Mercury Marauder

Mercury Marauder
2003–2004 Mercury Marauder
Overview
Manufacturer	Mercury (Ford)
Production	1963–1965 1969–1970 2002–2004
Model years	1963–1965 1969–1970 2003–2004
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size
Layout	FR layout

The Mercury Marauder is an automobile nameplate that was used by three distinct full-size cars produced by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from the most powerful engines available to the Mercury line, the Marauder was marketed as the highest-performance version of the full-size product range.

During its first production run, the Mercury Marauder was a trim option on standard Mercury coupes; the equivalent of the Ford Galaxie 500 and 500/XL, the Marauder was given a "fastback" rear roofline. For 1966, the Marauder was replaced by the similar Mercury S-55; remaining the counterpart of the 500XL, the S-55 transitioned the Marauder from a trim option to a distinct model.

For its second production run, the Mercury Marauder returned for 1969 as a fastback version of the Mercury Marquis.^[1] Designed to bridge the gap between the Mercury Cougar and Continental Mark III, the Mercury Marauder was repackaged as a personal luxury car. After the 1970 model year, the Mercury Marauder was discontinued.

For the 2003 model year, the Mercury Marauder nameplate was revived as a high-performance variant of the full-size Grand Marquis. After lower than expected sales, the Marauder was discontinued at the end of the 2004 model year. As it was the final nameplate introduced on the Panther platform architecture, the Mercury Marauder remains the final rear-wheel drive sedan introduced by Ford Motor Company in North America (as of the 2020 model year).

The nameplate marauder is a person engaged in banditry or related activity.

Origin of name[]

The Marauder name made its first appearance in 1958 as Ford introduced a new family of V8 engines for its Mercury, Edsel, and Lincoln brands. Exclusive to Mercury was a 383 cu in (6.3 L) V8 engine. Dubbed Marauder, it produced 330 hp (246 kW; 335 PS) with an optional 4-barrel carburetor. In that tune, the engine was available in the Montclair and Colony Park. Shared with Lincoln, a 360 hp (268 kW; 365 PS) 430 cu in (7.0 L) V8 was available as an option. Exclusive to Mercury, a Super Marauder triple two-barrel carburetor became the first mass-produced engine sold in the United States with an advertised 400 hp (298 kW; 406 PS) output;^[2] the option was available on all Mercury vehicles, and was offered as a competitor to the Chrysler 300C high-performance coupe.

For 1959, the Super Marauder option was discontinued; the 430 remained, although retuned with slightly lower engine output. For 1960, 383 Marauders became optional in all Mercury vehicles, including the Monterey, Park Lane, and Commuter.

For the 1961 model year, the 383 and 430 big-block engines were phased out of the Mercury division, as the product cycle of Edsel-based vehicles ended and Ford sought to bring Mercury closer to the Ford brand. In response, Mercury shifted the use of the Marauder name on smaller Ford FE V8 engines.

First generation (1963–1965)[]

First generation
1964 Mercury Marauder 2-door hardtop
Overview
Model years	1963½–1965
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door hardtop 4-door hardtop
Platform	Full-size Ford
Related	Mercury Monterey Mercury Montclair Mercury Park Lane
Powertrain
Engine	390 cu in (6.4 L) V8 406 cu in (6.7 L) V8 427 cu in (7.0 L) V8
Transmission	3-speed manual 4-speed manual 3-speed automatic

The Mercury Marauder nameplate made its debut as a trim package of each of the four Mercury full-size series, including the Monterey, Montclair, S-55 (1963 only), and Park Lane in the Spring of 1963. For the first time for a mid-year introduction, the Marauder was introduced as a "1963½" model (as was an entire line of new, "sports" models from Ford in many of the existing series). All 1963½ Marauders were two-door hardtops.

In sharp contrast to the distinctive reverse-slant "Breezeway" roofline option, the Marauder hardtop coupe was styled with a sloping notchback rear roofline; matching the same roofline that was introduced at the same time on the contemporary Galaxies. This roofline was optimized to make the large sedan more competitive for stock car racing. Along with the "sportier" roofline, the Marauder trim package included bucket seats and central console, similar to its Ford counterpart. However, the base model Marauder came with a front bench seat and a Column shift unlike the S-55 package.

For 1964, the availability of Mercury Marauder expanded to four-door hardtops; along with two-doors, four-door hardtops also included a fastback roofline. The blocky "Breezeway" models continued as before.

Shared with the rest of the Mercury sedan line, the Mercury Marauder was powered by Ford "FE-Series" V8 engines, shared with the big Fords and the Thunderbird. A 390 cubic-inch Marauder V8 was standard, with a 427 cubic-inch Super Marauder V8 replacing a 406 V8 in 1964. Along with 3-speed and 4-speed manual transmissions, a 3-speed "Merc-O-Matic" automatic transmission was offered.

