Manufacturer Mercury (Ford) | Production 1967–1986 | |
 | ||
Class Full-size (1967-1982)
Mid-size (1983-1986) Predecessor Mercury Montclair
Mercury Park Lane Successor Full-size: Mercury Grand Marquis
Mid-size: Mercury Sable | ||
The Mercury Marquis was a luxury model line produced by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from 1967 to 1986. It was marketed for several generations as the Mercury counterpart of the upscale full-size Ford LTD). In 1983, the Marquis became Mercury's mid-size car, supplanted by the full-size Grand Marquis as the highest trim level of the Marquis in the Mercury product line.
Contents
As Ford Motor Company adopted front-wheel drive cars during the 1980s, the Marquis was phased out after the 1986 model year; it was replaced by the Mercury Sable, the upscale version of the Ford Taurus.
A "Marquis" is historic French title, equivalent in nobility to the English marquess in the British peerage.
1967–1968
The Mercury Marquis was introduced for the 1967 model year as part of the full-size Mercury lineup. Slotted above the Mercury Monterey and Montclair, the Marquis was positioned alongside the Park Lane in the lineup. Roughly the division's counterpart to the Ford LTD introduced in 1965, the Marquis differed from the LTD with plusher interior trim and a higher level of standard equipment. Unlike the Ford, for 1967 and 1968 the Marquis was produced in a single two-door hardtop body style; convertibles and Marauder fastbacks remained part of the Park Lane lineup. All four-door hardtop models were Park Lane Broughams .
Mechanical Details
The 1967 Marquis came with the Mercury-exclusive 330 hp (246 kW) 410 cubic-inch big-block V8 as standard equipment, which was actually an FE 390 block with 390 pistons and a 428 crankshaft changing the cubic inch displacement of the 390 to 410. Ford did this to save money and still offer a different engine displacement on the Mercury. For 1968, the 410 was replaced by the 315 hp (235 kW) 390 big-block with a two-barrel carburetor. For both years, an optional 345 hp (257 kW) 428 cubic-inch "Super Marauder" engine with a four-barrel carburetor was also available.
1969-1972
For 1969, the full-size cars of both Ford and Mercury were completely redesigned, with the Lincoln Continental following suit in 1970. In a model shift, the Park Lane was discontinued, with the Marquis gaining a full range of body styles. Alongside the previous two-door hardtop were a four-door hardtop, four-door pillared sedan, and a two-door convertible; Mercury also consolidated the Mercury Colony Park station wagon series into the Marquis lineup. All full-sized Mercury sedans and coupes were built on a 124-inch wheelbase, but Colony Park station wagons shared the 121-inch wheelbase as the Ford wagons and sedans. While built on a Ford chassis, Colony Parks shared the front bodywork and interior trim as Marquis Brougham sedans.
This generation introduced covered headlights, which were deployed using a vacuum canister system that kept the doors down when a vacuum condition existed in the lines, provided by the engine when it was running. If a loss of vacuum occurred, the doors would retract up so that the headlights were visible if the system should fail.
For 1969 and 1970, the Mercury Marauder made its return as a stand-alone model; a sportier two-door fastback on the shorter Ford wheelbase it shared its front bodywork with the Marquis.
This generation introduced the hidden headlights that were a Lincoln-Mercury trademark in the 1970s. Metallic gold examples of the 1969 and 1970 model Marquis convertibles (very low production) were used for the final two seasons of the Green Acres TV series; these replaced the 1965-1967 Continental convertibles that were used earlier in the run of the CBS comedy series.
1971 brought a major restyling for the full-size Mercurys. The body wore more rounded, flowing styling with wider C-pillars and wraparound tail-lamps (on sedans). Other changes included fender skirts and the elimination of vent windows; all models now wore frameless window glass. A new option for all models a sunroof (which also mandated the selection of a vinyl roof). While slow sales led to the cancellation of the Marauder fastback and the convertible, Mercury revived the Brougham name as part of the Marquis and Colony Park lineup.
1972 brought minor changes such as egg-crate grilles, revised taillamps and seatbelt warning buzzers.
Mechanical Details
The standard engine was a 429 cubic-inch V8 equipped with a two-barrel carburetor. The four-barrel 429 from the Marauder was optional. The sole transmission for the Marquis (and all full-size Lincolns and Mercurys of the period) was the Ford C6 3-speed automatic. Power front disc brakes were optional. During 1972, the 460 cubic inch V-8 was made optional.
1973 revision
For 1973, the Marquis received a minor restyling with a boxier look, giving it new protruding energy-absorbing "5-mph" bumpers and a new roofline. Two- and four-door hardtops (as well as four-door pillared hardtops that had frameless door glass and slim fixed center pillars) were available as the Marquis or Marquis Brougham. The 1975 models were slightly revised to look longer than the boxier 1973-1974 range. The Grand Marquis was introduced as a luxury trim line in 1975 when the Monterey series was dropped and all full-size Mercurys took the Marquis name. Unlike the related Crown Victoria, which was an option package on the LTD Landau, the Grand Marquis was a trim level in its own right. Base-trim and upscale Colony Park station wagons were available.
