Never make fun of these cars. At 75 MPH, your passenger could recline their seat and sleep through a tankful of gasoline. NONE of the cars today, including the top of the line Mercedes, will allow that now. These cars represented the last of the long-distance cruisers. For anyone over the age of 50, they are sorely missed. Today's cars are 4-5 hour cruisers, at best. These cars were 10-hour cruisers. If you've never ridden in these cars, you have absolutely no idea of what you are missing. When Ford placed the "Ride Engineered" plaque on the dashboard, they were dead serious. G.M.'s large cars for 1975 rode every bit as nice but, Ford allowed the wheels to extend a little longer. When coming off a bridge while on the highway where there is a big dip in the road, the Ford products hung in the air longer before coming down on a cushion of air while the front ends of the G.M. cars tended to come down sooner. ALL of the 1975 and 1976 luxury cars were insanely smooth though compared to the cars of today. I have ridden in most of them so, I know. Everyone over the age of 55 will tell you stories about how their parents had to re-park their car after getting out and seeing the right rear tire up on the curb while parallel parking. The springs were so soft, no one in the car felt it. Those were the days!
Wayne Johnson. I love the big old boats too man.75 felt like you were sitting on your living room couch watching taxi lol.I had an 81 delta 98 . The only thing it didn't come with was a chauffeur . Quiet engine and ride in it .I had an 82 Buick Electra too.That rode like a dream too plus I felt a little safer in them .I can remember looking at the speedo a lot .You think you're doing 50 you look down you're doing 80 lol. My dad drove 60 -70's 4 door boats growing up and I've loved them and the smooth ride ever since.I really miss the 98. Wish I still had it.
+Mr. Groovy 2 Shoes, Those were great years to have. I had a friend who had a 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood and we used to take that car all over the place. I've had a 1971 Fleetwood, 1975 and '76 Coupe DeVille, '83 Sedan DeVille, 1994 Sedan DeVille, 1995 Sedan DeVille, 1995 Fleetwood, 1998 Eldorado ETC, and some others. I miss my 1976 Coupe DeVille the most.
I pointed to a new Cadillac while I was driving my 82yo Mom who drove and owned a 1977 Grand Marquis. She said "You are kidding me, what a shame" and then just laughed...
I currently own and drive a 1977 Grand Marquis and it is still the smoothest riding, easiest handling car. Original interior and it's like sitting on the softest of sofas. She floats down the highway and you don't even realize you're doing 75 to 80 mph. Before the Grand Marquis I had a 2011 Buick LaCrosse, fully loaded with all the toys but ride wise it can't compare, Grand Marquis wins hands down. I've had people offer to buy my car but not a chance, I love this car.
Robert Cramer Yeah those Ford Wagons were some big smooth riding vehicles-GMs were smooth and had that manual OR power clamshell tailgate that was AMAZING
I am ever so thankful that I was born in 1961 and came of driving age when these cars ruled the boulevards and freeways. Mercury Marquis' of this era are highly sought after. They are essentially a $11,000.00 Lincoln Continental platform of 124" wheelbase, at a very reasonable Mercury price of around $7,000.00, fully loaded, top-line, Grand Marquis. My uncle's sold them for years here in Dallas. They could not keep them on the lot long enough to usually have a demonstrator model available. They sold many Continental Mark IV's and many Marquis. Everyone in our family drove either Mercury's, Continental's, Oldsmobiles, or Cadillacs. Because that is what the family sold in the car business. I was blessed to be able to enjoy these wonderful, traditional, AMERICAN, luxury cars of this great era - 1972 through 1979. If you have never driven or owned one of these fabulous automobiles, I strongly urge you to seek them out and discover what true, AMERICAN, luxury motoring was all about. These cars will never be forgotten by those of us who drove and owned them. Today, these cars sell for more than their original price in the 1970s.
My father had a 1976 Dove-Gray, Mercury Marquis Brougham with a 460-ci (got her up to 122- MPH once!), a black 76 Lincoln Town Car also with a 460-ci, a Ford Mustang II Ghia with a 6-cyl, and, at mom's request, an Old's Cutlass with a Rocket 350-ci. Detroit sure knew how to build cars Back in The Day! 😲
I've been wanting a '75-77 Mercury Marquis. They're one of my favorites of all the 70s land yachts. There's absolutely nothing today like the suspension in those things, and the room you get inside is just outstanding! I feel more cramped riding in modern pickup trucks than in any big car of this period. I currently drive an '85 Cadillac, which I love, but these 70s Mercurys are just something else. I don't even care about having to pay more for gas if it means getting to drive something more comfortable than my couch. Edit: I now own a '76 Marquis! I found one in a junkyard and paid 300 bucks. Only catch is that the car has no drive line left and a few other parts robbed off. But the body is super straight and rust free, so after I find a drive line I'll have a really decent car.
@@dvndvdsn1 That's my plan, but it's been surprisingly hard to find one in my area. Seems they're either way too nice and expensive to part out, or they've already had the drive line plucked.
Takes me back to when I was 19, in 1975. Those cars were beautiful, something which sadly is long gone along with the distinctive looks that each brand had.
Holy crap! That's my dentist's office in the background at 2:07! Looks the same outside all these years later. In fact, that whole area (Huntington Drive and Sierra Madre Boulevard in San Marino, CA) looks about the same aside from the cars and the long-gone Shell station.