For 1965, Mercury advertising emphasized the car's luxury and close relationship with Lincoln. This meant deemphasizing performance and sporty styling. This followed a general trend toward more luxury with the introduction of the Ford Galaxie 500 LTD, Chevrolet Impala Caprice, and Plymouth Fury VIP. Nevertheless Mercury continued to offer the Marauder option in all three series (Park Lane, Montclair, and Monterey) for both the hardtop coupe and hardtop sedan; however it wasn't heavily advertised (and not even mentioned in dealer brochures). Marauders got a tiny emblem (with flag) on the "C" pillar to distinguish them from other models. All full size Mercury hardtop coupes got the same "slantback" roofline as in the big Ford, which was basically a more sharply-angled version of the 1964 Marauder roofline. Four-door hardtops got a new formal "limousine" styled notchback roofline that was shared with Ford's Galaxie hardtop sedans. Mercury continued to advertise the big-block FE-series V8s as "Marauder" engines.

For the 1966 model year, as Mercury shifted away from full-size performance vehicles, the Marauder was replaced by a repackaged S-55; the move also consolidated the options of three model lines into a distinct nameplate.

Second generation (1969–1970)[]

Second generation
1969 Mercury Marauder X-100
Overview
Model years	1969–1970
Body and chassis
Body style	2-door hardtop
Related	Mercury Marquis Ford XL
Powertrain
Engine	390 cu in (6.4 L) FE V8 429 cu in (7.0 L) 385 V8
Transmission	3-speed FMX/SelectShift automatic 3-speed C6/SelectShift automatic 3-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	121.0 in (3,073 mm)[3]
Length	219.1 in (5,565 mm)[3]
Width	79.6 in (2,022 mm)[3]
Height	53.5 in (1,359 mm)[3]
Curb weight	4,328 lb (1,963 kg)[3]

For the 1969 model year, Mercury returned the Marauder nameplate to its product line.^[1] Repackaged as a personal luxury car, the Marauder replaced the performance-oriented S-55.

Slotted below the Marquis in size, the Marauder was derived from multiple Mercury and Ford vehicles. Sharing its fastback roofline with the Ford XL and Ford Galaxie 500 SportsRoof,^[1] the Marauder shared its front sheetmetal (and interior trim) with the Marquis. The Marauder shared its 121-inch wheelbase with Ford sedans (and the Colony Park station wagon). Similar to other 1960s vehicles with fastback rooflines, its rear window was "tunneled", with large rear C-pillars. In the rear quarter panels, non-functional louvered side air intakes were added as a styling element.

By the end of the 1960s, demand for high-performance full-size cars had largely disappeared. In total, Mercury would sell about 15,000 examples for 1969, and barely a third of that for 1970; in comparison to the Marauder, Mercury would sell nearly 173,000 Cougars at the same time. Within the Lincoln-Mercury Division, the far more expensive Continental Mark III outsold the Marauder more than two-to-one from 1969 to 1970.

Powertrain[]

Standard versions of the Marauder were equipped with the 390 cu in (6.4 L) Ford FE engine and a manual 3-speed transmission.^[4] The Marauder X-100 was only equipped with the 360 hp (268 kW; 365 PS) 429 cu in (7.0 L) engine with a 3-speed FMX automatic as an option.^[5] The only transmission available with the 429 was the 3-speed Ford C6 automatic.^[1]

Mercury Marauder X-100[]

To offer a higher-performance version of the Marauder, Mercury introduced the Marauder X-100. While nearly all features of the X-100 were cosmetic, the Marauder X-100 offered a choice of twin comfort lounge seats, bench seat or bucket seats with a floor console housing a U-shaped automatic transmission shift handle. The X-100 also featured Kelsey-Hayes road wheels along with rear fender skirts.^[1]

Revival (2003–2004)[]

Third generation
2003–2004 Mercury Marauder
Overview
Production	May 2002 – June 25, 2004[6][7]
Model years	2003–2004
Assembly	St. Thomas Assembly Plant, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Body and chassis
Body style	4-door sedan
Platform	Ford Panther platform
Related	Mercury Grand Marquis Ford Crown Victoria Lincoln Town Car
Powertrain
Engine	302 hp 4.6 L Modular DOHC V8
Transmission	4-speed 4R70W automatic (2003) 4-speed 4R75W automatic (2004)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	114.7 in (2,913 mm)
Length	212.0 in (5,385 mm).
Width	78.2 in (1,986 mm).
Height	56.8 in (1,443 mm).

For 2003, Mercury revived the Marauder nameplate after a 33-year hiatus. Similar in concept to its 1960s namesake, the new Marauder offered upgraded chassis, suspension, and powertrain components over the standard Grand Marquis. For the first time since 1960, Mercury offered a full-size sedan with no Ford counterpart, developing it as a marketplace successor to the 1994-1996 Chevrolet Impala SS.^[8] When the Marauder was cancelled, Chrysler reintroduced the 2005 Chrysler 300 as a rear drive luxury sedan with the all-new Hemi V8.

