The "angry kitchen appliances" comment was SO on the mark, Adam! And I certainly agree with you about how "badass" this car looks. To this day when I'm driving my all black '73 Marquis Brougham sedan, when I come to a four- way stop, people almost always let me go first. Makes me smile every time. It's also like they are afraid of it.
Hey Adam, during the '73/'74 gasoline crisis cars would line up for the gas station near the entrance to my neighborhood. Usually the line would snake well past my house, allowing all the drivers a good view of all the kids in the 'hood walking to school. The driver of a 1974 Mercury Marquis w/ the Grand Marquis premium upgrade, caught the attention of the kids in my group because he looked so relaxed and comfortable, in contrast to all the other drivers we walked by. Actually, every Marquis owner I saw in traffic looked content with the world. That's Luxury.
I can almost feel how comfortable and smooth this gorgeous car would drive , looks so hawaii 5 0. They just don't make cars full of character and personality like this anymore. Thanks, Adam, from England .
@user-jl3km2jg3m Yes, you are right regarding the 1st 6 seasons , then in 1974, the 1968 model was sunset, to be replaced by a 1974 mercury marquis brougham for the remaining 6 seasons , until the show finally ended in 1980. A different mercury marquis was used in the first pilot episode, which aired in 1968 before the series got the green light.
My dad had a 1978 Mercury Marquis Brougham. It was brown with brown interior and vinyl roof, with the 460, because we went camping every year. It was a 4 door.
A car very similar to this car (but a 1974 Marquis black sedan) was personally selected by Jack Lord to replace the 1968 Mercury that he was driving on the show. Ford wanted him to drive a newer car, but he rejected the 1972 Mercury because he didn’t think it fit the part. The story goes that he eventually agreed to using the ‘74, and it stayed on as his vehicle until the show ended in 1980.
I had a 1968 Lincoln with the 460. It was very hard to keep a constant speed with that car because it drove all the same at 85 mph as at 45 mph. Especially at night with few visual references you'd have to keep looking at the speedo. I have a 80's suburban that's like that too. Especially after driving the little 4 banger for a while then the first couple times hitting the freeway you unwittingly bury the speedometer
Big cars of the 70s were wonderful. Projected confidence. Took my license test in a 1974 LTD, parallel parking was a breeze since I learned to drive in a 1964 Country Squire.
By all day you mean a few hours before you needed to get gas. I'd take my van with a 351 Windsor on the interstate and literally watch the gas gage go down at 75 mph.
I use the word "very imposing". People respect my presence on the road when they see me in the 76 sedan deville..that massive front end sends new car people into panic mode. I love it. Thank you adam
My mother drove a ‘72 Marquis Brougham 4door in the late 70s. Dad found it used, and you could pack a bunch of kids in there. That’s the car I learned to drive in.
My dad had a 1970 Merc Marquis Brougham. Massive car with a 429 four-barrel. Very quick. But like many large cars of the era, zero leg room on the rear. Thank you, Adam, for continuing these videos. Extremely entertaining and informative. How did you obtain your massive knowledge of the car world?
-Interesting thing about this and other '70's cars is that while they are gigantic, with huge trunks, large interiors, long overhangs at the front and rear, and are powered by very heavy all cast-iron V8 engines, they really are very lightweight for their size. That car is massive, yet weighs about 4500 pounds, or just a little more than a modern Mustang GT, which is considerably smaller and has an all aluminum V8 engine. It's good that they were lightweight, because that iron V8 was heavily smogged and only produced 190 hp.... Great video!
This car weighs 4600 pounds while the 2024 Mustang GT weighs 3900 pounds. That is a big difference. Yes, modern cars weigh more because of all the standard equipment and the safety systems but 700 pounds is not even close.
@@tedunguent156 I swear I read 4200 pounds, but the magazines say 3900 pounds as you said, my bad. But here is what is perplexing, and why I think it is heavier than that: My '14 Cayman S PDK weighs 2976 pounds and has 325 hp. That means 9.2 lb/hp. It runs a 12.5 @115 in the quarter, with 0-60 in 4.2 seconds. The Mustang GT weighs 3900 pounds, has 480 hp, for a power to weight of 8.1 lb/hp. The performance specs are identical. Either the Ford is not making the rated power or it is...Heavier than the magazines say. Ford's website does not list a curb weight. ?
@@Flies2FLL The Porsche engine revs QUICKER and makes it's rated power sooner. The same way that Honda and Ferrari make power. The engine is better balanced and has a short stroke and revs more freely to reach maximum power more quickly. It should have a lower CD as well.
