The Mercury Grand Marquis was produced from the 1975 to the 2011 model year. It began as the flagship sub-model of the Mercury Marquis, became a stand-alone model line in 1983 and ended as the longest-running Mercury nameplate, the last car of the brand.
Mercury Grand Marquis at a glance
| Production | 1975–2011 model years |
|---|---|
| First appearance | 1974, as an interior trim package on the Marquis Brougham |
| Own model line | from 1983 |
| Platform | rear-wheel-drive Ford Panther from 1979 |
| Stablemates | Ford LTD Crown Victoria, Ford Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car |
| Built | 2.7 million |
| Longevity | 36 years, the longest-running Mercury nameplate |
| Body styles | four-door sedan, four-door hardtop (1975–1978), two-door hardtop (1975–1987) |
| 1975 engines | 460 cu in V8 standard, 400 cu in from 1976, 351 cu in from 1978 |
| Last car | 4 January 2011, St Thomas, Ontario |
The article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia page on the Grand Marquis.
History of the Mercury Grand Marquis
From trim package to flagship
The Grand Marquis name first appeared in 1974 as an interior trim package for the Marquis Brougham, adding a wood-trim steering wheel and leather-and-velour split-bench seats. For 1975 all full-size Mercury sedans adopted the Marquis nameplate as the division retired the Monterey, and the Grand Marquis became the highest trim of the Marquis, above the Brougham. It bridged the gap between the Marquis Brougham and the Lincoln Continental and was aimed at premium medium-brand sedans such as the Buick Electra 225, Oldsmobile Ninety Eight and Chrysler New Yorker Brougham. The first cars came as a four-door pillared hardtop or a two-door hardtop, with hidden headlights as on the Marquis and Colony Park, and the 460 cu in V8. A 400 cu in V8 became standard for 1976 and 1977, a 351 cu in V8 for 1978 except in California, and the 460 stayed optional through 1978. All engines used a three-speed automatic, and four-wheel disc brakes, shared with the Lincoln Continental, were optional.
The Panther years
For 1979 the full-size Mercury line was downsized: the cars were 17 inches shorter and nearly 1,000 pounds lighter than their 1978 predecessors, while offering more interior and luggage space than the intermediate Cougar. The Grand Marquis returned as the premium model of the Marquis range, and from 1980 it had a direct counterpart in the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, which shared almost the same body apart from the front and rear fascias. For 1983 the Marquis name moved to the mid-size class, the Zephyr was discontinued and the Grand Marquis became the full-size Mercury on its own for the first time since 1951. From 1979 to 2011 it shared the rear-wheel-drive Panther platform with the Ford LTD Crown Victoria, later the Ford Crown Victoria, and from 1980 with the Lincoln Town Car.
Through the 1980s the Grand Marquis became the last traditional American full-size sedan of its kind. Its GM rivals were downsized onto front-wheel-drive platforms for 1985, Chrysler left the traditional full-size market in 1981, and the Grand Marquis carried on with rear-wheel drive and a V8. It was sold as a four-door sedan for nearly its entire run; from 1988 to 2011 that was the only body style, after the four-door hardtop of 1975–1978 and the two-door hardtop of 1975–1987.
The end of Mercury
The Grand Marquis was the second-best-selling Mercury line after the Cougar, with 2.7 million cars built, and at 36 years it was the longest-running Mercury nameplate, ahead of the Cougar’s 34. Ford built it at St Louis Assembly in Hazelwood, Missouri, from 1979 to 1985 and at St Thomas Assembly in Southwold, Ontario, from 1986 to 2011, alongside the Mercury Marquis, Mercury Marauder, Ford Crown Victoria and, from 2007, the Lincoln Town Car. Ford announced the end of the Mercury brand in 2010, and the last Grand Marquis, the final Mercury-badged car, was built on 4 January 2011 at St Thomas.
Design and features
- Flagship comfort: the top Mercury sedan, above the Marquis Brougham.
- Panther platform: shared with the Ford Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car for more than thirty years.
- Rear-wheel drive and V8: the last traditional full-size American sedan of its kind.
- Long production run: 36 years and 2.7 million cars, the longest-running Mercury nameplate.
- The last Mercury: the final car built on 4 January 2011.
Mercury Grand Marquis versions
- Grand Marquis (1975–1978): the first generation, with the 460, 400 and 351 V8 engines.
- Grand Marquis (1979–1991): the downsized Panther-platform car.
- Grand Marquis (1992–2011): the later Panther generations, the last of which was the basis of the 2003–2004 Marauder.
The Grand Marquis topped the range and shared its platform with the Marauder; the Park Lane was its predecessor among full-size Mercurys. More cars are in the Mercury collection.
Video: Burnout Mercury Grand Marquis
Video by yampolbom on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercury Grand Marquis, English Wikipedia: history, engines, platform, production figures and the end of the line