In 1975, I was just a 7 years old little boy and I always dreamt of owning a beautiful blue Grand Marquis exactly like the one showed in this advertisement video. But of course, in all my whole entire lifetime, I only owned one car and that was a 1978 Mercury Brougham Cougar. I just loved it as well. Thanks for bringing back old memories of my childhood from 1970s. Johnny, Montréal, Canada 🌈🌎❤️👍👌👋🌹😎🙏
I had the 4 door version and it was an exceptional road car. It's not made to be a race car. It was big, quiet and rode like you were on a cloud. And for it's size it wasn't terrible on gasoline. You could drive it from sun up to sun down and you didn't get out feeling like you had been beat up.
The Doctor's family down the street always had a Mercury Colony Park Wagon...very similar to the one in the video. Later, they bought an International Scout Traveler which was interesting considering it predated the SUV craze by two decades. With the winter weather in our area, four wheel drive was probably a deciding factor. My Dad being a bit more frugal had a Chevy Kingswood wagon...which matched the Impala trim level.
Absolutely Georgeous American cars...time flies bye to Fast... I'm 60 and remember these were some of the Finest cars on road back then. Made in America bye Americans only...Cars today cant touch vehicles from the past...I owned 4 Crown Victoria's and miss them dearly now..They were highway warriors...6 adults no problem...
U crazzzzzy? By 1975gas shot up to 47cents a gal Vietnam war was ending. Inflation was rampant and industrial plants were. Closing.......naw tuff times
I love these old yachts just as much as anyone else with some taste and a functional brain... But, something I truly miss, are those old-time Pitchmen that did all of the commercials!
The 1975 model year was when the full size Mercury line underwent a model rearrangement. All the big cars carried the Marquis name (no more Monterey). Similarly at Ford, the Galaxie 500 name was retired and all the big Fords were called LTD's.
Mom had a Mercury Colony Park Station Wagon, and Dad had nothing but Lincoln Continentals .. Needless to say, our young butts were chauffeured around Boca Raton in comfort and style, LoL!!
Bought myself a 4 door 78 Grand Marquis with 60,000 original miles and a 7.5 L v8 last year. Absolute boat and gas guzzler but I daily drive it just because of how comfortable it is. At 19 feet long you feel like you just float down the road. My mother had the exact one I have now when she was growing up and says "Its like driving a couch down the road". People see a young kid like me driving it and do a double take. Its even got a trailer hitch! Payed on $2000 for it, keep your eyes peeled everyone, they seem to be cheap but not for long.
I‘ll opt for the Marquis Brougham Sedan :) Just love the design. Being in Europe, i have chosen a 73 Plymouth Valiant Sedan which makes me happy and is a bit more suitable to our roads. Love the relaxed ride :)
Mom and dad bought a brand new 1978 Colony Park Wagon with the 460. Those woodie wagons were the best riding, best looking and most luxurious station wagons on the road back then! Ford ruined them in 1979 when they downsized them to square crapmobiles.
You are right. The Ford Country Squire with Landau Luxury Group and the Mercury Colony Park were the only US wagons available with Leather seating. Unfortunately the 460 was not offered after 1977. GM had downsized their cars by then and the 400 CID 2V V8 was the largest 78 offering. The 460 was"T even offered on the Lincoln in 78.
@@larryhawkins3294 The 460 was offered in '78 for the Lincolns, LTDs, and Marquis models. When they downsized the Fords and Mercs in '79, they dropped the 460 in Lincolns and gave them the 400 with no optional engine.
The downsizing was absolutely necessary and inevitable. These cars were behemoths. The downsizing brought them into the realm of realistic proportions - even though the new Panthers were still enormous by most modern measures (with the exception of Suburbans and Expeditions that crowd the roads today).
The Panther-body cars you described had a nice ride but they were not as well-built. My first car was a 1979 Ford LTD Landau coupe which had poor fit and finish and a lot of cheap plastic.
@@larryhawkins3294 I am looking at the Ford and Mercury brochures for 1978... the LTD, Country Squire, Marquis, and Colony Park could be ordered with the 460 V-8. FoMoCo had to raise the price of that engine option to hold down the demand due to the CAFE penalties. The 460 V-8 was discontinued in the 1979 Lincolns even though about 75 percent of the 1978 Lincolns were ordered with the larger engine.
Yeah baby those were the Days they still built Coupes and I have always appreciated that sublime personal Greyhound the oppulant Colony Park what a Station Wagon should be brother to the Country Squire of course
I love these cars and I have a number of them in my "stable" of classics, all in very nice condition. But some of the comments here are clearly written by people who inhaled too much of the partially consumed hydrocarbons that escaped from the tailpipes of these roadhogs.... YES, those cars rode smoothly and quietly...on an endless stretch of arrow-straight highway or interstate. Yes, the engines had oceans of torque that made for effortless cruising and passing at typical US highway speeds, and the seats were plush and the interiors sumptuous. And yes, they had character, gobs and gobs of it. I love them. BUT: let's start with the seats: plush as they may LOOK, but many times those slippery vinyl or leather benches had no contouring to hold you properly in place, even when going around modest turns at modest speeds. That caused you to tense up your posture just trying to stabilize yourself while keeping the wheel pointed in the right direction as you're clinging for some lateral support. And your passengers scrambling for a grab handle that often wasn't there. At 25 miles per hour. That's NOT comfort. Let's talk about those oh-so-soft riding suspensions: While superficially smooth and silky on smooth to average roads, the massive unsprung weight of those live axles made the rear ends of these cars hop, jitter and crash over chuckholes and broken concrete, accompanied by a terrifying symphony of clunks, squeaks and rattles from the flexy, under-engineered bodies. My (otherwise quite nice) 1977 Buick LeSabre telegraphed the exact nature of every expansion joint of the Los Angeles freeway system into the cabin, while my buddy's ancient 150,000 mile Karmann Ghia rode so smoothly over the same stretches of road that you'd swear the bumps didn't exist. My low-mileage '84 Town Car smoothed out the freeway hop ok but wallowed and gyrated so badly that even 55 mph was too fast over some of the finer sections of Southern Cali's expressways...So much for "ride engineering"...that's NOT comfort, either. I have a gorgeous 1972 Continental Mark IV. It has no room inside or the trunk. Even the glovebox is tiny. When I put my seat all the way back, my arms are still very much angled and I'm still way too close to the steering wheel. But there's no legroom left for rear seat passengers. The car is almost 19 feet long. Another engineering triumph. Yes, I know I bought it for the styling, but really...? I could go on and on. Those types of cars disappeared for good reasons. They were often, but not always, more flash over substance, style over design, hype over facts. And by the 70s and 80s, too many had become unreliable anachronisms of a bygone era. Do I enjoy my classics? You bet. But that doesn't mean I'm blind to their faults. That also doesn't mean that I can't love 'em anyway, warts, crushed velour and all...