Approximately 7,850,000 full-size Fords and Mercurys were sold over 1969-78. This makes it the second best selling Ford automobile platform after the Ford Model T.
Mechanical Details
The 360 hp (268 kW) 460 big-block V8 was again available on this generation and the 400 Cleveland replaced the 429 as the top engine in 1974. The 460 was standard on the Brougham and Grand Marquis through 1977. The 351M small-block V8 entered the lineup in 1978 to increase the fuel economy of the Marquis; for that year, the 351 became the standard engine on all models. In California and in 'High Altitude' areas, the 400 was still fitted as standard equipment. Regardless of location, the 460 remained an option in all Marquis models to the end of this generation.
The impact of emissions regulations and tuning made horsepower vary a little from year to year. By 1978 the single-exhaust 460 generated 210 horsepower (160 kW) (but dual exhaust remained an option). Paired with the 400 and 460 V8s was the 3-speed C6 "Select-Shift" automatic.
1979–1982
Trailing General Motors by two years and Chrysler by one, Ford downsized its full-size cars for the 1979 model year. Based upon the all-new Panther platform, the resulting 1979 Marquis posed a unique marketing problem, it was now shorter and lighter than the Cougar, sold as an intermediate-segment car. In comparison to its 1978 predecessor, Mercury removed seventeen inches of length and over 1,000 pounds of weight (in sedan models). For first time since 1955, a full-size Mercury station wagon was sold with a curb weight under 4,000 pounds. While a physically smaller car, broader expanses of glass and a lower hood line improved visibility. Redesigned seats and door panels led to an increase in interior space.
Although Ford had begun moving towards increased parts commonality in its full-size models with the introduction of the previous-generation Marquis, the Panther platform reinforced this further. For the first time, not only would Ford and Mercury full-size cars share a common wheelbase, but nearly the entire bodyshell of the Marquis and the Ford LTD was shared; much was also shared with the Lincoln Continental/Mark VI. In a move from the previous pillared hardtop sedans, all 2-doors, 4-doors and station wagons wore fully framed door glass. A common roofline shared between Ford and Mercury wore a B-pillar with a fixed side window. Gone were the hidden headlights and fender skirts that had graced earlier models, leaving a more contemporary look. The interior gained Lincoln-style white-face instruments with square gauges.
Two-door and four-door versions were sold as standard trim, Marquis Brougham, and Grand Marquis; in Canada, a base-level Meteor trim was available until 1981. While the majority of station wagon sales consisted of wood-grained Colony Park models, the station wagon was also available as a Marquis model without woodgrain trim.
The Marquis received a minor update for 1982, losing the vents in the front fenders and the small grilles in the front bumper.
Mechanical Details
As part of the change to the Panther platform, the engine lineup underwent its own downsizing as well. In place of the 400 and 460 seen in 1978, the standard engine was now the small-block 302 cubic-inch V8 shared with the Monarch and Cougar. In a sign of the times, it was now referenced by its 4.9-liter metric displacement (rounded up to 5.0 liters). The optional engine was a 351 Windsor V8 shared with the Cougar; it is a rare option and is highly desirable today. The 4.2L V8 added to the Ford LTD for 1980 became available in the Mercury lineup.
When introduced for 1979, both engines were paired with a 3-speed SelectShift automatic. For 1980, the Marquis (and all Panther-platform vehicles) received the 4-speed AOD overdrive automatic transmission as an option. Initially an option for the 351 V8, the AOD became the sole transmission for 1981.
1983–1986
In 1983, Ford updated the styling of mid-size Fox platform sedans and station wagons; additionally, a number of product lines were shifted. Mercury reverted the Cougar back to its traditional role of a two-door personal-luxury coupe, discontinuing its unpopular 2-door and 4-door sedans and wagon models. To fill the gap, the Marquis name was taken from the full-size Mercury line. Ford had done the same thing as the LTD had replaced the Granada.
After 1983, the Panther-based Grand Marquis continued in production. The 1979-1982 version was produced nearly unchanged until the end of 1991, when it was redesigned for the 1992 model year. With minor evolutionary changes, the design of the 1992 Grand Marquis remained in production for 19 model years, when Mercury ceased all production in January 2011.
The midsize Marquis was produced in Hapeville, Georgia until December 13, 1985 and Chicago, Illinois until January 3, 1986, when it was replaced by the front-wheel drive Mercury Sable.
Mechanical Details
The mid-size Marquis sedans had the 2.3 L SOHC four-cylinder as the base engine. Wagons came with a six-cylinder standard. 1983 models could have the 3.3 L "Mileage Maker" inline six, otherwise, the 3.8 L Essex V6 was available in all models and was the most common. After 1984, the inline-6 engine (dating to 1963) was discontinued. The high-output 4.9 L 5.0L Windsor V8 was available in the rare Marquis LTS, sold only in Canada. Four-cylinder engines were paired with the C3 3-speed automatic along with the 3.8 L V6 models; the rare V8 models received the AOD 4-speed automatic overdrive from the Grand Marquis.