@@tedunguent156 No, that's not correct, the V8 makes its power sooner. The 3.4 liter in my Porsche is very tame around town. At normal revs, the car feels about as fast as my mom's four cylinder Passat. But this thing is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; You push the throttle gently to pass someone at 45 mph, the car accelerates at a normal pace. You plant your foot fast and all the way, the PDK drops from 7th to 2nd gear and this thing goes berserk! ALL the power is between 5500 and 8000 rpm, below that it is average. You can feel the change in cam timing and lift if you slowly get on it from 20 mph. It feels like something very big and very powerful is pushing the car. Meanwhile the exhaust, which was a burble during normal driving around suddenly screams bloody murder! The Mustang? Quite different. Jump on the throttle off of idle and the traction control is struggling to keep the rear tires from turning into smoke. Then eventually the cams hit, but with much less authority than in my Cayman S. The result is the same, which is perplexing.
@@Flies2FLL The V8 makes a LOT of torque which is what you FEEL at lower revs and slower speeds. RPM's build horsepower. That's what you FEEL in the Porsche.
I had that car in forest green, I bought it used in 1979 and I took the fender skirts off and trailer hitch off and put Crager's with 60 wide tires it looked so good and ran like a scalded dog with that 460 engine. but after the original owner pulled a camper with it for 5 years it had issues but still looked great.
Purchased new a 1974 LTD Brougham 2dr. Ginger Glow 460 w/trailer tow 3.25 rear and many bells and whistles. Pretty Badass, bold, and daring during the Fuel Crisis Era. Loved it and miss it.
Blast from the past. Growing up, the family had 3 Mercuries in the 70s: this Mercury Marquis Coupe (dark green in & out), an early 70s Cougar ("pimp" yellow, LOL) and a Montego (some kind of brown/rust color and it was a tank). Loved the Marquis the best... especially those cloth seats that were a bit unique tot he touch iirc. Thanks for posting this!
Thanks for doing so many videos on these '73 and '74 Mercurys, Adam! As a child of the '80s I would have never really given them a fair chance, but because of your praises for these cars I started looking for one about a year ago. Finally secured one this month - a Glamour Gold '73 sedan... er, pillared hardtop, in original condition with 54k miles. So far I'd say it is just as nice as you have led your viewers to believe! Such an effortless cruiser.
I find the grilles and the upright lines on these cars reminiscent of Classical architecture, which I think is what helps to lend that sense of stateliness and power to them. The general shape is almost Parthenon-like, with the slats looking like columns. Anyway, love it.
@@davidgold5961 Well, once upon a time. The cars that seem to do that now are mostly at the very high end, like Bentley and Rolls. Even Mercedes doesn't really have as much of a sense of stateliness as they used to.
(circa 87) Friend behind me in his 75 LTD tried to push my 73 Merc Marquis into an intersection on a Friday night messing around. My Merc held fast and those bumpers didn’t know anything happened. Tanks.
I had a '72 Mercury Marquis Brougham hardtop coupe with a 429 V8. I bought it used in 1978 with low miles for only $500. I loved everything about it except the fuel mileage.
One of your best videos. Absolutely badass, subtly menacing and that black interior with uncluttered instrumentation so effective. Back in the 70’s if you part the curtains and saw this appear out front of your house with some up and coming “Soldato” at the wheel you might get a little nervous.
I had a '74 Brougham sedan; bronze with a tan vinyl roof and interior. Full trailer package - dual exhaust, limited-slip differential, air shocks, front and rear sway bars, and Firestone white-letter radials all the way around. I put a "Bigfoot" camshaft {purchased directly from Bobby Chandler's shop in St. Louis} in it, along with reworked Boss 429 heads and Hooker headers. The final touch was a DEEP window tint for the greenhouse, which got me into a bit of hassle when yearly State inspection time rolled around!! It was comfy and fast - ran a 13.37 @ 107mph quarter mile at Gateway International - and surprisingly good on gas, thanks to the engine tweaks. 18 mpg on the highway! Not too shabby for two and a half tons' worth of creampuff, no?
Its has nicer styling LTDs did. I had that cloth in green in my LTD. Classic! The 460 makes drivability more appealing until you have to fill up after 8-10mpg. Love that 1 finger power steering.
Badass indeed! Makes me think of Commander Cody -- "With a 4-barrel carb and dual exhaust, with 4/11 gears you can really get lost..." Hot Rod Lincoln!
I was thinking that as well. Interestingly, with ‘The Car’ based on a ‘71 Continental Mark lll (modified by George Barris), they’re kinda cousins. Saw that movie at the drive in, with, l think, Saturday Night Fever!
That door handle is the same as the 73-79 F-series and Bronco and the ac vents are the same as my 85 F-150 had. Gotta love the “parts bin”. Awesome car!
I was a UAW laborer at the Oakville, ON assembly plant where we built a mix of 1974 Torinos, and the Monterey's etc. Lovely styling, you can see shadows of Buzz Grisinger's 1970 Lincoln Continental
We had a 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis when I was a kid and it was the nicest car we ever had. I’ve always loved the 1974’s headlight door design. Add the 1975-1978 rear taillight design and it would be perfection for me.
We had a red 76 like yours growing up. I loved that interior and dash. New to your videos and I love all I have seen so far. Grew up big Ford, Lincoln, Mercury guy so your videos are a welcome site. Last comment is how nice your a real person and not a AI.
