The Mercury Marquis is a model line of automobiles marketed by Mercury from 1967 to 1986. Deriving its name from a title of French nobility, the Marquis was introduced as the divisional counterpart of the Ford LTD; four generations of the two model lines were paired through rebranding. Initially slotted as the flagship Mercury full-size range (above the Monterey), the Marquis would serve as the basis for the later Mercury Grand Marquis.
The first three generations of the Marquis were full-size sedans (alongside the Mercury Colony Park station wagon). For the fourth generation, the Marquis became the mid-size Mercury sedan, following the 1983 split of the Marquis and Grand Marquis into distinct product lines. As Ford Motor Company expanded its use of front-wheel drive, the Marquis ended production after the 1986 model year, replaced by the Mercury Sable (the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Taurus). As the Grand Marquis, the nameplate continued on until the closure of Mercury during the 2011 model year.
For its first three generations, the Mercury Marquis was produced by Ford in Hapeville, Georgia (Atlanta Assembly), Hazelwood, Missouri (St. Louis Assembly), and Pico Rivera, California (Los Angeles Assembly); the fourth generation was produced by Atlanta Assembly and in Chicago, Illinois (Chicago Assembly).
First generation (1967–1968)
For 1967, Mercury introduced two hardtop model lines above the Park Lane to serve as the counterpart of the Ford LTD. The Park Lane Brougham was a four-door, with the Marquis offered solely as a two-door. While all full-size Mercury two-doors were hardtops, the Marquis was fitted with a standard vinyl roof giving it a wider C-pillar.
While sharing a roofline with the Ford LTD, the Marquis differed from its Ford counterpart from the use of higher-specification interior trim (wood trim in place of simulated wood, optional leather unavailable on the LTD). As with other Mercury sedans, the Marquis was built on a 123-inch wheelbase (4 inches longer than the LTD).
In contrast to the full-width bench seat of other Mercury lines, the Marquis was fitted with "Twin Comfort Lounge" front seats. Designed as a 50/50 split bench seat, the design combined the 3-passenger capacity of a bench seat with the individual legroom adjustment of bucket seats. In various forms, the design would gradually replace traditional bench seats in many American cars during the 1970s and 1980s.
Mechanical details For 1967, the standard engine for the Marquis was a 410 cubic-inch Marauder V8, producing 330 hp. Exclusive to the division, the Marauder V8 was optional across the full-size Mercury line. A 4-speed manual transmission was standard, with a 3-speed automatic as an option.
For 1968, the 410 was replaced by a 390 cubic-inch Marauder Super 390 V8, producing 315 hp; shared with the Park Lane and Brougham, the engine was optional for lower-trim full-size Mercurys. A 3-speed manual replaced the previous 4-speed, with the automatic returning as an option.
As an option for both years, the 428 cubic-inch Super Marauder V8 was offered, producing 345 hp; for 1968, the engine was retuned to 340 hp. +First-generation Mercury Marquis powertrain specifications Engine name (Engine family)Production ConfigurationFuel systemOutputTransmissionHorsepowerTorqueMarauder V8 (Ford FE)1967 OHV V84-bbl carburetor4-speed manual (1967) 3-speed manual (1968)
Ford 3-speed FX/MX (Merc-O-Matic) automatic (1967)
Ford 3-speed FMX (Merc-O-Matic) automatic (1968)Marauder Super 390 V8 (Ford FE)1968 OHV V8Super Marauder V8 (Ford FE)1967–1968 OHV V8 (1967) (1968)
Second generation (1969–1978)
For 1969, Mercury underwent a revision of its full-size range. Serving as the successor to the four-door Brougham and two-door Park Lane, the second-generation Marquis was expanded to a full range of body styles, slotted above the Monterey. For 1975, the full-size Mercury range was reduced solely to the Marquis (including the Brougham and Grand Marquis trims). The wheelbase was longer on the two-door and four-door sedan than the Mercury Colony Park station wagon, the Lincoln Continental Mark III and the Lincoln Continental Mark IV while sharing the chassis with the 1970 Lincoln Continental sedan. The 1969 Marquis four-door hardtop sedan was listed at US$3,973 ($ in dollars ) and 29,389 were made.
In Canada, the Meteor brand marketed the Marquis as its flagship Meteor LeMoyne from 1969 to 1970. After the 1976 closure of the brand, Ford Canada continued the use of the Meteor name within Mercury, selling a Marquis Meteor as a base trim level for 1977 and 1978.
Chassis specifications The second-generation Mercury Marquis shares its chassis with the full-size Ford model range introduced in 1969, using a rear-wheel drive perimeter frame chassis. Following a tradition starting in 1961, Mercury sedans used a longer wheelbase (124 inches) than Fords (121 inches, also used by Ford/Mercury station wagons). For 1970, the chassis was adopted by the Lincoln division for the Continental on a 127-inch wheelbase.
Carried over from the previous-generation full-size chassis, the suspension was a 3-link live rear axle and double wishbone independent front suspension (with a front stabilizer bar); coil springs were fitted to at all four corners.
Front disc brake and rear drum brakes were standard; power brakes became standard in 1971. For 1973, "Sure-Track", an early form of anti-lock braking, was introduced as an option; four-wheel disc brakes became an option for 1975.
Powertrain For the second generation of the Marquis, Mercury revised the powertrain line. Along with ending its Marauder branding for engines, Mercury replaced both the 390 and 428 FE-series engines with a 429-cubic inch 385-series V8. A short-stroke version of the Lincoln 460 V8, the Marquis offered the 429 with 2-barrel and 4-barrel carburetors (320 and 360 hp, respectively). The manual transmission was discontinued, paired solely with the 3-speed Ford C6 heavy-duty automatic. During the 1972 model year, the Marquis received the 460 from Lincoln as an option; for 1974, the 460 replaced the 429 outright.
