These Rare Mercury Coupes Deserve Mustang-Level Respect

By Lou Cataldo

When looking back at famous models throughout Ford’s history, the Mustang is one of the first names to come to mind. This stylish muscle car, first introduced in the mid-60s and still produced today, has become an icon of mid-century American car manufacturing, thanks to its performance, looks, and popularity.

While the Mustang has cemented Ford’s place in car history, along with several other models produced under the main Ford brand, some of Mercury’s cars deserve a place in the spotlight too. With a history that goes back to 1939, the Mercury sub-brand once occupied an important place in the Ford family. It was created to fill a gap between Ford itself and the more upmarket Lincoln. Mercury grew rapidly in the mid-century period, and even spawned a European sub-brand of its own (Merkur) in the 1980s; however, from the turn of the millennium onwards, it began to face severe struggles and was eventually killed off in 2011. The final Mercury, a Grand Marquis, was manufactured in Canada in January that year.

Although best known for offering affordable, everyday cars, Mercury has also produced some high-performance models that can occupy the same place of pride as a vintage Mustang in a car enthusiast’s garage. In this list, we have selected five of the rarest Mercury coupes ever produced, from limited-edition models to cars with optional features that were selected only by a handful of customers. Let’s take a closer look at these hidden gems from the Mercury lineup, and what makes them so special.

Note

Items are listed in chronological order, from the least to the most recent. For models available with multiple engines, specs refer to an engine option that is especially rare or interesting.

1967 Comet Capri

The oldest car on our list is the 1967 Comet Capri, a model that sported the Capri nameplate a few years before it was also used for a standalone Mercury model in 1970 (as well as several other Fords, including the much-maligned modern EV). The Capri was, at this point in time, a trim level for the Comet that replaced the outgoing Comet 404 in 1966.

For the 1967 model year, there is one particular variant of the Comet Capri that is rare enough to be in single-digit production territory: the one powered by the “427” (7.0-liter) V8 engine. This engine was well-known in the world of motorsports, including NASCAR and drag racing.

Two different versions of the 427 V8 were available. The R-Code engine, which produced 425 hp, was installed on six examples of the 1967 Comet Capri. The W-Code engine, which produced 410 hp, was installed on just one single car that year, making it one of the rarest Mercurys to roll off the production line.

The W-Code V8 used one four-barrel carburetor, rather than two like its R-Code sibling. It was an available engine choice for customers seeking better fuel economy, and despite its slightly lower power output it actually resulted in performance that was comparable to that of the R-Code cars.

1968 Cougar GT-E

Another ultra-rare Mercury that sports a 427 engine is the 1968 Cougar GT-E. Although the Cougar model itself was introduced for the 1967 model year, the GT-E trim did not join the lineup until 1968, occupying the slot above the GT. It was only produced for that single model year, making it one of the rarest Cougar variants in existence.

The Cougar GT-E was initially made available with the 427 engine, which produced 390 hp. A total of 357 Cougar GT-Es were produced with this engine on board. Later on in the year, however, the 427 was replaced by a different, less powerful engine: the 428 Cobra Jet V8, which produced 335 hp. Just 37 Cougar GT-Es were built with the Cobra Jet engine. For comparison, a total of 113,720 Cougars were produced for the 1968 model year.

The GT and GT-E variants of the Cougar were dropped in the latter years of the model’s first generation, with the Eliminator trim being introduced instead for 1969 and 1970. The Cougar itself remained on the market for a further seven generations, enjoying a long lifespan that only came to an end in 2002.

1969 Cyclone Spoiler II

The Cyclone Spoiler II was a high-performance variant of the third-generation Cyclone, built to compete in the world of NASCAR. 503 units were sold to the public for homologation purposes during the 1969 model year.

The model was based on the Cyclone’s Sportsroof (fastback two-door hardtop) body style, and was available in two different trims. The first, the Cale Yarborough Special, was named after NASCAR driver Cale Yarborough and featured a white paint job with red interior and exterior trim. The second, the Dan Gurney Special, was named after racing driver Dan Gurney, who competed in Formula 1, NASCAR, and the legendary “Cannonball Run” among other races. This version was also finished in white, but had a blue interior and blue exterior trim.

Although the racing version of the model was equipped with a variety of engines, including the 427 V8 and the Boss 429 V8, the homologation cars were fitted with the 351 (5.8-liter) Windsor V8 engine, which produced 290 hp.

An equivalent vehicle to Mercury’s Cyclone Spoiler II was sold under the main Ford brand: the Torino Talladega, also built in 1969. This model was named after the legendary racing circuit of the same name, which had only opened one year earlier.

Sources: Ford, HotRod, MercuryStuff, OldRide, Hagerty, Hemmings

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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.