Mercury Montego (1972-1976)
| Mercury | |
|---|---|
 Mercury Montego Coupe (1975)
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| Montego | |
| Production period: | 1972-1976 |
| Class : | upper middle class |
| Body versions : | Sedan , station wagon , coupé |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 4.1–7.5 liters (68–148.5 kW) |
| Length: | 5425 mm |
| Width: | 2014 mm |
| Height: | 1440 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2896-2997 mm |
| Empty weight : | 2002-2300 kg |
| Previous model | Mercury Montego |
| successor | Mercury Cougar |
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The Mercury Montego from 1972 to 1976 was an upper middle class vehicle from the American automobile manufacturer Ford , which was sold under the Mercury brand . It was the second and, for the following 28 years, the last series to bear this model designation. The Montego was closely related to the contemporary Ford Torino in technical terms, but had an independent body.
background
The Mercury Montego developed parallel to the Ford Torino. Just as the Torino was introduced in 1968 as a higher-quality version of the Ford Fairlane , the Montego was initially an exclusive version of the Fairlane counterpart Mercury Comet . At the beginning of the 1970 model year, Ford dropped the model name Fairlane and Mercury dropped the name Comet, so the Mid-range models were now uniformly called Ford Torino and Mercury Montego.
The 1970 and 1971 Mercury Montego had a self-supporting body . In contrast to its Ford counterpart, the car had a clearly protruding grille in the so-called Knudsen style, and concealed headlights could be ordered as an option . The particularly sporty hatchback coupe as Mercury Cyclone was the counterpart to the Ford Torino Cobra.
Technology and body in the years 1972 to 1976
For the 1972 model year, Ford developed a new series of the Torino and derived a Mercury version from it, which in turn was named Montego.
The Montego was technically identical to the Ford Torino built between 1972 and 1976. It was now based on a separate box frame on which the body was placed. The Montego was available as a coupe, a four-door sedan and a station wagon. The equipment versions were called Montego (base), Montego MX and Montego MX Brougham. The sporty Cyclone version was no longer produced from 1972, and was replaced by the Montego GT.
As in the case of the Torino, large six- and eight-cylinder engines with displacements of 4.1 and 7.5 liters were used as the drive. The six-cylinder engine was discontinued in model year 1974, the smallest eight-cylinder one year later.
The body of the Montego basically followed that of the Torino; At Mercury, too, the designers chose a layout with a long bonnet and short trunk. The glazing was identical to the Torino, but the sheet metal parts of the Montego were made smoother in the area of the fenders. In particular, the Montego lacked the noticeable beads in the area of the rear fenders. In general, the design of the Montego was perceived as more attractive compared to the Torino.
Like the Torinos, the Mercury Montegos from 1972 to 1976 were large and heavy cars, whose curb weight, depending on the engine and the special equipment used, could reach 2.3 tons and whose gasoline consumption was up to 30 liters per 100 kilometers. Critics complained about a spongy driving behavior due to the suspension that was set too softly and the poor economy of space.
Engines
- 4.1-liter six-cylinder: 4097 cm³ (250 cu.in.), 92–95 hp (68–70 kW)
- 4.9-liter six-cylinder: 4949 cc (302 cu.in.), 137–140 hp (101–103 kW)
- 5.8-liter eight-cylinder: 5752 cc (351 cu.in.), 148–153 hp (109–113 kW)
- 6.6-liter eight-cylinder: 6555 cm³ (400 cu.in.), 180 PS (132 kW)
- 7.5-liter eight-cylinder: 7538 cm³ (460 cu.in.), 202 hp (148.5 kW)
production
The Mercury Montego was a few hundred dollars more expensive than its Ford counterpart in each model year. It sold much worse than the Torino. While the Torino produced over 1.6 million vehicles between 1972 and 1976, the Montego only produced around 500,000 vehicles in the same period.
As with the Torino, sales of the Montego fell noticeably after the first oil crisis in 1974. In the second half of the 1970s, buyers preferred the Mercury Monarch , which was smaller and more economical, but had better interior space than the Montego.
Mercury Montego production figures |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model year | Coupé two-door | Sedan four-door | Five-door wagon | total |
| 1972 | 70.002 | 49,585 | 15,505 | 139.092 |
| 1973 | 80,309 | 57,088 | 19,408 | 156,805 |
| 1974 | 49.113 | 38,587 | 10,319 | 98.019 |
| 1975 | 26,508 | 24,683 | 10,626 | 61,453 |
| 1976 | 18,585 | 17,709 | 11,424 | 47,718 |
| total | 244,517 | 187,652 | 66,918 | 499.087 |
Derivatives
A luxurious version of the Montego Coupé with a modified front section was sold from 1974 to 1976 under the name Mercury Cougar . While the Cougar was a derivative of the Ford Mustang until 1972, in the form presented in 1974 it was a decidedly comfortable Personal Luxury Coupé that was intended as an alternative to the larger Ford Thunderbird . The Ford Elite was derived from the Cougar in 1974 .
successor
The successor to the Montego was named Mercury Cougar. It was introduced in the summer of 1976. The car took over the box frame as well as the entire drive technology of the Montego, but received an updated, angular body, which in turn was available as a coupé, sedan and station wagon.
literature
- Albert R. Bochroch: American Cars of the Seventies . Warne's Transport Library, London 1982. ISBN 0-7232-2870-1 .
- Flammang, James M./Kowalke, Ron: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1976–1999 , Krause Publications, Iola 1999. ISBN 0-87341-755-0
- Gunnell, John: Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 , Krause Publications, Iola 2002. ISBN 0-87349-461-X
- Richard M. Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980 . New York (Beekman House) 1984. ISBN 0-517-42462-2 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ The term "Knudsen grill" refers to the Ford manager Semon E. Knudsen, who at the beginning of the 1970s established a radiator grille that protruded beyond the headlight line as a uniform stylistic element in many Ford models. An example of the Knudsen grill on European Ford models is the Ford Taunus TC .
- ^ Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980, p. 455.
- ↑ Information from Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930–1980, p. 463 ff.
- ↑ Langworth: Encyclopedia of American Cars 1930-1980, p. 453: "Replacement Thunderbird".