Ahh, the undercoating. Remember starting out in the service end of a Pontiac Cadillac store washing cars, A week later, "promoted" to new car prep tech. One of my most hated duties was rust proofing. Thankfully, moved up to a technician and I "trained" my teen replacement. Part of the procedure involved drilling holes into the door jambs, inserting a wand, rotating the wand a determined amount, and installing plugs. Began having vehicles returning for windows, locks, not working. Yes, you guessed it, the regulators, lock assemblies, etc. were drowned in rustproofing. New car department lost its ass on the cost to disassemble window regulators, door latches, clean/ soak them in kerosene, and lubricate/reinstall. Kid did not last long.😮
I wonder if it provided any real protection? I remember a product when I first entered the new-car market in ‘79, called Ziebart (unsure of spelling), and I’m sure I would have had it done, not knowing the pros/cons, but I never kept a car long enough back then to know if it was effective, but now, I’m skeptical of it’s supposed benefits.
I agree with your assessment. '72-'73 Imperials qualify also in my opinion. A good late model is the 300C. My wife and I owned a '07 300C with SRT design group package. BMW's would move out of our way when we came up behind them. We regret selling it.
I also had the '07 300 C HEMI.. In black.. It was evocative of a 1930s gangster car with that center grille and short rear deck, with the gun slit side glass. Ed Harris had one in "A History of Violence".
Just get out of the way! Lol I have to admit,I love pulling up next to a Smart car at a stoplight in my 1973 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Hardtop Sedan for that very reason.
I remember the 76 T-bird had a 460 with true dual exhaust dual converters dual mufflers I don't remember making a lot of performance sounds but it definitely could breathe for that period.
I had a 71 mercury Marquis Brougham as a 16 yo kid. It had a 429 cid engine that had a tendency to blow out the freeze plugs when you stood on the accelerator. Later in its life when it was really cold out I’d have to start it, put the parking brake on, put it in drive and go back into the house for about 15 minutes in order to make it actually drive forward.
That Marquis looks great in black. When I was a kid my mom's boss had one of these in a not so badass powder blue. My vote for a badass car goes to the 1970-1971 Plymouth Sport Fury, especially in GT trim.
I had a 1978 Grand, and I must say, I absolutely LOVED the way that car drove. Calling it a boat was not inaccurate, as it literally floated down the road. I loved that, but the wife did not. She got car sick almost every time we went on a longer drive. It did command respect. Probably one of my favorites as well. Nice video of a beautiful car!
My parents had a '70 Marquis Brougham 4 Dr hardtop. What a car. My Dad loved showing off how this car would blast off the line. Fun car to ride in the back seat.
Agree, very handsome car. Among my favorites of all you own. Not sure if the Mercury version was detuned more, but in 1974, the 460 was rated at 220hp in the Mark IV, and 215 in the Continental. I didn't see this first-hand, but in the past I was parked at a rest stop on the Garden State Parkway with my '77 Mark V Cartier (Dove Grey Designer Series) and I left my parents in the car while I went inside the place briefly. When I got back, my parents told me "you missed it...some lady came walking towards your car, really looked it over, and said "that's one badass motherf***in' car!". 😆
back in the early 90's a friend picked up an old, very rusty Marquis. we figured the mileage must have been between 250-300,000 miles. it had almost no oil pressure and leaked oil from everywhere. if he filled the oil and drove it for 45 minutes it would be 2 quarts low. I named it "the Exxon Marquis". he drove it for 6 months and sold it. a while later he found out that it had seized up and the guy just abandoned it.
Love the look and ride of the Mercury's! My dad was a GM guy at the time and Pontiac was his car. I loved the Pontiac, but the Mercs were so cool and out of reach for us.
Thank you Adam. Nice Mercury. I saw the beginning of the video and said Steve Garrett and Hawaii Five O. You see Lincoln styling cues and several of the styling cues ran well into the 2000's on the Grand Marquis. There have been muscular aggressive Cadillacs: STS, the current CT5-V Blackwing.
Kudos to you on the paint correction, Adam. I don’t see a single swirl mark in that black paint even up close. I’ve always thought large cars of this era had “architectural” styling, in that the front ends looked like buildings (White House, for example).
When I was a little kid mom had a 69 Mercury Marauder X100 429 with headlight doors and when it sat in the garage over a day or so the doors would slowly open and she would start it up and the doors closed almost instantly with a bang!
The one thing I like and it's a small detail...the OEM wipers. Kind of odd to see a vintage car with the modern style beam or aero wipers...some of them can't clear the hood if they are concealed when parked.
One thing I like best on these Mercs is the headlight cover. While not as cleanly styled as later Mercs, the molding splitting the cover disguises the fact that it’s a headlight cover, with the end result appearing to be a car completely devoid of headlights. Very cool.
