The 10 Best Mercury Classic Cars Ever Made

102003 Mercury Marauder

For 2003, Mercury revived the Marauder nameplate after a 33-year hiatus, becoming a performance-oriented version of the Grand Marquis four-door sedan. It was the final nameplate introduced on Ford’s venerable Panther platform architecture. As of the 2021 model year, the Marauder remains the final rear-wheel-drive sedan introduced by Ford Motor Company in North America.

The Mercury Marauder is a car with a lot to offer. Car Enthusiasts with families, who're seeking to have their cake and eat it, too, will no doubt appreciate the king-sized sedan's emphasis on both thrills and utility. Fast, handsome and practical, to boot, the Marauder is a ride that's clearly designed to be more than just a one-trick pony.

91980 Mercury Cosworth Capri

Some people may disagree when this model is compared with the best cars in the world because it wasn't a powerful sports car by definition. Still, it was a rare vehicle that many fans of Mercury have admired over the years because of its uniqueness and design. It had a 2-liter engine that produced 136 horsepower, which doesn't sound impressive today, but at the time, it was pretty fast for its size and price tag. The Cosworth Capri also cost more than $30,000 when new - making it one of the most expensive rides on American roads back then.

81971 Mercury Capri

The Capri was never meant to be advertised in the United States because Ford thought Americans wouldn't understand what it meant when translated from its original name of Capri RS2600 in Europe where it came from. However, American service members who were stationed in Europe came back home with different stories about the greatness of this car, so Ford decided to sell it. The first Mercury Capri was built in just one year, and it is considered collectible today because of its sleek design and high-performance engine.

71969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II

Last is a muscle car from the same period as the Ford Mustang, which is still considered one of Ford's best cars ever created. This particular model had a 428 cubic inch engine with no less than 370 horsepower under its hood. It could go from zero to 60 mph in 7 seconds on a straight line while producing a loud sound that would make people take notice of this vehicle's presence on the street. The only downside of the Cougar Eliminator was its high price tag - more than $6500 without any extra features compared with the Mustang - but it was worth it because of its powerful engine that made this car unique.

61969 Mercury Marauder X100

For the 1969 model year, Mercury returned the Marauder nameplate to its product line. In addition to replacing the Mercury S-55, the Marauder was repackaged as a personal luxury car. Sharing the roofline of the Ford XL and Ford Galaxie 500 SportsRoof, the Marauder shared its front sheet metal and its interior trim with the Mercury Marquis. But the Marauder is certainly more interesting than the Galaxy. Weird, rare, and intimidating, the Marauder X-100 remains a strange offshoot of the muscle car family tree.

51969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator

Two things make this second-generation Mercury Cyclone unique. The first one is its body design, which looks different from other cars during that period. The other notable feature of the Cyclone Spoiler II is that it was built without a standard hood. The car's engine was air-cooled instead, so the only way to check the engine was by lifting the hood in front, just like on Volkswagen models.

41964 Mercury Comet Cyclone

The first generation Mercury Comet Cyclone't is as well known as other models from the same car company. Still, it could be considered as one of their best cars because it was affordable and powerful. This model's engine produced up to 300 horsepower, making it fast enough to compete successfully with other sports cars. The first generation Comet Cyclone is also known for its good brakes and high-level safety features.

31957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser

This model was only made two years, but it is considered one of the most excellent classic cars because of its unique look and sound. The Turnpike Cruiser was a big car, as it weighed more than two tons. It was also called the Task Force. This Mercury model had a V8 engine that produced between 215 and 240 horsepower, depending on the owners' purchase version. There were three different versions available: high compression, low compression, and an economy option. Its design was consistent with early 1950s styling trends, featuring tailfins, wraparound windshields, and front headlights that resembled eyes peering right at you. With an upgraded V8 engine and a higher price tag than the regular models, it is considered by many to be one of the most desirable classic cars in existence.

21955 Mercury Montclair

This first-generation Mercury Montclair had a 312 cubic inch V8 engine that produced close to 300 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful cars available at the time. This model also had power steering and brakes, which was very rare for standard models during these years. It is said that only 1 percent of all cars on American roads during this time had these features, but they became common among future models by other car companies as well.

11950 Mercury Eight Coupe

The Mercury Eight is the debut model line of the Mercury division, Ford slotted the full-size Mercury Eight between the Ford Deluxe model lines and the Lincoln. In total, Ford assembled three generations of the Eight.

The 1950 Mercury Eight was based on the 1949 Ford but had a distinctive design and a bigger Flathead V8 than the Ford. Available as a sedan, coupe, convertible, or two-door station wagon, the Eight quickly became popular in hot rod circles and even had songs written about it. It's also one of the most popular movie cars featured in James Dean's 1955 film Rebel Without A Cause. 1949-1950 is arguably the most iconic Mercury ever produced.