Finally some reason here. Everybody just acts like these old barges are so comfy and well built, but I always found it to be the opposite. These cars ride downright harshly over rough roads, you can never settle into a seating position as you'll get thrown across the car every 30 seconds, and the steering requires constant attention to keep in a straight line. And the frames on a lot of the 70s and 80s Ford and GM cars are constructed out of what could best be described as silly putty. Watch the whole front clip bob up and down independently of the body while going down the road, quite reassuring in its quality. And thats not even taking into consideration the thin and poorly reinforced sheetmetal, the rust prone undercarriages, or the horrendous panel fitment. And good lord the noises. You'd have to be deaf to not go insane listening to all the creaking and groaning these things make going down the road. Driving one of these old Fords doesnt even feel like you're driving a car, its like you're driving a loosely assembled collection of parts down the road, like you're driving a garden shed.
We thought the 70's were terrible....PLEASE JESUS , send us back Im crying watching this video.We had the same car, you know because the Lincoln was 1,500 more!gtjoey1314
Great cars. I have a 78 Coupe . No plans to buy..saw it in garage. 1 owner 23,400 Miles 100%stock garage kept. looks new. Bought sight on scene. Thought the wife was going to kill me when I rolled up out front. I had other more expensive sought after muscle cars before.. but none get anywhere close to attention as my Merc. incredible. Thumbs up 👍 and everyone wants to sit in it. These are great cars. Thanks for posting this film
My best friends dad had one of those when we got our licenses. I must admit it was a beautiful riding car and very quiet. On the downside the suspension was so soft it was scary at anything over 70 MPH. Also the power was really lousy considering 460 cubes. He didn’t keep it long enough for it to rust out but that was a problem especially with ford in those years.
The scary suspension at high speeds was a feature, not a bug. Discouraging high speeds meant better (or less bad) fuel economy and fewer speeding tickets. :) I've read that some cars (like the Chevette) would shake at speeds of over 55 mph. Now THAT was a great way to enforce the 55 mph national speed limit. :)
I miss my 2007 Grande Marquis. It was totaled by a driver who thought a left hand turn in front of a car going straight was legal. He was wrong. However my Merc was gone and they stopped making them. Best car I ever owned, 6 years, 85,000 miles with original brakes, original battery and the only thing I had to replace was tires.
I have a 2009 Grand Marquis.. it is truly one of the very best cars I've ever owned. The only one that even comes close to the Marquis was a 1972 Chrysler New Yorker that I bought in 1977 and drove for 5 years.. now THAT was one hell of a car!
Stop lamenting. There are still plenty of low-mileage examples of that Grand Marquis in the used market selling at a fraction of the price you paid in 2007.
I have so much respect for people who still drive cars like this. Yesterday, a 1979 Lincoln Town Car pulled into the gas station right behind me and completely dwarfed my Honda. I couldn't BELIEVE how huge this car was/is. I love these Mercury's too though. Well, you know, I grew up watching Steve McGarrett's '68 Mercury on Hawaii 5-0, and that was the MAIN reason I watched it..!! Thanks for uploading this. I really enjoyed it.
I'd keep my Honda and let them have the un-dwarfed gas bill. These big boats pass anything but a gas station...they don't offer an optional 32 gallon tank for nothing...lol
Well, you know, I fantasise about having a car like that but the reality is about 12 miles per gallon. Smoothly does it to the gas station again. My Honda does 50 mpg -But it rides like a bread trolley.
I was 19 when I bought my 1978 Grand Marquis with a 460 engine 40,000 miles it was 1981 I had to drive back 30 miles to my house on Interstate 10 East I was going about 55 miles an hour all of a sudden a Corvette pulls up next to me and would stay even with me at 55 he wouldn't move in front of me I turned to see what his problem was he looked and gave me a signal to move forward I guess like to race I stepped on it hard that 460 kicked in and I left him about three car lengths behind me he could not catch up cuz he only had a little 350 engine under the hood I released the gas I was going way over 120 easy.
Love it. They don't make cars like this anymore unfortunately. Cars today lack the presence and details of ones past. I have a 79 Continental Mark V. Love that ol girl. I want one of these next!!
A 351 2v would get you 17mpg highway at 70 mph.I know cause at 17 I crossed the usa in my uncle's brand new Merc.And you could drive it for 10 hrs.And arrive fresh as a daisy.
Does anyone remember that in 1975 and 1975 only, all American vehicles would not start unless you had the driver's seat belt in place? I had a '75 Granada (bought it in the late-80's) and I would turn the key and pull up on the seat belt at the same time so the car would start. If I didn't pull the left belt up, the ignition was disabled. People hated that mandate and the government abandoned this safety requirement the following year.