Mine was royal metalic blue 💙 with a white landau and Brougham package with the big v8 got 20 mph highway if driven like an adult . Ran and rode soo smooth . Put 200000 miles on it sold it and it shows up near me every now and then lol than was 15 years ago. Best car i ever owned hands down and i collect cars 😊
Thanks for showcasing this gorgeous Mercury! I think the fender skirts also help with the bad ass look. Thanks too, for not calling the starter relay a "solenoid."
Another problem with seat belt lockout system was that it would prevent the car from starting even though your seat belts were fastened. This usually happened when it was pouring rain or in a big hurry. So you would have to raise the hood hit the override button get the hood back down and start the car. You can imagine how well that went over the housewives and soccer mom’s of that era. Also for petite women, lifting that hood and reaching up to close it was sometimes a challenge.
Ever since seeing uncle Buck I've had an interest in these Mercury's, similar to the red Thunderbird from the movie The Crow. The Merc's combo of a 460v8, 2 door, it's almost Fords luxury answer to Dodge Chargers, which Merc did do a few years earlier in the form of the Marauder X-100. Also interesting juxtaposition of 70s luxury cars with big v8s to the energy crisis that was occurring at the time too. Goes to show how there was a market for these types of combos. Nice vids Adam!
Thanks again, Adam, for featuring an old Mercury Marquis. It always brings back memories of my youth getting plenty of practice and opportunities to drive a 1974 Mercury Marquis Brougham, 2dr black with a white vinyl roof and whitish leather or vinyl interior. It was a bit beaten up by the time I got to drive it, but it still had that smooth, quiet ride and plenty of power from the 460cid 4bbl engine. Honestly, I preferred the Mercury Marquis or even the LTD models with the hidden headlamps over the Lincolns of the time, with the Marquis always being my favorite.
My grandparents had an early 70’s Mercury Marquis wagon. It was bad ass. Blue with the wood grain sides. Gramps opened up the 460 with Glasspax mufflers. It rumbled at idle. He towed a huge travel trailer with it.
The "angry kitchen appliances" comment was SO on the mark, Adam! And I certainly agree with you about how "badass" this car looks. To this day when I'm driving my all black '73 Marquis Brougham sedan, when I come to a four- way stop, people almost always let me go first. Makes me smile every time. It's also like they are afraid of it.
@@DSP1968 he stole that line from me 🙄
It sounds similar to Steve McGarrett's 1974 from Hawaii Five O.
@@jeffrobodine8579 Yes. He actually drove a '73 like mine in 2-3 episodes before it was replaced by a '74 Brougham for the remainder of the show.
2020 buick enclave 😂😢
Hey Adam, during the '73/'74 gasoline crisis cars would line up for the gas station near the entrance to my neighborhood. Usually the line would snake well past my house, allowing all the drivers a good view of all the kids in the 'hood walking to school. The driver of a 1974 Mercury Marquis w/ the Grand Marquis premium upgrade, caught the attention of the kids in my group because he looked so relaxed and comfortable, in contrast to all the other drivers we walked by. Actually, every Marquis owner I saw in traffic looked content with the world. That's Luxury.
Adam,
That 5 mph "battering ram" of a front bumper does indeed go with your video's theme of a bad ass "get outta my way!" car.
“Book ‘em, Danno!”
Upholster fabric looks great.
"Angry kitchen appliances".. That's great! I describe some vehicles as "pissed off vacuum cleaners".
Especially the sound of them
I can almost feel how comfortable and smooth this gorgeous car would drive , looks so hawaii 5 0. They just don't make cars full of character and personality like this anymore. Thanks, Adam, from England .
One of the best vehicles ever made for long road trips. Smooth, quiet and comfortable. Like sitting in your living room with scenery going by.
The Hawaii Five O Mercury Grand Marquis was a 1968 model.
@user-jl3km2jg3m Yes, you are right regarding the 1st 6 seasons , then in 1974, the 1968 model was sunset, to be replaced by a 1974 mercury marquis brougham for the remaining 6 seasons , until the show finally ended in 1980. A different mercury marquis was used in the first pilot episode, which aired in 1968 before the series got the green light.
My dad had a 1978 Mercury Marquis Brougham. It was brown with brown interior and vinyl roof, with the 460, because we went camping every year. It was a 4 door.
Jack Lord drove the sedan version in the original Hawaii 5-0... badass indeed.
A car very similar to this car (but a 1974 Marquis black sedan) was personally selected by Jack Lord to replace the 1968 Mercury that he was driving on the show. Ford wanted him to drive a newer car, but he rejected the 1972 Mercury because he didn’t think it fit the part. The story goes that he eventually agreed to using the ‘74, and it stayed on as his vehicle until the show ended in 1980.
I remember
Book Em Danno,Murder One.
I never watched because I couldn't stand Jack Lord.
Four door hardtop. I liked his earlier '68 Mercury Parklane much better. But I was just a kid
Mom and Dad had a 1971 Mercury Brougham and 1976 Mercury Brougham both in four door configurations. Very comfortable cars .
