1966-1967 Mercury Cyclone GT

Photo of 1967 Mercury Cyclone GT.
The 1966 and 1967 Mercury Cyclone GT featured a checkered-flag front-fender insignia. See more classic car pictures.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.

When the 1966-1967 Mercury Cyclone GT entered the market, it was a different breed of Comet -- and a different breed of performance-packed Cyclone. Because Ford and Mercury models were now so closely related, a body change at Ford invariably affected Mercury's side of the street, too.

Since its introduction in 1960, Mercury's Comet was always somewhat larger than the Ford Falcon on which it was based, though smaller than the intermediate Ford Fairlane introduced in 1962. By 1966, however, it was apparently decided that the expense of producing three different "small" bodies wasn't justified, so Ford Motor Company followed GM's lead by "cloning" its intermediates, moving the Comet up to share the newly redesigned Fairlane's 116-inch wheelbase.

Advertisement

Classic Cars Image Gallery

Four Comet subseries comprised the new lineup: budget-priced (and shorter) 202, plus a Capri, Caliente, and Cyclone, the last three stretching to 203 inches in length. Wheelbases measured 116 inches on all, up from 114.

As in its prior incarnation under the Comet Cyclone banner, the bigger (maybe even better) new Mercury Cyclone came in just two body styles -- hardtop coupe and convertible -- in either base or GT form.

The 1966 Mercury Cyclone GT had only one engine choice: a 335-bhp, 390-cid V-8 with four-barrel carburetor and dual exhausts. Sound familiar? Fairlane GTs used the same engine. Mercury ads promised that their GT "delivers go that can shove you right back into your bucket seat."

Suspensions earned an upgrade, but obviously the big change was in the body. All Cyclones wore vertically stacked quad headlights recessed into separate round housings, dual pinstripes, and a twin-section grille.

Dramatic lower-body race striping between the wheel openings, a checkered-flag front-fender insignia, and a pair of flat hood scoops (which led nowhere) were part of the 1966 Mercury Cyclone GT package.

Though similar in shape to the regular Comet/Cyclone grille, the GT version had its own pattern of horizontal bars, plus a tiny checkerboard segment on one end. Two thin full-length stripes ran along the upper fender line. Not everyone realized it, but the GT's hood was made of fiberglass.

The 1966 Mercury Cyclone GT also included an engine dress-up kit, 7.75 x 14 whitewalls on heavy-duty 5.5-inch wheels, 3.25:1 axle ratio, and console-mounted gearshift lever.

The heavy-duty suspension used a large-diameter front stabilizer bar. Bucket seats were upholstered with pleated vinyl, available in solid colors or two-tone mixtures. The driver faced a sports-style two-spoke steering wheel, a raised group of instruments, and black matte dashboard.

Either a four-speed manual or Sport Shift Merc-O-Matic could replace the standard three-speed. Sport Shift permitted manual control of 1-2-3 shift points, or easy cruising in Drive range.

Since the loss of the Meteor after 1963, Mercury had no mid-size model at all; so the enlarged Comet-derived series appealed to a fresh set of customers. Mercury Cyclone GTs outsold regular Cyclones by almost 2-to-l, with 15,970 reaching the showrooms. Even so, the cheaper Comets scored higher, led by the low-budget 202 series with nearly 64,000 coming off the line.

See what happened with the 1967 Mercury Cyclone GT on the next page.

For more information on cars, see:

Advertisement

1967 Mercury Cyclone GT

Photo of 1967 Mercury Cyclone GT.
The 1967 Mercury Cyclone GT was marked by lower-body rally striping and a black-out grille.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.

Little more than cosmetic changes marked the 1967 Mercury Cyclone GT, which wore a single-section, horizontal-bar grille with center insignia. Taillights and rear-end decorations also enjoyed a freshening. Engine modifications dropped the 390-cid V-8 down to 320 horsepower. The regular 289-cid Cyclone V-8 remained at 200 bhp.

Lower-body rally striping again helped identify the Mercury Cyclone GT, as did its black-out grille. GT extras didn't change much, including a twin-scoop hood, bright engine components, Wide-Oval whitewalls, stiffened suspension, and power front-disc brakes.

Advertisement

By 1967, the Comet name was officially used only on basic 202 sedans. This was not a good year for Cyclone sales -- or for that matter, any Comet-derived models. GT production dropped sharply, down to only 3,797 in all and a mere 378 ragtops. Even fewer ordinary Cyclones left the plant.

Photo of 1967 Mercury Cyclone GT.
The 1967 Mercury Cyclone GT bore vertical taillights, which were previously horizontal.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.

After a strong start, Mercury's performance mid-size seemed to be faltering, unable to catch hold like its Fairlane cousin. Service as Pace Car for the 1966 Indy 500 (with Benson Ford at the helm) and an award from Super Stock magazine as "performance car of the year" weren't helping at the showroom. Disappointed they had to be, but the folks at Mercury weren't ready to quit just yet, as the next generation of intermediates would demonstrate.

See detailed specifications for the 1966 and 1967 Mercury Cyclone GT on the next page.

For more information on cars, see:

Advertisement

1966-1967 Mercury Cyclone GT Specifications

Photo of 1967 Mercury Cyclone GT.
Engine modifications in the 1967 Mercury Cyclone GT dropped the 390-cid V-8 down to 320 bhp.
©2007 Publications International, Ltd.

In the 1966-1967 Mercury Cyclone GT, a 390 V-8 was the standard (and only) engine. Though production of the 1966 Mercury Cyclone reached nearly 16,000, fewer than 4,000 1967 Mercury Cyclones were sold.

Specifications

Engine: ohv V-8, 390 cid (4.05 x 3.78), 335 bhp (1966) 320 bhp (1967)

Advertisement

Transmissions: 3-speed manual; 4-speed manual and 3-speed Sport Shift Merc-O-Matic optional

Suspension front: upper arms, strut-stabilized lower arms, coil springs, anti-sway bar

Suspension rear: live axle, leaf springs

Brakes: front/rear drums (front discs optional in 1966, standard in 1967)

Wheelbase (in.): 116.0

Weight (lbs.): 3,075-3,595

Top speed (mph): 123

0-60 mph (sec): 6.6

For more information on cars, see:

Advertisement

Advertisement

Loading...