I had a 1973 Pinto Squire Station Wagon with the interlock system. Say what you will, but that little Pinto was a great car Had it for 9.5 years w/140K on the ODO. Then I owned two Mitsubishi's (1883 and 1987). They also were good cars. Then I decided to go back to Ford in '95 and bought an Escort Sta Wagon. Let's just say it wasn"t a very good car and I got rid of it 18 months later with less than 20K miles on it. Went over to Honda and bought a '97 Civic. Had for 11 years w/172K when I traded it in for another Honda. This time I bought a Fit. Well that was 12 years ago and at 231K miles on it, absolutely nothing (did replace the clutch st 216K) has gone wrong with it. Sorry Ford. Love it when win at Nascar or outsell Chevy, but my heart (and checkbook) belong to Honda.
That was 1974, they lifted it in 1975. Maybe just model years maybe the calendar year I don't know but the seatbelt interlock system was mandated starting in 1974 models but was lifted a year later.
This is a dealer filmstrip used for sales training or to show a sales prospect. Likely the models shown here are pre-production, were never sold, and had to scrapped soon after for reasons of liability.
Lovely video. Cars from not so long ago and yet so different. Like another contributor I loved McGarrett's black Mercury in 5-O. Love those "luxury" touches, 100% vinyl like cashmere, and the wood "appliqué" In the UK manufacturers may not have made such big cars but they certainly borrowed the language to sell their cars, now can I still get a new car with a "brougham" style grille
sherrif1959 >>> Such a good point you make there. I graduated from college in 1991, still feel in my heart and my mind that that really wasn't *THAT* long ago... (was it?). Yet look how much Ford Crown Vics and Merc Grand Marquis have changed since then! Oh wait... that's right.... they're not even around anymore! :-(
Never make fun of these cars. At 75 MPH, your passenger could recline their seat and sleep through a tankful of gasoline. NONE of the cars today, including the top of the line Mercedes, will allow that now. These cars represented the last of the long-distance cruisers. For anyone over the age of 50, they are sorely missed. Today's cars are 4-5 hour cruisers, at best. These cars were 10-hour cruisers. If you've never ridden in these cars, you have absolutely no idea of what you are missing. When Ford placed the "Ride Engineered" plaque on the dashboard, they were dead serious. G.M.'s large cars for 1975 rode every bit as nice but, Ford allowed the wheels to extend a little longer. When coming off a bridge while on the highway where there is a big dip in the road, the Ford products hung in the air longer before coming down on a cushion of air while the front ends of the G.M. cars tended to come down sooner. ALL of the 1975 and 1976 luxury cars were insanely smooth though compared to the cars of today. I have ridden in most of them so, I know. Everyone over the age of 55 will tell you stories about how their parents had to re-park their car after getting out and seeing the right rear tire up on the curb while parallel parking. The springs were so soft, no one in the car felt it. Those were the days!
Wayne Johnson. I love the big old boats too man.75 felt like you were sitting on your living room couch watching taxi lol.I had an 81 delta 98 . The only thing it didn't come with was a chauffeur . Quiet engine and ride in it .I had an 82 Buick Electra too.That rode like a dream too plus I felt a little safer in them .I can remember looking at the speedo a lot .You think you're doing 50 you look down you're doing 80 lol. My dad drove 60 -70's 4 door boats growing up and I've loved them and the smooth ride ever since.I really miss the 98. Wish I still had it.
+Mr. Groovy 2 Shoes, Those were great years to have. I had a friend who had a 1976 Cadillac Fleetwood and we used to take that car all over the place. I've had a 1971 Fleetwood, 1975 and '76 Coupe DeVille, '83 Sedan DeVille, 1994 Sedan DeVille, 1995 Sedan DeVille, 1995 Fleetwood, 1998 Eldorado ETC, and some others. I miss my 1976 Coupe DeVille the most.
@@waynejohnson1304 Agreed, today's cramped cars feel like you're riding in a space capsule, but cars from then felt like you were riding in a castle.
DanJ30, Yes, you are right. I hate the newer cars. I cried when they downsized in 1977. Many people did.
10 hour cruiser at 75mph is 750 miles which for even the 32 gallon tank is about 23.5mpg. Are you telling me at 75mph this gets over 23mpg?!
I pointed to a new Cadillac while I was driving my 82yo Mom who drove and owned a 1977 Grand Marquis. She said "You are kidding me, what a shame" and then just laughed...
I currently own and drive a 1977 Grand Marquis and it is still the smoothest riding, easiest handling car. Original interior and it's like sitting on the softest of sofas. She floats down the highway and you don't even realize you're doing 75 to 80 mph. Before the Grand Marquis I had a 2011 Buick LaCrosse, fully loaded with all the toys but ride wise it can't compare, Grand Marquis wins hands down. I've had people offer to buy my car but not a chance, I love this car.
U gotta be kiddin'
@@josephambrose2852 You aren't terribly bright, are you, son?
I'm getting weepy over a mid-70's station wagon!! Oh those were the days! I want em back!
same here Michael!
Pass the tissue :(
There was nothing like a Ford/Mercury Station Wagons.
They were the B E S T!!!
Robert Cramer Yeah those Ford Wagons were some big smooth riding vehicles-GMs were smooth and had that manual OR power clamshell tailgate that was AMAZING
I’m got one. Actually, a 70’s model Buick.
I am ever so thankful that I was born in 1961 and came of driving age when these cars ruled the boulevards and freeways. Mercury Marquis' of this era are highly sought after. They are essentially a $11,000.00 Lincoln Continental platform of 124" wheelbase, at a very reasonable Mercury price of around $7,000.00, fully loaded, top-line, Grand Marquis. My uncle's sold them for years here in Dallas. They could not keep them on the lot long enough to usually have a demonstrator model available. They sold many Continental Mark IV's and many Marquis. Everyone in our family drove either Mercury's, Continental's, Oldsmobiles, or Cadillacs. Because that is what the family sold in the car business. I was blessed to be able to enjoy these wonderful, traditional, AMERICAN, luxury cars of this great era - 1972 through 1979.