That beast could cruise at 80 mph all day long in quiet serene comfort. Elegance comes to mind. Nice ride!
Indeed. You could fall asleep in those seats!!!
I had a 1971 marquis and she was so handsome that someone stole it! I miss that car.
I had a 1968 Lincoln with the 460. It was very hard to keep a constant speed with that car because it drove all the same at 85 mph as at 45 mph. Especially at night with few visual references you'd have to keep looking at the speedo. I have a 80's suburban that's like that too. Especially after driving the little 4 banger for a while then the first couple times hitting the freeway you unwittingly bury the speedometer
Big cars of the 70s were wonderful. Projected confidence. Took my license test in a 1974 LTD, parallel parking was a breeze since I learned to drive in a 1964 Country Squire.
By all day you mean a few hours before you needed to get gas. I'd take my van with a 351 Windsor on the interstate and literally watch the gas gage go down at 75 mph.
I use the word "very imposing". People respect my presence on the road when they see me in the 76 sedan deville..that massive front end sends new car people into panic mode. I love it. Thank you adam
@@cadillacnan i remember in the 70s my friend with a 67 sedan Deville got behind a vw rabbit and they were scared shi#$ess!
Oh yes. The stacked headlamps and massive grille..little shaking,little tenderizing. Down goes the rabbit
The bumpers on my 76 caddy weigh more than some cars
My mother drove a ‘72 Marquis Brougham 4door in the late 70s. Dad found it used, and you could pack a bunch of kids in there. That’s the car I learned to drive in.
I love this car. The 67 or 68 Eldo in black is badass too.
My dad had a 1970 Merc Marquis Brougham. Massive car with a 429 four-barrel. Very quick. But like many large cars of the era, zero leg room on the rear. Thank you, Adam, for continuing these videos. Extremely entertaining and informative. How did you obtain your massive knowledge of the car world?
-Interesting thing about this and other '70's cars is that while they are gigantic, with huge trunks, large interiors, long overhangs at the front and rear, and are powered by very heavy all cast-iron V8 engines, they really are very lightweight for their size. That car is massive, yet weighs about 4500 pounds, or just a little more than a modern Mustang GT, which is considerably smaller and has an all aluminum V8 engine.
It's good that they were lightweight, because that iron V8 was heavily smogged and only produced 190 hp....
Great video!
This car weighs 4600 pounds while the 2024 Mustang GT weighs 3900 pounds. That is a big difference. Yes, modern cars weigh more because of all the standard equipment and the safety systems but 700 pounds is not even close.
@@tedunguent156 I swear I read 4200 pounds, but the magazines say 3900 pounds as you said, my bad. But here is what is perplexing, and why I think it is heavier than that: My '14 Cayman S PDK weighs 2976 pounds and has 325 hp. That means 9.2 lb/hp. It runs a 12.5 @115 in the quarter, with 0-60 in 4.2 seconds.
The Mustang GT weighs 3900 pounds, has 480 hp, for a power to weight of 8.1 lb/hp.
The performance specs are identical. Either the Ford is not making the rated power or it is...Heavier than the magazines say. Ford's website does not list a curb weight.
?
@@Flies2FLL The Porsche engine revs QUICKER and makes it's rated power sooner. The same way that Honda and Ferrari make power. The engine is better balanced and has a short stroke and revs more freely to reach maximum power more quickly. It should have a lower CD as well.
@@tedunguent156 No, that's not correct, the V8 makes its power sooner. The 3.4 liter in my Porsche is very tame around town. At normal revs, the car feels about as fast as my mom's four cylinder Passat. But this thing is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; You push the throttle gently to pass someone at 45 mph, the car accelerates at a normal pace. You plant your foot fast and all the way, the PDK drops from 7th to 2nd gear and this thing goes berserk! ALL the power is between 5500 and 8000 rpm, below that it is average. You can feel the change in cam timing and lift if you slowly get on it from 20 mph. It feels like something very big and very powerful is pushing the car. Meanwhile the exhaust, which was a burble during normal driving around suddenly screams bloody murder!
The Mustang? Quite different. Jump on the throttle off of idle and the traction control is struggling to keep the rear tires from turning into smoke. Then eventually the cams hit, but with much less authority than in my Cayman S.
The result is the same, which is perplexing.
@@Flies2FLL The V8 makes a LOT of torque which is what you FEEL at lower revs and slower speeds. RPM's build horsepower. That's what you FEEL in the Porsche.
I had that car in forest green, I bought it used in 1979 and I took the fender skirts off and trailer hitch off and put Crager's with 60 wide tires it looked so good and ran like a scalded dog with that 460 engine. but after the original owner pulled a camper with it for 5 years it had issues but still looked great.
Purchased new a 1974 LTD Brougham 2dr. Ginger Glow 460 w/trailer tow 3.25 rear and many bells and whistles.
Pretty Badass, bold, and daring during the Fuel Crisis Era. Loved it and miss it.
My dad had a '73 in Ginger Glow. Beautiful. My mom looked great in it, cruising with her beehive hairdoo.
