Mercury muscle cars usually get filed as Fords in nicer suits. Yet between 1966 and 1970, Lincoln-Mercury sold big-block Cyclones, a Car of the Year Cougar and a 427 hardtop that few buyers ever saw.

Here, eight cars run in order from a 1966 Indianapolis pace car to the 1970 Cyclone Spoiler. Each one carries a number from a period record, a registry or a marque history.

1. 1966 Mercury Comet Cyclone GT

The Cyclone GT came as a two-door hardtop or a convertible. It shared its look with the Ford Fairlane. However, a fiberglass hood with two air scoops set it apart.

Under that hood sat a 390-cubic-inch FE V8 with a four-barrel, rated at 335 hp as standard, Over-Drive’s 1966 fact sheet says. In addition, a Cyclone GT convertible paced the 1966 Indianapolis 500.

2. 1967 Mercury Cougar GT

The Cougar debuted for 1967 as Mercury’s longer, plusher take on the pony car. Motor Trend named it Car of the Year, and buyers took nearly 365,000 Cougars in its first three years.

The GT package added a four-barrel 390 V8 rated at 320 hp, according to Hagerty. Even so, Hagerty says the GT package placed a serious emphasis on performance, not only comfort.

3. 1968 Mercury Cougar GT-E

For 1968, Mercury went further still with the GT-E. It came with a 427 V8 rated at 390 hp, paired with a three-speed automatic, plus power front disc brakes and a GT-E-only hood scoop.

Mercury built 394 of them, Over-Drive’s 1968 Cougar fact sheet reports. Of those, 357 had the 427 and 37 got the 428 Cobra Jet, which replaced it in spring 1968. Hagerty adds a stiffer suspension, adjustable shocks and quad exhausts. Then Mercury dropped the GT-E for 1969.

4. 1969 Mercury Cyclone CJ

By 1969, Mercury sold the Cyclone CJ as a fastback. Old Cars Weekly calls it a fastback Charger and Road Runner wrapped in one package.

Standard power came from the 428 Cobra Jet V8 rated at 335 hp, Old Cars Weekly reports. Also standard were a four-speed, a competition handling package and a 3.50:1 rear axle. At the time, the car sold for $3,224, and only 3,261 were built for the model year.

5. 1969 Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II

Above all, the Spoiler II wore a longer, sloped nose. Holman and Moody cut the original front fenders and grafted on about six inches of new sheet metal.

Mercury built 218 Dan Gurney and 285 Cale Yarborough cars at its Lorain, Ohio, plant between February 1 and March 31, 1969, the Talladega and Spoiler Registry records. Together, that totals 503 cars. Unlike the Cyclone CJ, every one had a 351 Windsor rated at 290 hp, with an FMX automatic. Gurney cars were Presidential Blue over white, while Yarborough cars were Candy Apple Red over white.

6. 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator

Mercury added the Eliminator hardtop for 1969. At first, Hagerty notes, it used a four-barrel 351 rated at 290 hp, with the 428 Cobra Jet as an option.

Buyers could also pick a 390, and a Boss 302 arrived late in the model year, Street Muscle reports. Meanwhile, the magazine counts 2,250 cars for 1969. Each one also wore front and rear spoilers in White, Bright Blue, Yellow or Competition Orange.

7. 1969 Mercury Marauder X-100

Not every Mercury muscle car was midsize. The Marauder X-100 arrived in September 1968 as a 1969 model, with a tunneled rear window and a matte finish on the decklid.

Standard power came from a four-barrel 429 V8 rated at 360 hp and 480 lb-ft, The Truth About Cars reports. In addition, it came with a Select-Shift automatic and styled steel wheels. Dealers delivered 5,636 X-100s out of 14,666 Marauders for 1969, the same source says.

8. 1970 Cyclone Spoiler, the last of these Mercury muscle cars

For 1970, the Cyclone Spoiler got a new body, a front lip and a rear deck-lid wing. Its standard engine was a Ram-Air 429 rated at 370 hp, and a 375-hp Super Cobra Jet was optional.

A Hurst four-speed and 3.50:1 Traction-Lok gears were part of the deal, Old Cars Weekly reports. At launch, the Spoiler listed at $3,759 and up. In the end, Mercury built 1,631 of them for 1970.

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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.