Comet (marque)

Comet is a defunct American automobile brand of compact cars marketed by the Lincoln-Mercury division of Ford Motor Company from 1960 to 1961. Comet vehicles were promoted as "the First Compact Car with Fine Car Styling" and were offered in 4 body styles:
* 2-Door Sedan
* 2-Door Station Wagon
* 4-Door Sedan
* 4-Door Station Wagon

Comet cars were originally meant to be introduced under the Edsel brand as the 1960 Edsel Comet before Edsel was shut down in November of 1959. Comet was subsequently released on March 17th, 1960 in the United States and was sold through Lincoln-Mercury-Comet and Mercury-Comet dealerships. Comet was introduced to the Canadian market for 1961 as a replacement for the one-year-only 1960 Frontenac. Lincoln-Mercury announced the consolidation of the Comet and Mercury lines on September 20, 1961 for both markets. For the 1962 model year onward, all Comet cars were sold under the Mercury brand as the Mercury Comet and distributed through Lincoln-Mercury dealerships.

Although never marketed as Mercury Comets when new, 1960 - 1961 Comet models are often historically and incorrectly referred to as Mercury Comets.

Sales

Comet enjoyed immediate success in the marketplace, selling 116,331 cars for the 1960 model year. 1960 was a short model year for Comet, lasting only from March - October 1960. Comet sales increased by 58% for 1961 models to 197,263 units. Comet outsold the Mercury brand by 70% in 1961.

1961 Model Year Changes

*Revised front grille
*Comet adds 101 horsepower Thrift-Power 170 6-cylinder engine as an optional engine upgrade.
*Reduction in exterior paint choices from 11 to 10 colors
*Revised front fender trim
*Comet side emblems moved from front fenders to rear fenders
*Comet S-22 model added to Comet line
*New Comet logo emblem for roof quarter panel (sedan models only)
*Addition of full-width chrome trim panel with Comet name incorporated above rear bumper (sedan models only)
*New deck lid handle with integral lock (sedan models only)
*Interior dome light moved to center of the roof vs. just above windshield
*Front upper A-arm busing changed from rubber bushing to pre-lubricated, threaded metal bushing
*Die-cast aluminum front engine cover replaces stamped steel cover
*Addition of vertical ribbing to reinforce oil pan in both motor options
*New Comet emblem for glovebox

Comet S-22

For 1961, the Comet S-22 package was released for Comet 2-Door Sedans. S-22 was available with either motor and transmission. Promoted as a luxury-oriented package, Comet S-22 models gained:
*Front bucket seats
*Center console with storage compartment
*Front and rear De luxe armrests
*S-22 steering wheel and De luxe horn ring
*De luxe wheel covers
*De luxe door and quarter trim panels
*Additional insulation/sound-deadening material
*Factory undercoating
*Cigarette lighter
*Door courtesy-light switches
*Bright-work on door and window frames

Comet S-22 was treated as a 5th offering in the Comet lineup, and received Body Series Identification Code 17 in its VIN. Standard Comet 2-Door Sedans were designated by the number 11.

Competitors

To prepare Lincoln-Mercury-Comet dealerships to competitively sell in the compact car market, Comet identified primary competitors in training materials:
* Rambler 6
* Valiant
* Studebaker Lark
* Chevrolet Corvair
* Ford Falcon

1962 Mercury Rebranding and Continuation of Comet

The Comet line of cars was folded under the Mercury brand for the 1962 model year, with Comet models wearing Mercury brand and Comet model emblems. Rear end styling was revised to better resemble other Mercury models such as the Meteor. Comet models were included in Mercury brochures, workshop manuals, and advertisements for the first time for 1962. The Comet Drive automatic transmission was also renamed to Merc-O-Matic Drive for 1962. By adding Comet to the Mercury line of cars, Mercury brand sales on paper more than doubled from 1961 to 1962.

References

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Ford Motor Company
Lincoln vehicles
Mercury vehicles
Compact cars