If you have never driven or owned one of these fabulous automobiles, I strongly urge you to seek them out and discover what true, AMERICAN, luxury motoring was all about. These cars will never be forgotten by those of us who drove and owned them. Today, these cars sell for more than their original price in the 1970s.
I was 15 years old in 1975 these commercials bring back memories Thank You for sharing this video.
I so miss the big boats.
My father had a 1976 Dove-Gray, Mercury Marquis Brougham with a 460-ci (got her up to 122- MPH once!), a black 76 Lincoln Town Car also with a 460-ci, a Ford Mustang II Ghia with a 6-cyl, and, at mom's request, an Old's Cutlass with a Rocket 350-ci. Detroit sure knew how to build cars Back in The Day! 😲
I've been wanting a '75-77 Mercury Marquis. They're one of my favorites of all the 70s land yachts. There's absolutely nothing today like the suspension in those things, and the room you get inside is just outstanding! I feel more cramped riding in modern pickup trucks than in any big car of this period. I currently drive an '85 Cadillac, which I love, but these 70s Mercurys are just something else. I don't even care about having to pay more for gas if it means getting to drive something more comfortable than my couch.
Edit: I now own a '76 Marquis! I found one in a junkyard and paid 300 bucks. Only catch is that the car has no drive line left and a few other parts robbed off. But the body is super straight and rust free, so after I find a drive line I'll have a really decent car.
Buy a junk ford rv, and grab the 460, and c6 automatic out of it
@@dvndvdsn1 That's my plan, but it's been surprisingly hard to find one in my area. Seems they're either way too nice and expensive to part out, or they've already had the drive line plucked.
💪👍🫵
Ahh, I want to go back to this time, if only for an afternoon ;)
Ditto
Count me in John.. that would be awesome!
Me Too👌🏽😂👌🏽👌🏽
Every thing was good.
I'm greety John. I want a month. April 1978 works for me!
Takes me back to when I was 19, in 1975. Those cars were beautiful, something which sadly is long gone along with the distinctive looks that each brand had.
John Candy's car in the Uncle Buck movie from back in 1989.
Great American Elegance. Ya Gawd damn right! Beautiful car!
Holy crap! That's my dentist's office in the background at 2:07! Looks the same outside all these years later. In fact, that whole area (Huntington Drive and Sierra Madre Boulevard in San Marino, CA) looks about the same aside from the cars and the long-gone Shell station.
notice it was able to pass the gas station. lol. at least that time.
Mr Anderson .. that is beautiful I think the life was good.
Tom--good one. This is where YT really shines. I always wonder about these ad settings. Why that location? What does it look like today?
No doubt the real estate prices in those neighborhoods were ridiculously low compared to today.
thats actually very cool
I'm a Cadillac man and even this Marquis is appealing.
I’m from Abergavenny in South Wales. Those cars are wider than our roads!!! 😂
In 1975, I was just a 7 years old little boy and I always dreamt of owning a beautiful blue Grand Marquis exactly like the one showed in this advertisement video. But of course, in all my whole entire lifetime, I only owned one car and that was a 1978 Mercury Brougham Cougar. I just loved it as well. Thanks for bringing back old memories of my childhood from 1970s. Johnny, Montréal, Canada 🌈🌎❤️👍👌👋🌹😎🙏
I had the 4 door version and it was an exceptional road car. It's not made to be a race car. It was big, quiet and rode like you were on a cloud. And for it's size it wasn't terrible on gasoline. You could drive it from sun up to sun down and you didn't get out feeling like you had been beat up.
The Doctor's family down the street always had a Mercury Colony Park Wagon...very similar to the one in the video. Later, they bought an International Scout Traveler which was interesting considering it predated the SUV craze by two decades. With the winter weather in our area, four wheel drive was probably a deciding factor.
My Dad being a bit more frugal had a Chevy Kingswood wagon...which matched the Impala trim level.
The music!
Sailing music - appropriate!
My mother had the regular mercury Marquis. It was still a really nice car to ride in. Especially on the highway.
Gorgeous car … had a 76 it was the nicest car I’ve ever owned.
Absolutely Georgeous American cars...time flies bye to Fast... I'm 60 and remember these were some of the Finest cars on road back then. Made in America bye Americans only...Cars today cant touch vehicles from the past...I owned 4 Crown Victoria's and miss them dearly now..They were highway warriors...6 adults no problem...
I love how these ads were shot through the fog of an anxiolytic. Life was so much easier then.
U crazzzzzy? By 1975gas shot up to 47cents a gal Vietnam war was ending. Inflation was rampant and industrial plants were. Closing.......naw tuff times
Nice cares, and reliable too. But if you lived in an area where roads were salted in winter, they rusted out quickly.
The epitome of luxury, miss big beautiful land yachts like this.
I want to ask my salesman for a demonstration!!
Imagine picking one up brand new back in the 70’s!
I'll take the blue 4 door Grand Marquis model please!
same here!!
Dark blue cars are so elegant.
Man i wish i could buy a new one of these today
I love these old yachts just as much as anyone else with some taste and a functional brain... But, something I truly miss, are those old-time Pitchmen that did all of the commercials!
Unbelievable pieces of art/engineering!!
The 1975 model year was when the full size Mercury line underwent a model rearrangement. All the big cars carried the Marquis name (no more Monterey). Similarly at Ford, the Galaxie 500 name was retired and all the big Fords were called LTD's.
latest trash from detroit
And the 1975 restyle on the existing chassis of the Marquis and LTD lasted through 1978 and the Continental through 1979.
