Overall, this Mercury is a competent creation—largely unflappable and free of evil traits. It is, in character, more "disciplined sedan" than "delinquent hot rod," however.
As such, it would do well to lose the look-at-me wheels. Although it's not a car anyone would describe as agile, it does feel substantial without feeling heavy or clumsy—two traits that always plagued the Impala. More surprising is its near-perfect balance: No component—engine, tires, suspension, steering, brakes—over- or underwhelms any other or feels inappropriate to what is, after all, a five-adult sedan.
That makes it something of a subtle engineering exercise. Ever hear of anything on Woodward Avenue described as subtle? Six months later, Montclairs and Park Lanes could also be configured as Marauders. The idea was to satisfy stock-car racers searching for slicker aerodynamics. By , however, the name was used only to refer to certain drivetrain packages and slipped back into obscurity.
The name wouldn't return to prominence until '69 and '70, when the Marauder turned up as an intergalactically ugly muscle-car contender. After it failed, the name went back into hibernation and stayed there—until now. Shown here is a '64 Park Lane Marauder, with a manual four-speed and "Super Marauder" cubic-inch V-8 with twin four-barrels—rated back then at horsepower.
A little more treachery. And a lot more motor. Despite my best ham-fisted attempts, I couldn't even get myself into serious trouble. In a car like this, if I can't scare myself silly, then it doesn't have enough power. The paucity of low-end grunt is particularly disappointing. There are ready and enthusiastic buyers for such a car. And I wanted to be among them.
I wanted to want a traditional rear-drive, V-8 American thumper—especially an all-black one—but this doesn't do it for me. Maybe the upcoming GTO will. Even better, the thrilling-days-of-yesteryear concept is augmented by contemporary steering, real brakes, and the ability to change course without scraping its door handles on the pavement. Most of the Marauder's interior components are shared with other Panther platform cars but Mercury did make a few changes to set it apart from the others.
Other versions of the Panther setup used a column-mounted shifter, allowing for a bench seat upfront. Leather seating came standard and all of the wood trim was replaced with satin aluminum trim.
Mercury also designed unique aluminum instrument gauges with a mph speedometer and a tachometer, which required a relocated voltmeter and oil pressure gauges in front of the shifter. You may not be wowed by early s Ford interior plastics but the interior volume of Panther vehicles is larger than many luxury sedans sold today. The Marauder's lengthy Cargo capacity is equally spacious with Fuel economy isn't great with EPA ratings of mpg in the city and mpg on the highway.
Finding a modern performance sedan without insane maintenance costs and spotty reliability isn't easy in There are still a few budget options out there but finding one with a V8 engine can be pretty costly.
The Mercury Marauder offers mafia hitman styling, a Mustang heart, and plenty of available upgrades on the aftermarket to make it your own. Since Marauder sales fell well below Mercury's initial predictions, there aren't many of them on the used market and they could become collectible in the future. Now is the time to buy a Marauder before prices skyrocket. And now is the time to buy one. With this attempt, all cars came out with a CID V8 engine and a horsepower, which produces lb-ft of torque at 2, rpm.
This was akin to the N-code engine that would be considered the 'Cobra Jet' in Ford's other applications. Performance-wise, the Marauder X doesn't cut it enough to conquer the streets, even with the big block.
The standard was, in fact, a three-speed automatic transmission. If one wanted extra body control in the corners, one might choose to upgrade to a competition suspension consisting of burlier shocks, springs, and a thicker anti-sway bar. This variant didn't particularly attract much attention from customers who find the traditional version more favorable. Nonetheless, one-third of Marauder sales came from the X models alone during its first year of production.
Furthermore, the X's shining moment was best witnessed on the highway, with its torque doled at speeds that efficiently tested the vehicle's power brakes. Despite the tremendous amount of new and fully innovated vehicles in the market, the Mercury Marauder remains a force to be reckoned with due to its impressionable muscle-man persona. Even now, a used Mercury Marauder may still prove to be something worth buying, especially if you're someone who enjoys a V8-powered engine with rear-wheel drive American iron.
Home All Brands Reviews. Agile and Powerful While the Marauder was notable for its power, it can also be agile and flexible enough when needed. Versatile and Durable Aside from being agile, the Marauder is also well-known for being able to traverse through bad weather and poor road conditions with utmost ease. Ford Motor. Pull-out dashboard cupholder a flimsy embarrassment. However, seats in all models are virtually contour-free, so lateral support in turns is poor. REAR: Spacious, but too soft for long-distance comfort.
Center driveshaft tunnel intrudes on foot room. Trunk holds lots of luggage, but space is concentrated in a deep center well, so some bulky items are a tough fit. Spare tire still above rear axle, but available trunk storage unit divides center well into more-useful covered bins.
But what happens after that is unclear. Like sisters Ford Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car, Grand Marquis uses a basic design that dates from and is long since paid for, which means pure-gravy profits on each sale.
Gossips say the guard could change as early as model-year , but Ford says the idea is only under discussion and would not affect Town Car, which will eventually go its own way. Follow Tom on Twitter. The Sporty Compacts of Review Flashback! Pony-Car Madness! Search Results. Facebook Twitter Pinterest.
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