The introduction of the Marauder launched a near-complete replenishment of the Mercury model line.^[9] Though the Grand Marquis sedan and Mountaineer SUV would remain in production, from 2004 to 2006, Mercury introduced the Monterey minivan (2004) and Mariner SUV (2005); the Sable was replaced by the Montego and Milan sedans (2005 and 2006).

After the end of the 2004 model year, the Marauder was discontinued with no direct Mercury or Ford replacement.^[10] Initially predicted for sales of 18,000 vehicles per year,^[9] the revived Marauder sold slowly, with only 11,052 sold over its two-year production (compared to nearly 180,000 Grand Marquis sold in the same time). In a key marketing success, the Marauder attracted younger buyers into Lincoln-Mercury showrooms; the average age of its buyer (51) was 18 years younger than that of the Grand Marquis (69).^[9]

Development[]

At the 2002 Chicago Auto Show, Ford introduced the Mercury Marauder as a concept car.^[11] Serving as a preview of the production vehicle, the 2002 concept car was a five-passenger, two-door convertible.^[12] Starting life as a 1999 Ford Crown Victoria LX, the body was reconfigured and the 215hp 4.6L V8 replaced by a 335hp supercharged 4.6L SOHC V8.^[12]

The first full-sized convertible produced by Ford since the 1972 Ford LTD convertible and the first full-sized two-door sedan (by Ford) since 1987, the Marauder convertible was strictly intended as a concept car. At the time of its development, production of the 2-door convertible was under consideration, related to consumer demand.^[8]

Chassis[]

The 2003–2004 Marauder utilized the Panther platform, adopting the chassis upgrades introduced as part of its 2003 update (including the introduction of rack-and-pinion steering). The Marauder also used heavier-duty brake and suspension components from the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor.

For production Marauders, Mercury used a 302hp 4.6L DOHC V8; an evolution of the Lincoln Mark VIII engine, the V8 was shared with the Mustang Mach 1 and Lincoln Aviator. For 2003, the engine used a 4-speed 4R70W automatic, switching to a 4R75W automatic for 2004.

The Marauder shared its limited-slip differential (and 3.55:1 rear-axle ratio) with the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor,^[13] along with its aluminum driveshaft.

Body[]

In line with the B-body Chevrolet Impala SS, the 2003 Marauder was given a monochromatic appearance, with a wide majority of cars sold in black. In contrast to the Grand Marquis, the only chrome on the Marauder is its window trim, wheels, and Mercury emblems on the grille and trunklid.

On the exterior, the Marauder shares most of its trim with the Grand Marquis; much of the rear and side trim is shared with the Crown Victoria LX Sport. Both bumpers are unique to the Marauder; the rear features the model name embossed on the bumper and is modified further to accommodate the larger Megs chrome tailpipe tips. The front bumper was redesigned with a central air intake added to improve engine ventilation; round Cibié fog lamps were added below the headlights. The headlight and corner light lenses (from the Grand Marquis) had their non-reflective surfaces blacked out and the grille was painted black with a body-color surround. The taillight and reverse light lenses (from the Crown Victoria LX Sport) were dark-tinted to the minimum of DOT standards. Unique to the Marauder, the 18-inch five-spoke wheels have center caps with a revival of a 1960s Mercury emblem (a silhouette of the Roman god Mercury).

The interior of the Marauder resembled the configuration of the 2002 concept convertible, adopting a five-seat layout with a center console-mounted transmission shifter (shared with the Crown Victoria LX Sport and Grand Marquis LSE). Leather seating was standard, with (simulated) satin aluminum trim replacing wood trim. Unique to the Marauder, the instrument panel was redesigned, with aluminum-finish gauges, a 140-mph speedometer; unique among Panther platform vehicles (at the time), the Marauder was fitted with a tachometer, requiring the relocation of the voltmeter and oil pressure gauges (forward of the shifter).

• 

  Mercury Marauder, rear view

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  Mercury Marauder (Dark Toreador Red)

• 

  Mercury Marauder (Silver Birch)

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  2004 Mercury Marauder (Silver Birch), showing optional trunk spoiler

Sales[]

2003-2004 Mercury Marauder sales
Model year	Sales (by color)
	Black	Silver Birch	Dark Pearl Blue	Dark Toreador Red	Total yearly sales
2003	7,093	417	328	N/A	7,838
2004	1,237	997	N/A	980	3,214
Total sales					11,052

References[]

Further reading[]

• Edmunds.com, 2003 Marauder Review
• AutomobileMag.com, 2003–2004 Mercury Marauder, Joe Lorio
• Car and Driver, July 2002, 2003 Mercury Marauder - Reviews / Road Tests, John Phillips
• Car and Driver, 2004 Mercury Marauder, User Road Tests^{[permanent dead link]}
• Motor Trend, July 2002, Merc Meets Merc, Marauder and S500: Two cool, bad-ass powerbrokers on the run, Todd Lassa
• JD Power Quality Survey, 2003 Mercury Marauder

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mercury Marauder.

• Mercury Marauder at the Internet Movie Cars Database