Victoria Louden = Didn’t know you were from Detroit?
Geminisixtyfour = They went to LTD, LTD Brougham, and LTD Landau.
The beast from uncle buck!
Mom had a Mercury Colony Park Station Wagon, and Dad had nothing but Lincoln Continentals .. Needless to say, our young butts were chauffeured around Boca Raton in comfort and style, LoL!!
Well la. Free faaaaaa....We made do with pinto squire wagons
Except for the music this was great to watch. The Mercury Marquis for 1975 had the best ride ever! Drove to smooth and quite. Wow what a car.
“For those who demand an extra “MAY-ZHUR”.... Of everything, obviously
Bought myself a 4 door 78 Grand Marquis with 60,000 original miles and a 7.5 L v8 last year. Absolute boat and gas guzzler but I daily drive it just because of how comfortable it is. At 19 feet long you feel like you just float down the road. My mother had the exact one I have now when she was growing up and says "Its like driving a couch down the road". People see a young kid like me driving it and do a double take. Its even got a trailer hitch! Payed on $2000 for it, keep your eyes peeled everyone, they seem to be cheap but not for long.
Ahhhhh....the year I was born. Love the music and the commercial. And the fact that Hoffa drove this car. Or was last seen in it.
Yeah. Inna trunk. And. Now inna bridge pylon by Staten Island. Nyc
I love the music to this!
Simulated rosewood and vinyl aplique sign me up !!!
Extended range tank. Wow. Never knew that. I own a 90's Mercury and love it.
Yeah with standard 20hal tank got you a little over. 200 miles and could you afford to fill it at 52cent a gal??
Its Nothing like the Good ol Days! I love this 👌🏽😘😘😘😘
I had a 1976 Grand Marquis in the 1990's. Loved it.
I‘ll opt for the Marquis Brougham Sedan :) Just love the design.
Being in Europe, i have chosen a 73 Plymouth Valiant Sedan which makes me happy and is a bit more suitable to our roads. Love the relaxed ride :)
GREAT Commercial!!
Mom and dad bought a brand new 1978 Colony Park Wagon with the 460. Those woodie wagons were the best riding, best looking and most luxurious station wagons on the road back then! Ford ruined them in 1979 when they downsized them to square crapmobiles.
You are right. The Ford Country Squire with Landau Luxury Group and the Mercury Colony Park were the only US wagons available with Leather seating. Unfortunately the 460 was not offered after 1977. GM had downsized their cars by then and the 400 CID 2V V8 was the largest 78 offering. The 460 was"T even offered on the Lincoln in 78.
@@larryhawkins3294 The 460 was offered in '78 for the Lincolns, LTDs, and Marquis models. When they downsized the Fords and Mercs in '79, they dropped the 460 in Lincolns and gave them the 400 with no optional engine.
The downsizing was absolutely necessary and inevitable. These cars were behemoths. The downsizing brought them into the realm of realistic proportions - even though the new Panthers were still enormous by most modern measures (with the exception of Suburbans and Expeditions that crowd the roads today).
The Panther-body cars you described had a nice ride but they were not as well-built. My first car was a 1979 Ford LTD Landau coupe which had poor fit and finish and a lot of cheap plastic.
@@larryhawkins3294 I am looking at the Ford and Mercury brochures for 1978... the LTD, Country Squire, Marquis, and Colony Park could be ordered with the 460 V-8. FoMoCo had to raise the price of that engine option to hold down the demand due to the CAFE penalties. The 460 V-8 was discontinued in the 1979 Lincolns even though about 75 percent of the 1978 Lincolns were ordered with the larger engine.
I'll take one of each, love 'em ALL - especially that station wagon!
Power and elegant. Ford great cars.
thanx for posting this,...now that is a promo video, and that is a real car,....uncle buck would be proud.
As My Uncle Said...
Ford Has an Engine for All Life.
Incredible Car!!!
I truly enjoyed this vid..... love going back in time with the old land aughts'
Yeah baby those were the Days they still built Coupes and I have always appreciated that sublime personal Greyhound the oppulant Colony Park what a Station Wagon should be brother to the Country Squire of course
I love these cars and I have a number of them in my "stable" of classics, all in very nice condition. But some of the comments here are clearly written by people who inhaled too much of the partially consumed hydrocarbons that escaped from the tailpipes of these roadhogs....
YES, those cars rode smoothly and quietly...on an endless stretch of arrow-straight highway or interstate. Yes, the engines had oceans of torque that made for effortless cruising and passing at typical US highway speeds, and the seats were plush and the interiors sumptuous. And yes, they had character, gobs and gobs of it. I love them.
BUT: let's start with the seats: plush as they may LOOK, but many times those slippery vinyl or leather benches had no contouring to hold you properly in place, even when going around modest turns at modest speeds. That caused you to tense up your posture just trying to stabilize yourself while keeping the wheel pointed in the right direction as you're clinging for some lateral support. And your passengers scrambling for a grab handle that often wasn't there. At 25 miles per hour. That's NOT comfort.
Let's talk about those oh-so-soft riding suspensions: While superficially smooth and silky on smooth to average roads, the massive unsprung weight of those live axles made the rear ends of these cars hop, jitter and crash over chuckholes and broken concrete, accompanied by a terrifying symphony of clunks, squeaks and rattles from the flexy, under-engineered bodies. My (otherwise quite nice) 1977 Buick LeSabre telegraphed the exact nature of every expansion joint of the Los Angeles freeway system into the cabin, while my buddy's ancient 150,000 mile Karmann Ghia rode so smoothly over the same stretches of road that you'd swear the bumps didn't exist. My low-mileage '84 Town Car smoothed out the freeway hop ok but wallowed and gyrated so badly that even 55 mph was too fast over some of the finer sections of Southern Cali's expressways...So much for "ride engineering"...that's NOT comfort, either.
