This 38,000-mile 1971 Mercury Grand Marquis popped up in my Facebook Marketplace feed this morning, with the seller whimsically claiming you'd be the "envy at the car shows." As if anyone buys an old car just to impress people at car shows. For $22,500, I'd better be getting a lot more than envy.
This big old land yacht, oozing GM-inspired styling, rode on Ford Motor Company's all-new full-size platform introduced for 1969. Mercury's Marquis was positioned above the Monterey, while Ford's LTD offered much the same size and luxury for less money. Lincoln adopted a stretched version of this basic platform for the 1970 Continental, with a longer wheelbase and, depending on your tastes, a more prestigious badge.
For 1971, the standard Grand Marquis engine was a 429-cubic-inch V8. In most applications it was rated at 320 gross horsepower with a two-barrel carburetor and still benefited from relatively high compression, making premium fuel a good idea. That would all change quickly. Beginning in 1972, the industry switched from gross to net horsepower ratings, compression ratios fell to accommodate unleaded gasoline, and emissions regulations steadily robbed engines like this of much of their muscle. The 1973 oil embargo only accelerated the decline of big, thirsty luxury cars.
Contemporary road tests found these big Mercurys to be surprisingly quick. A 1969 Mercury Marquis—before "Grand Marquis" became a separate series for 1970—could reach 60 mph in about 8.2 seconds, impressive for a car tipping the scales at nearly 5,000 pounds.
The best part of this car, though, is this gloriously groovy interior. It's peak early-'70s American luxury, the kind of cabin that makes you want to pop in a Burt Bacharach 8-track, point the hood toward the interstate, and forget what gas costs.
No comments:
Post a Comment