Blast from the past. Growing up, the family had 3 Mercuries in the 70s: this Mercury Marquis Coupe (dark green in & out), an early 70s Cougar ("pimp" yellow, LOL) and a Montego (some kind of brown/rust color and it was a tank). Loved the Marquis the best... especially those cloth seats that were a bit unique tot he touch iirc. Thanks for posting this!
Thanks for doing so many videos on these '73 and '74 Mercurys, Adam! As a child of the '80s I would have never really given them a fair chance, but because of your praises for these cars I started looking for one about a year ago. Finally secured one this month - a Glamour Gold '73 sedan... er, pillared hardtop, in original condition with 54k miles. So far I'd say it is just as nice as you have led your viewers to believe! Such an effortless cruiser.
I find the grilles and the upright lines on these cars reminiscent of Classical architecture, which I think is what helps to lend that sense of stateliness and power to them. The general shape is almost Parthenon-like, with the slats looking like columns. Anyway, love it.
Those design elements you descibe were done that way intentionally. Car designers frequently reference classical architecture.
@@davidgold5961 Well, once upon a time. The cars that seem to do that now are mostly at the very high end, like Bentley and Rolls. Even Mercedes doesn't really have as much of a sense of stateliness as they used to.
(circa 87) Friend behind me in his 75 LTD tried to push my 73 Merc Marquis into an intersection on a Friday night messing around. My Merc held fast and those bumpers didn’t know anything happened. Tanks.
I had a '72 Mercury Marquis Brougham hardtop coupe with a 429 V8. I bought it used in 1978 with low miles for only $500. I loved everything about it except the fuel mileage.
One of your best videos. Absolutely badass, subtly menacing and that black interior with uncluttered instrumentation so effective. Back in the 70’s if you part the curtains and saw this appear out front of your house with some up and coming “Soldato” at the wheel you might get a little nervous.
“Angry kitchen appliances!” That is a great qoute!
Credit where due.. Bob Lutz.
I had a '74 Brougham sedan; bronze with a tan vinyl roof and interior. Full trailer package - dual exhaust, limited-slip differential, air shocks, front and rear sway bars, and Firestone white-letter radials all the way around. I put a "Bigfoot" camshaft {purchased directly from Bobby Chandler's shop in St. Louis} in it, along with reworked Boss 429 heads and Hooker headers. The final touch was a DEEP window tint for the greenhouse, which got me into a bit of hassle when yearly State inspection time rolled around!! It was comfy and fast - ran a 13.37 @ 107mph quarter mile at Gateway International - and surprisingly good on gas, thanks to the engine tweaks. 18 mpg on the highway! Not too shabby for two and a half tons' worth of creampuff, no?
Thanks for this one, Adam. I remember when these were new and fresh. Still looks good, you have a great example
Beautiful car in beautiful condition! Thank you for sharing it!
Its has nicer styling LTDs did. I had that cloth in green in my LTD. Classic! The 460 makes drivability more appealing until you have to fill up after 8-10mpg. Love that 1 finger power steering.
Certainly dignified. I'm a little bias, but your 73 galaxie with that big eggcrate grill gets my vote.
Badass indeed! Makes me think of Commander Cody -- "With a 4-barrel carb and dual exhaust, with 4/11 gears you can really get lost..." Hot Rod Lincoln!
It has the vibe of the car from the movie "The Car " from 1977
Yes, especially the squashed roofline.
I was thinking that as well. Interestingly, with ‘The Car’ based on a ‘71 Continental Mark lll (modified by George Barris), they’re kinda cousins. Saw that movie at the drive in, with, l think, Saturday Night Fever!
I’m gonna buy me a Mercury, cruise it up and down this road….. 🎶
That door handle is the same as the 73-79 F-series and Bronco and the ac vents are the same as my 85 F-150 had. Gotta love the “parts bin”. Awesome car!
This thing is AWESOME! Hard to believe that is a 50 year old car. It looks incredibly well built for its age.
what a beautiful and bad ass looking car.
gosh i miss the good old days of great designs
I was a UAW laborer at the Oakville, ON assembly plant where we built a mix of 1974 Torinos, and the Monterey's etc. Lovely styling, you can see shadows of Buzz Grisinger's 1970 Lincoln Continental
My friend had one in highschool. OMG we had fun in that car. We went to a lot of concerts in it.
We had a 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis when I was a kid and it was the nicest car we ever had. I’ve always loved the 1974’s headlight door design. Add the 1975-1978 rear taillight design and it would be perfection for me.
I absolutely love this car!!!
It was built on my birthday!!!
OMG that heater core access panel is great.
My older brother got one in 79.
I was 14. Baby blue with a white vynal top. Cruising to the 8 track !👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Interior - exactly, reminded me of the brocade fabric in my dad's 71 Olds Delta 88 - had to have been sourced from the same manufacturer.