I have a gorgeous 1972 Continental Mark IV. It has no room inside or the trunk. Even the glovebox is tiny. When I put my seat all the way back, my arms are still very much angled and I'm still way too close to the steering wheel. But there's no legroom left for rear seat passengers. The car is almost 19 feet long. Another engineering triumph. Yes, I know I bought it for the styling, but really...?
I could go on and on. Those types of cars disappeared for good reasons. They were often, but not always, more flash over substance, style over design, hype over facts. And by the 70s and 80s, too many had become unreliable anachronisms of a bygone era. Do I enjoy my classics? You bet. But that doesn't mean I'm blind to their faults. That also doesn't mean that I can't love 'em anyway, warts, crushed velour and all...
Finally some reason here. Everybody just acts like these old barges are so comfy and well built, but I always found it to be the opposite. These cars ride downright harshly over rough roads, you can never settle into a seating position as you'll get thrown across the car every 30 seconds, and the steering requires constant attention to keep in a straight line. And the frames on a lot of the 70s and 80s Ford and GM cars are constructed out of what could best be described as silly putty. Watch the whole front clip bob up and down independently of the body while going down the road, quite reassuring in its quality. And thats not even taking into consideration the thin and poorly reinforced sheetmetal, the rust prone undercarriages, or the horrendous panel fitment. And good lord the noises. You'd have to be deaf to not go insane listening to all the creaking and groaning these things make going down the road. Driving one of these old Fords doesnt even feel like you're driving a car, its like you're driving a loosely assembled collection of parts down the road, like you're driving a garden shed.
1:59 deluxe steering wheel.
Haha those were in the Ford trucks too 😂
Brougham seemed to be a thing in the 70's. I had a 1977 Oldsmobile Brougham.
It was. Cadillac had the Fleetwood Brougham. Chrysler had the New Yorker Brougham. All at the same time during the 1970's
Lol ment luxury! You was a step or two up!
I once had a 1972 Pontiac Catalina 2-door Brougham! lol 😂
We thought the 70's were terrible....PLEASE JESUS , send us back Im crying watching this video.We had the same car, you know because the Lincoln was 1,500 more!gtjoey1314
Every time I see one of these big 70's Fords, I keep expecting William Conrad to climb out of it. I watched a lot of "Cannon" when I was a kid.
Didn't we all?
Barnaby Jones too and background cars on Rockford and. Star sky. And Hutchinson
Love the video. My first car was a ‘72 Mercury Monterey, coupe, brown on brown! Great memories! 😎👍
Great cars. I have a 78 Coupe . No plans to buy..saw it in garage. 1 owner 23,400 Miles 100%stock garage kept. looks new. Bought sight on scene. Thought the wife was going to kill me when I rolled up out front. I had other more expensive sought after muscle cars before.. but none get anywhere close to attention as my Merc. incredible. Thumbs up 👍 and everyone wants to sit in it. These are great cars. Thanks for posting this film
Thank you so much for posting these. Please keep 'em coming!!
AMEN!
My best friends dad had one of those when we got our licenses. I must admit it was a beautiful riding car and very quiet. On the downside the suspension was so soft it was scary at anything over 70 MPH. Also the power was really lousy considering 460 cubes.
He didn’t keep it long enough for it to rust out but that was a problem especially with ford in those years.
The scary suspension at high speeds was a feature, not a bug. Discouraging high speeds meant better (or less bad) fuel economy and fewer speeding tickets. :)
I've read that some cars (like the Chevette) would shake at speeds of over 55 mph. Now THAT was a great way to enforce the 55 mph national speed limit. :)
2:50 The way he says MEA-SURE... that's old school.
These cars are nearly the same size as the houses they were driving past.
I miss cars like this.
I miss my 2007 Grande Marquis. It was totaled by a driver who thought a left hand turn in front of a car going straight was legal. He was wrong. However my Merc was gone and they stopped making them. Best car I ever owned, 6 years, 85,000 miles with original brakes, original battery and the only thing I had to replace was tires.
I have a 2009 Grand Marquis.. it is truly one of the very best cars I've ever owned. The only one that even comes close to the Marquis was a 1972 Chrysler New Yorker that I bought in 1977 and drove for 5 years.. now THAT was one hell of a car!
Stop lamenting. There are still plenty of low-mileage examples of that Grand Marquis in the used market selling at a fraction of the price you paid in 2007.
These sold so well that they were produced for four model years without styling or interior changes.
These commercials had class
love the brome grill!
Brougham.
Uncle Buck rocked the two door. ☺
32 gallons. Good lord....
And how much did all that fuel weigh ??
Nothing better to survive an oil embargo... than 32 gallons of fuel (they will get sucked up quickly by the 460 anyway)
@@derekhallows9479 About 100kg - or 4% of the kerb weight.
300 miles worth of big block cruising.
My thought exactly. Today that would be about a $132.00 fill up. Now you know why these boats went away. LOL.
It's too bad that the Mercury Grand Marquis didn't have a Steve McGarrett trim package...
Beautiful car.
Beutyfull cars!! Thats were the days.
Beautiful cars.
If you still have yours, hold onto it for dear life!
I have so much respect for people who still drive cars like this. Yesterday, a 1979 Lincoln Town Car pulled into the gas station right behind me and completely dwarfed my Honda.
