The worst failure experienced during the course of the challenge was a broken valve spring, which would take one of the cars out of record contention. When all was said and done on October 30th, the four cars had logged 100,000 miles over 960 hours, with an average speed between 105 mph and 108 mph. For more than a month under the supervision of NASCAR officials, Mercury drivers logged roughly 2500 miles every day around the course per car with pit stops every two over the course of roughly five weeks. The brainchild of Fran Hernandez – a gearhead, racing enthusiast, and the head of the Lincoln-Mercury division’s performance program at the time – to call the durability test ambitious would be a major understatement. But by the middle of 1964 it faced significant competition from within its own ranks at Ford, as the new '65 Mustang coupe debuted with a virtually identical price tag and was available with the similar power train options, including the high output 289ci V8 and Toploader four-speed manual gearbox. There's no doubt that the Comet Caliente was an attractive package. Getting things underway in earnest, Mercury put four Comet Caliente cars through a crucible of high performance punishment at Daytona Speedway, starting on September 21st, 1963. Rather than touting the car’s straight line prowess or cornering abilities, they instead set their focus on durability under extreme conditions. To promote the Comet Caliente as a performance car, Mercury took an unconventional approach. And in similar fashion to Ford’s new pony car, the Comet Caliente could be had with a Toploader four-speed manual gearbox. For the 1964 model year, that would initially equate to the 260ci Ford V8 as the most potent offering, though it would be supplanted mid-year by the new 289ci V8.īy the time the 1965 model year Comet rolled out with even more aggressive sheet metal, this new power plant could be had in three different configurations – a two-barrel carburetor version with 200 hp, a 225 horsepower version with a four barrel carb, or the high output four barrel motor which, like it did in the then-new Ford Mustang, dished out a healthy 271 horsepower. Images: Barrett-JacksonĪlthough the Caliente package was primarily aimed at buyers who wanted plush embellishments like deluxe carpeting, extra chrome trim, and other luxury accoutrements, like the Cyclone it could also be equipped with small block V8 power. Along with the performance-focused Comet Cyclone, the Comet Caliente and Cyclone comprised the pair of top-spec trim levels that could optioned for go-fast thrills in Mercury’s understated compact.Īlthough the Cyclone was marketed as the high performance version of the Comet, the Caliente could be equipped with virtually identical mechanical bits, and offered additional creature comforts as well as the option to equip the car with a power operated convertible top. Although the second generation Comet would only be in production for two years – and the Comet Caliente as a moniker and tied-in performance package along with it – the model made an indelible mark on the performance scene both on the street and at the race track.Īlthough it was underpinned by the same unibody structure as the previous model, the 1964 Mercury Comet was significantly revised from an aesthetic standpoint, adopting a squared-off look that lent itself well to a high performance treatment. Image: Serious Wheels, Wiki Commonsįor the Mercury compact, this would result in its first earnest foray into the realm of muscle cars with the Comet Caliente in 1964. 1965 (right) would take this evolution a step further, stacking the dual headlights and revising the tailight configuration as well. Initially envisioned as a fuel-sipping runabout and available in sedan and five-door station wagon configurations along with the Comet coupe, as the muscle car era began to take shape in the early-to-mid 1960s, the Comet’s performance offerings expanded in turn.įor the 1964 model year (left), Mercury gave the Comet a more square-off, purposeful look that jived well with the inevitable modifications that hot rodders would apply once they got their hands on Mercury's compact coupe. Originally developed to be added to the Edsel lineup, the Comet would find a new home when Ford’s ill-fated marque would cease operations that same year. Introduced in 1960 alongside the Ford Falcon and sharing its unibody platform, the Mercury Comet would undergo a number of transformations over the following decade and a half.
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