We had a red 76 like yours growing up. I loved that interior and dash. New to your videos and I love all I have seen so far. Grew up big Ford, Lincoln, Mercury guy so your videos are a welcome site. Last comment is how nice your a real person and not a AI.
I like it. Down South, where I live, you would need to keep it in an air conditioned garage.
Ahh, the undercoating. Remember starting out in the service end of a Pontiac Cadillac store washing cars, A week later, "promoted" to new car prep tech. One of my most hated duties was rust proofing. Thankfully, moved up to a technician and I "trained" my teen replacement. Part of the procedure involved drilling holes into the door jambs, inserting a wand, rotating the wand a determined amount, and installing plugs. Began having vehicles returning for windows, locks, not working. Yes, you guessed it, the regulators, lock assemblies, etc. were drowned in rustproofing. New car department lost its ass on the cost to disassemble window regulators, door latches, clean/ soak them in kerosene, and lubricate/reinstall. Kid did not last long.😮
I wonder if it provided any real protection? I remember a product when I first entered the new-car market in ‘79, called Ziebart (unsure of spelling), and I’m sure I would have had it done, not knowing the pros/cons, but I never kept a car long enough back then to know if it was effective, but now, I’m skeptical of it’s supposed benefits.
Man that heater core access is freakin amazing!!!
Correctly tuned, this "badass car" is capable of a 95 mph quarter mile run too (460 engine), love the look!
Pretty cool car…. Love classic cars!!
I agree with your assessment. '72-'73 Imperials qualify also in my opinion.
A good late model is the 300C. My wife and I owned a '07 300C with SRT design group package. BMW's would move out of our way when we came up behind them. We regret selling it.
I also had the '07 300 C HEMI.. In black.. It was evocative of a 1930s gangster car with that center grille and short rear deck, with the gun slit side glass. Ed Harris had one in "A History of Violence".
Yes, the '72-'73 Imperial gets my vote as "badass" also - very "imposing" seeing that coming at you in the rearview mirror!
@@MarinCipollina …which is perfect given his character- seriously baddass.
Just get out of the way! Lol I have to admit,I love pulling up next to a Smart car at a stoplight in my 1973 Chevrolet Caprice Classic Hardtop Sedan for that very reason.
I agree; it is a handsome and masculine car. 👍👍
I remember the 76 T-bird had a 460 with true dual exhaust dual converters dual mufflers I don't remember making a lot of performance sounds but it definitely could breathe for that period.
Id call it brutally handsome
It certainly isn't terminally pretty.
I had a 71 mercury Marquis Brougham as a 16 yo kid. It had a 429 cid engine that had a tendency to blow out the freeze plugs when you stood on the accelerator. Later in its life when it was really cold out I’d have to start it, put the parking brake on, put it in drive and go back into the house for about 15 minutes in order to make it actually drive forward.
I love those old cars
I love the subtle yearly changes US-manufacturers used to make. For '73, the rear panel was completely vertical, and for '74 it became inclined.
It has what I call presence. Suttle macho in black, the color can change a cars personality.
You’re spot on regarding that Mercury ‘ride’. My dad had a good friend who drove a later-70s Marquis that looked like this one. You floated on air! 👍🏻
You used to take a drive in your cars, would love to experience this in this car, thanks.
Nice ride Adam. Thank you for sharing your cars with us.
It's a dream liner! These were the Anmerican living room on wheels!🎉🎉🎉🎉
That Marquis looks great in black. When I was a kid my mom's boss had one of these in a not so badass powder blue. My vote for a badass car goes to the 1970-1971 Plymouth Sport Fury, especially in GT trim.
I had a 1978 Grand, and I must say, I absolutely LOVED the way that car drove. Calling it a boat was not inaccurate, as it literally floated down the road. I loved that, but the wife did not. She got car sick almost every time we went on a longer drive. It did command respect. Probably one of my favorites as well. Nice video of a beautiful car!
The 74 for the Continental and the Marquis had the prettiest front and rear end. I love this car with a passion!
The "Caution Fan" sticker is almost straight...but the a/c sticker makes up for it!
Beautiful car!
Mom had a ‘77 coupe with that 460.
I abused it and popped the motor mounts lol
Love you mom and dad
Beautiful. Luv it and the cars from back then.
Great video - my 1970 Plymouth Fury checks most of the "badass boxes", but this Mercury Marquis has it beat by a mile! 😅
I always wondered what happened to Uncle Buck's car lol. To me that was the star of the movie.
My parents had a '70 Marquis Brougham 4 Dr hardtop. What a car. My Dad loved showing off how this car would blast off the line. Fun car to ride in the back seat.
"Not like angry kitchen appliances" is the best way I have ever have heard a car described and so absolutely spot on :) LOVE IT
That's a beautifully menacing car. I'd love to see the vacuum line routing for the emissions
Hoffa's favorite car! (but I think he was in a 4-door)
Rumour has it he still is! lol
It's got a roomy trunk. Lots of space to stretch out and have a snooze.