I couldn't BELIEVE how huge this car was/is. I love these Mercury's too though. Well, you know, I grew up watching Steve McGarrett's '68 Mercury on Hawaii 5-0, and that was the MAIN reason I watched it..!! Thanks for uploading this. I really enjoyed it.
I do too!!! I wish more people drove 70's cars! And I've been watching the original Hawaii Five-0 recently too! I just finished season 4!
Jim Dayton BOOK 'EM DANO.
I'd keep my Honda and let them have the un-dwarfed gas bill. These big boats pass anything but a gas station...they don't offer an optional 32 gallon tank for nothing...lol
Ima fan So you'd give up class and style for fuel economy?
.....Not me brudda!
Well, you know, I fantasise about having a car like that but the reality is about 12 miles per gallon. Smoothly does it to the gas station again. My Honda does 50 mpg -But it rides like a bread trolley.
I was 19 when I bought my 1978 Grand Marquis with a 460 engine 40,000 miles it was 1981 I had to drive back 30 miles to my house on Interstate 10 East I was going about 55 miles an hour all of a sudden a Corvette pulls up next to me and would stay even with me at 55 he wouldn't move in front of me I turned to see what his problem was he looked and gave me a signal to move forward I guess like to race I stepped on it hard that 460 kicked in and I left him about three car lengths behind me he could not catch up cuz he only had a little 350 engine under the hood I released the gas I was going way over 120 easy.
We did okay in the 70s. America's did just fine. 🇺🇸
Burled "wood-tone applique" brings a touch of quality..... LOL
Love the muzak! American luxury at its finest.
THE BUCK-MOBILE. BABY!!!!!
Yeah I just saw your comment I said same thing...lol
Love it. They don't make cars like this anymore unfortunately. Cars today lack the presence and details of ones past. I have a 79 Continental Mark V. Love that ol girl. I want one of these next!!
"Brougham-level grille?" HAHAHAHAHA!!!
That guy's voice could sell me anything.
LOL ikr !
Genuine simulated rosewood and real vinyl!! Mmmm...the malaise era...mmmm...
A 351 2v would get you 17mpg highway at 70 mph.I know cause at 17 I crossed the usa in my uncle's brand new Merc.And you could drive it for 10 hrs.And arrive fresh as a daisy.
Nobody did beautiful, full-sized cars like America did. So sad it ended 😥
Does anyone remember that in 1975 and 1975 only, all American vehicles would not start unless you had the driver's seat belt in place? I had a '75 Granada (bought it in the late-80's) and I would turn the key and pull up on the seat belt at the same time so the car would start. If I didn't pull the left belt up, the ignition was disabled. People hated that mandate and the government abandoned this safety requirement the following year.
I had a 1973 Pinto Squire Station Wagon with the interlock system.
Say what you will, but that little Pinto was a great car
Had it for 9.5 years w/140K on the ODO.
Then I owned two Mitsubishi's (1883 and 1987).
They also were good cars.
Then I decided to go back to Ford in '95 and bought an Escort Sta Wagon.
Let's just say it wasn"t a very good car and I got rid of it 18 months later with less than 20K miles on it.
Went over to Honda and bought a '97 Civic. Had for 11 years w/172K when I traded it in for another Honda. This time I
bought a Fit.
Well that was 12 years ago and at 231K miles on it, absolutely nothing (did replace the clutch st 216K) has gone wrong with it.
Sorry Ford. Love it when win at Nascar or outsell Chevy, but my heart (and checkbook) belong to Honda.
That was 1974, they lifted it in 1975. Maybe just model years maybe the calendar year I don't know but the seatbelt interlock system was mandated starting in 1974 models but was lifted a year later.
Sorry Chap. My 1973 Pinto had the sestbelt interlocking device.
What a pain it was. Several years later, I had it disconnect.
Ride like a dream
Ah the good ole days of American automobiles.
A great luxorius car and Nice
It never ceases to amaze me how enormous those cars were. If I was buying a Ford in '75, it would be a Maverick with the optional 302.
Heresy!
Why?
I would go for the Colony Park
@@waynejohnson1304 Power to weight ratio. A hopped-up Maverick 2 door would be a blast to drive. Plus, it wouldn't handle like a pig
My neighbor had a Maverick with a 302 and automatc, couldn't get a 4 speed Manual in California, in the 70s.
Unfortunately that beautiful car most likely have ended up being used in the demolition derby
This is a dealer filmstrip used for sales training or to show a sales prospect. Likely the models shown here are pre-production, were never sold, and had to scrapped soon after for reasons of liability.
Was on the fence, until I noticed the sculptured metal stand up hood ornament. Then I had to have it.
For me it was the extra quality with the rosewood burl applique. :D
These cars were like five star hotels on wheels!
These would have satisfied my need for convenience, prestige, driving pleasure, comfort and luxury.
My favorite big car!!
Cars will never have this kind of class again
Old cars are
beautiful😄😍😍
Now this is how you advertise a full, new line up of vehicle models!👏
Lovely video. Cars from not so long ago and yet so different. Like another contributor I loved McGarrett's black Mercury in 5-O. Love those "luxury" touches, 100% vinyl like cashmere, and the wood "appliqué" In the UK manufacturers may not have made such big cars but they certainly borrowed the language to sell their cars, now can I still get a new car with a "brougham" style grille
sherrif1959 >>> Such a good point you make there. I graduated from college in 1991, still feel in my heart and my mind that that really wasn't *THAT* long ago... (was it?). Yet look how much Ford Crown Vics and Merc Grand Marquis have changed since then! Oh wait... that's right.... they're not even around anymore! :-(
Nice car! I love the Brougham. Makes me think of Goodfellas. They don't make cars like that anymore. Built like tanks and just guzzle the gas.