As the 1970s progressed, Mercury began efforts to improve emissions and fuel economy of its full-size range; following the discontinuation of the Monterey and the introduction of the Grand Marquis, smaller-displacement Ford 335 engines replaced the 460 as the standard engine offering. For 1975, the 402 cubic-inch Ford 400 V8 was introduced (largely as a successor to the 429), with the 351 cubic-inch Ford 351M V8 becoming the standard engine for the Marquis in 1978. In California and for "high-altitude" use, the 400 remained standard equipment; regardless of usage, the 460 (standard on the Marquis Brougham and Grand Marquis through 1977) remained available as an option until the end of the generation.Odin, L.C. A concise guide to the Ford and Mercury full-size automobile production 1969–1978. Belvedere Publishing, 2016. ASIN: B01HE91Y4K. The C6 transmission remained paired to the 460, with the 400 and 351M using the lighter-duty FMX transmission. Second-generation Mercury Marquis powertrain specificationsEngine name (Engine family)ProductionFuel systemConfigurationOutputTransmissionHorsepowerTorqueFord 429 V8 (Ford 385 series)1969–19712-bbl carburetor OHV V81969–19734-bbl carburetorFord C6 automatic (3-speed)Lincoln 460 V8 (Ford 385 series)1972–19784-bbl carburetor OHV V8Ford 400 V8 (Ford 335 series) 1975–19782-bbl carburetor OHV V8Ford FMX automatic (3-speed)Ford 351M (Ford 335 series)19782-bbl carburetor OHV V8
Body design The second-generation Marquis was expanded from the previous two-door hardtop to a full range of body styles, inheriting the four-door hardtop from the Brougham and four-door sedan and two-door convertible from the Park Lane series. Under the 1969 rebranding of Ford and Mercury station wagons, the Colony Park station wagon became part of the Marquis line.
For 1969 and 1970, the Mercury Marauder made its return, unofficially replacing the S-55. Designed as a competitor for the Oldsmobile Toronado and Buick Riviera, the Marauder was a fastback coupe combining the front bodywork of the Marquis with the roofline of the Ford XL/Ford Galaxie 500 SportsRoof.; along with the Colony Park, the Marauder was built on the 121-inch wheelbase used by Ford.
During its production, the second generation underwent two updates, including a 1971 mid-cycle revision of the exterior and interior. In 1973, to coincide with the addition with 5-mph bumpers, the exterior and interior underwent a complete redesign, with the two-door hardtop receiving a different roofline from the Ford LTD.
1969–1972 For 1969, the Mercury full-size range was redesigned (alongside its Ford counterparts); the Marquis remained a counterpart of the Ford LTD model range. Alongside the addition of four-door sedans, the Marquis line gained a station wagon, as the Colony Park woodgrained station wagon was integrated into the model line.
While the Marquis four-door shared much of its roofline with its Ford counterpart, the two-door hardtop was given its own roofline. The front fascia of the Marquis adopted many elements from the Lincoln Continental, including its hood and grille proportions and chrome-topped fenders; the Marquis, LTD/Galaxie/Custom, and Continental each received their own horizontal taillamp design. Initially sharing its hidden headlamps with the LTD, the usage of the design largely became exclusive to Lincoln-Mercury flagships after 1970, including the Marquis, Lincoln Continental, and Mark-series (the LTD Landau became the only Ford to use the configuration). The system was vacuum-operated, closing the headlight covers using a vacuum canister powered by the engine; as a fail-safe. the system was designed to retract the headlight covers following any vacuum loss.
For 1970, the Marquis saw few visible changes to the exterior and interior. In compliance with federal safety regulations, all full-size Mercurys received a new steering column, with a rim-blow steering wheel replacing the previous horn ring design. Alongside the woodgrained Colony Park, a Marquis station wagon (without wood paneling) was introduced.
For 1971, the Marquis underwent a revision of the exterior and interior; the convertible body style was dropped (along with the Marauder fastback). Distinguished by the elimination of vent windows and framed door glass (for sedans and station wagons), Mercury saw the introduction of the "pillared hardtop", a sedan combining a thin B-pillar and frameless door glass (to mimic the appearance of a pillarless design). The revision also included the use of fender skirts and wraparound taillamps. The dashboard underwent a redesign, clustering the instruments and controls closer to the steering wheel.
For 1972, the grille shifted to an egg-crate design (with a similar panel between the taillamps). In line with federal mandates, the Marquis adopted seatbelt warning buzzers. For the first time, the model line introduced a power sunroof option (requiring the selection of a vinyl roof).
1973–1978 For 1973, the Marquis underwent an extensive mid-cycle revision. Largely coinciding with the addition of 5-mph bumpers for the front and rear fascias, the roofline of the Marquis saw a complete redesign. Though distinguished further from the Lincoln Continental, the four-door Marquis shared its roofline with the Ford LTD; in contrast to the LTD, the two-door remained a hardtop with retractable side windows (enlarged for better visibility). Alongside the four-door hardtop, the four-door sedan and station wagon were marketed as "pillared hardtops" (produced with thin chromed B-pillars, allowing frameless door glass). The interior saw a revision of the trim and seats, with a redesign of the dashboard (clustering the instruments behind the steering wheel and the secondary controls to the center of the dashboard).