By MICHAEL BUSHNELL
Northeast News
June 20, 2012

Wide bell bottoms and long collars aside, the advertising postcard produced by the Mercury Division of the Ford Motor company shows two hip cats lovin’ on a 1976 Mercury Comet four-door sedan featuring the custom option package.  Originally introduced in 1960 as a replacement for the newly defunct Edsel line, the Mercury Comet was available in a two-door coupe, a four-door sedan and a two or four-door station wagon.  

Two trim packages were available, the standard package or the custom package with additional badging, extra chrome and an all vinyl interior. Sit on that in the summer time! The power train consisted of a 144 cubic inch straight six engine that produced roughly 90 horses, driven by either a three-speed (three on the tree) manual or a two-speed “Merc-O-Matic” automatic transmission.  

The Comet and the Maverick, the Ford counterpart, were produced at Ford’s Claycomo plant through the 1977 model year. The Comet and Maverick name were slated to continue but a last minute decision from Ford scuttled both models after 1977 with the introduction of the Mercury Monarch, the Mercury Zephyr and the Ford Granada, all built as “luxury compacts.” 

This advertising postcard was imprinted for Crown Lincoln-Mercury “The Main Dealer,” located at 3440 Main Street in Kansas City. It was never mailed.