincoln and Ford (and virtually all American-manufactured vehicles), 1946 production was functionally unchanged from 1942. The Eight underwent several minor revisions, including the return of vertically oriented grille trim. As few were installed before

6035-532: The wider-selling Monterey; the Commuter and Colony Park station wagons returned. Slotted below the Monterey, the Mercury Meteor (as with the Comet) was a model line inherited from the closure of Edsel; as the Monterey matched the Ford Galaxie, the Meteor was a counterpart of the Fairlane. 1961 also brought the first 6-cylinder engine to the brand. The 1961 Meteor 600 featured a standard Mileage Maker Inline-6. For 1962, Mercury brought its model range closer in line with Ford. The Meteor (after only one year of sale)

6120-403: The year, the one-millionth Mercury vehicle was produced. In 1951, Mercury regained an automatic transmission option (for the first time since the 1942 Liquamatic), with the " Merc-O-Matic " 3-speed automatic (a rebranding of Ford Cruise-O-Matic). For 1952, Mercury redesigned its model line, with two nameplates replacing the Eight. The Monterey returned as a distinct model line, slotted above

6205-471: Was also used for Lincoln vehicles which only originated from the Lincoln Motor Company Plant until 1958 when Wixom Assembly Plant replaced the old Lincoln plant and completed assembly and became the component location for all Lincoln vehicles and the Ford Thunderbird and sent knock-down kits to selected branch locations in the United States. For 1942, Mercury implemented several changes to

6290-471: Was designed with two different rooflines for each body configuration. The standard design was a " breezeway " reverse-slant rear window (similar to the 1958-1960 Continental), offered on all versions (except for the convertible). Introduced as a mid-year option, the "Marauder" fastback roofline was introduced for two-door sedans and hardtops (four-doors were added in 1964). Shared with the Ford Galaxie 500XL,

6375-574: Was developed to bridge the gap between the Ford Mustang and the Ford Thunderbird , while the Marquis offered the division a competitor towards sedan lines such as the Buick Electra , Oldsmobile Ninety Eight , and Chrysler New Yorker . For 1967, the Marquis was available as a formal-roof 2-door hardtop (derived from the Ford LTD , but with its own roofline); the Mercury Park Lane Brougham

6460-451: Was even built at a different plant: Ford's Lorain, Ohio plant on March 20, 1969. All production examples were constructed during January and February 1969 at Ford's Atlanta Assembly plant in Atlanta, Georgia , and all homologation cars between January 21 and February 28. (According to the Talladega/Spoiler Registry's records, Talladega number 502 was actually completed on January 31, and then

6545-494: Was homologated in the 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 . In a very unusual move, Ford homologated the engine separately from the car in which it was to race. Many experts think this may have been done in order to get the bodywork of the Talladega officially homologated at the beginning of the 1969 race season, as the Boss 429 was not yet in production in sufficient numbers to homologate it. All production Talladegas were actually equipped with

6630-526: Was nearly identical to the Torino with the only major distinctions being the front grille and rear tail lights. Another aero car is the Dodge Charger Daytona , which was a redesign of the Charger 500 and had a more radical aerodynamic nose as well as a high-mounted wing at the rear, hitting 243 mph (391 km/h) on Chrysler's five-mile oval track. The final Aero Warrior was the 1970 Plymouth Superbird (based on

6715-454: Was offered as flagship Mercury four-door sedan/hardtop). In various forms, the Marquis nameplate would be used by Mercury until its 2011 closure. For 1968, the Mercury model range underwent two revisions to its intermediate range. The Mercury Montego (based on the Ford Torino ) was gradually phased in to replace the Comet (dropped after 1969); the performance-oriented Mercury Cyclone became

6800-596: Was offered by the brand. Unlike Ford products where components originated from the Ford River Rouge Complex and shipped in knock-down kits to dozens of cities across the United States, all Mercury vehicles only originated completely assembled from River Rouge until 1952 when Wayne Stamping & Assembly started production and was the only location that created Mercury components which were sent to only three cities that had dedicated assembly branch factories that completed Mercury vehicles until 1960. This approach

6885-416: Was offered. Though still sharing its chassis with the Mustang, the Cougar was configurable as either a pony car, personal luxury coupe, or a muscle car, with an "Eliminator" performance package featuring an available 428 Cobra Jet V8. During the 1970s, the product line of the Mercury division was influenced by several factors that affected all American nameplates. While sporty cars would not disappear from

6970-642: Was produced by American manufacturer Ford Motor Company between the 1939 and 2011 motor years. Created by Edsel Ford in 1938, Mercury was established to bridge the gap between the Ford and Lincoln model lines within Ford Motor Company. From 1945 until its closure, it formed half of the Lincoln-Mercury Division of the company. In addition to serving as a combined sales network for Ford's two premium automotive brands, Lincoln-Mercury also represented

7055-511: Was reintroduced as an all-new intermediate range (again following the design of the Ford Fairlane ). For non-station wagons, Mercury introduced "S" sub-models to market sportier content. Along with higher-performance powertrains, the option packages included full-length floor consoles, floor shifters, and bucket seats with the S-22 (Comet), S-33 (Meteor), and S-55 (Monterey). For 1963, the Monterey

7140-573: Was slotted above the Montclair, distinguished by its quad headlamps and retractable rear window. In line with Ford, Mercury station wagons became a distinct model line, with the Commuter , Voyager , and Colony Park ; all Mercury station wagons were hardtops. In 1958, to accommodate the introduction of Edsel, Ford revised its divisional structure, with Mercury, Edsel, and Lincoln forming a combined division (M-E-L). The Edsel Citation and Edsel Corsair shared their chassis (and roofline) with Mercury, with

7225-580: Was suspended following the outbreak of World War II, Ford produced only 24,704 1942 Mercury vehicles. Following the rise of Henry Ford II at Ford Motor Company in September 1945, the divisional structure of the company underwent further change. On October 22, 1945, Ford merged Mercury with Lincoln Motor Company, creating the combined Lincoln-Mercury Division . While functioning as a single entity, Lincoln-Mercury would continue to market both namesake model line. The Lincoln-Zephyr reentered production following

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