Agree, very handsome car. Among my favorites of all you own. Not sure if the Mercury version was detuned more, but in 1974, the 460 was rated at 220hp in the Mark IV, and 215 in the Continental.
I didn't see this first-hand, but in the past I was parked at a rest stop on the Garden State Parkway with my '77 Mark V Cartier (Dove Grey Designer Series) and I left my parents in the car while I went inside the place briefly. When I got back, my parents told me "you missed it...some lady came walking towards your car, really looked it over, and said "that's one badass motherf***in' car!". 😆
back in the early 90's a friend picked up an old, very rusty Marquis. we figured the mileage must have been between 250-300,000 miles. it had almost no oil pressure and leaked oil from everywhere. if he filled the oil and drove it for 45 minutes it would be 2 quarts low. I named it "the Exxon Marquis". he drove it for 6 months and sold it. a while later he found out that it had seized up and the guy just abandoned it.
Love the look and ride of the Mercury's! My dad was a GM guy at the time and Pontiac was his car. I loved the Pontiac, but the Mercs were so cool and out of reach for us.
Thank you Adam. Nice Mercury. I saw the beginning of the video and said Steve Garrett and Hawaii Five O. You see Lincoln styling cues and several of the styling cues ran well into the 2000's on the Grand Marquis. There have been muscular aggressive Cadillacs: STS, the current CT5-V Blackwing.
Brings back memories. Loved them big boats with big displacement engines. Thanks
Thanks for sharing. I still remember the green Montego, and green Monterey breezeway we had when I was young.
Kudos to you on the paint correction, Adam. I don’t see a single swirl mark in that black paint even up close.
I’ve always thought large cars of this era had “architectural” styling, in that the front ends looked like buildings (White House, for example).
I love that description angry kitchen appliance!
When I was a little kid mom had a 69 Mercury Marauder X100 429 with headlight doors and when it sat in the garage over a day or so the doors would slowly open and she would start it up and the doors closed almost instantly with a bang!
Love this car, they drove one through a warehouse in the movie Magnum Force! I was sick
For me, I would trim and tuck front and rear bumpers… like what Chip Foote likes to do. everything else is perfect 🤩
The one thing I like and it's a small detail...the OEM wipers. Kind of odd to see a vintage car with the modern style beam or aero wipers...some of them can't clear the hood if they are concealed when parked.
Such a beauty ❤
One thing I like best on these Mercs is the headlight cover. While not as cleanly styled as later Mercs, the molding splitting the cover disguises the fact that it’s a headlight cover, with the end result appearing to be a car completely devoid of headlights. Very cool.
Awesome badass car with style and elegance
Mine was royal metalic blue 💙 with a white landau and Brougham package with the big v8 got 20 mph highway if driven like an adult . Ran and rode soo smooth . Put 200000 miles on it sold it and it shows up near me every now and then lol than was 15 years ago. Best car i ever owned hands down and i collect cars 😊
The Hawaii Five O song is going off in my head seeing this
Thanks for showcasing this gorgeous Mercury! I think the fender skirts also help with the bad ass look. Thanks too, for not calling the starter relay a "solenoid."
Another problem with seat belt lockout system was that it would prevent the car from starting even though your seat belts were fastened. This usually happened when it was pouring rain or in a big hurry. So you would have to raise the hood hit the override button get the hood back down and start the car. You can imagine how well that went over the housewives and soccer mom’s of that era. Also for petite women, lifting that hood and reaching up to close it was sometimes a challenge.
Very-very nice Mercury, thanks for showing! Also a '67 Eldorado or a '63 Riviera in triple black = bada bing level badass
Ever since seeing uncle Buck I've had an interest in these Mercury's, similar to the red Thunderbird from the movie The Crow. The Merc's combo of a 460v8, 2 door, it's almost Fords luxury answer to Dodge Chargers, which Merc did do a few years earlier in the form of the Marauder X-100. Also interesting juxtaposition of 70s luxury cars with big v8s to the energy crisis that was occurring at the time too. Goes to show how there was a market for these types of combos. Nice vids Adam!
Such a beautiful example of this model. Thank you for the excellent video.
Angry Kitchen appliances....I choked on my coffee! Well said!
Thanks again, Adam, for featuring an old Mercury Marquis. It always brings back memories of my youth getting plenty of practice and opportunities to drive a 1974 Mercury Marquis Brougham, 2dr black with a white vinyl roof and whitish leather or vinyl interior. It was a bit beaten up by the time I got to drive it, but it still had that smooth, quiet ride and plenty of power from the 460cid 4bbl engine. Honestly, I preferred the Mercury Marquis or even the LTD models with the hidden headlamps over the Lincolns of the time, with the Marquis always being my favorite.
My grandparents had an early 70’s Mercury Marquis wagon. It was bad ass. Blue with the wood grain sides. Gramps opened up the 460 with Glasspax mufflers. It rumbled at idle. He towed a huge travel trailer with it.
Love the seats very well cleaned and in Xclnt condition