Mercury Comet & Cyclone Limited Edition Extra 1960-1975

UL.linkBullets { PADDING-LEFT: 0px } UL.linkBullets LI { LIST-STYLE-TYPE: none; MARGIN-TOP: 1em; MARGIN-BOTTOM: 1em } UL.noteBullets { PADDING-LEFT: 0px } UL.noteBullets LI { LIST-STYLE-TYPE: none } SPAN.darkRedWarning { COLOR: #990000 } This portfolio encapsulates the first decade and a half of the Lincoln-Mercury Division's Comet and Cyclone, one of the American auto industry's responses to the compact car phenomenon of the early 1960's. Included are road and comparison tests, new model reports, specifications and full performance data. Models covered: Comet, S-22, GT & Caliente and the Cyclone, GT, Cobra Jet & Montego. The Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford needed to have its own mid-sized compact to go head-to-head with GM's emerging fleet of cars, the so-called Buick-Oldsmobile-Pontiac (BOP) trio. However, where the BOP cars were substantially new, the Lincoln-Mercury Comet was little more than a mildly modified Falcon. Does this begin to sound familiar? However, it was not long before the Comet gained a 260-cubic inch V8 engine and took on a somewhat more sporting persona that went down very well with buyers.   The inexorable growth in engine capacity saw the Comet available with an enormous 390-cubic inch V8 by 1964. However, it was not only the engines that were increased in size. The Comet range quickly outgrew its mid-compact roots and was soon a mid-sized saloon that was projected against Pontiac and its sporting range of saloons.   By 1968 there was the Comet Cyclone GT which was a real performance machine that has become something of a collectible today. Sadly, Lincoln-Mercury lost focus and the Comet range was allowed to wither and die which was a rather dire end to a brand for which Edsel Ford had greater dreams.