Born as an Edsel, the Ford Motor Company’s Comet compact was first marketed as a stand-alone brand for two years before it ultimately joined the Mercury lineup.
As we’ve noted before, the Detroit automakers weren’t quite sure how to market the first wave of compact cars for their introductions to the American car-buying public in 1960. Should they be included in the existing brand lineups, like the Chevy Corvair, or presented as stand-alone models, as Chrysler did with the Valiant? (See our feature on the Valiant’s origins here.)
With the Comet, the Ford Motor Company had an especially complicated decision on its hands. By the time the Comet was introduced on March 17, 1960, its parent division Edsel was no longer in existence, as Ford had pulled the plug on the troubled brand the previous November. So the Edsel badging was hastily stripped away and for the first two years in production, 1960 and 1961, the Comet was sold through Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury dealer network, but positioned as a separate, stand-alone brand.
The Comet’s Edsel DNA is blatantly evident in its tail fins and giant diagonal tail lamps, which were more than flamboyant for a car of the modest compact class, and in the instrument panel, which closely mimicked the cluster in the ’59 Edsel. There’s also something funny going on with the Comet’s stylized door and ignition key set (above). Hmm, is that a C or an E? In most other ways the Comet was an upmarket version of the Ford Falcon, with a more formal roofline, a longer wheelbase (114 vs. 109.5 inches for the sedans; wagons shared the short 109.5-in wb) and fancier trim and interior materials. Under the hood was the same 144 cubic-inch inline six that powered the Falcon, sporting all of 90 horsepower.
Despite the somewhat ad hoc rollout, the Comet did remarkably well in its first year with more than 115,000 vehicles sold, and even better in 1961 with nearly 200,000 units delivered. For 1962 the Comet officially became a Mercury product, and the Comet name would remain in the Mercury lineup through 1977.
I see one of those Comets cruising the streets of Mayberry R.F.D. on many occasions. That is a good reminder of all the good cars that we don’t have anymore.
My oldest brother had a 61 as his first car in 1967. It was commonly called a Mercury Comet by then, I never knew of it’s true roots.
I had a 61, it was titled as a Ford
I have a 61 COMET with 39,000 miles white with red and white interior.
Really like to buy a two door 61 COMET!
Wow, never realized the connection to Edsel, thank you.
The ’61 Comet was my first vehicle, given to me by someone who drove it from CA to NJ and then decided they no longer needed a car. The car was jokingly labeled ‘Kohoutek’, and with its anemic 144CI six and three on the tree, it wouldn’t win any races, but it got me back and forth to college for several years until mechanical problems forced it’s premature retirement.
A few years ago, I came across a similar one in a local Pic-n-pull. I pulled the instrument cluster and fitted it with LED light bulbs and hooked it up to a 12v power source, where it now occupies a space in the man cave/garage.
Nice to still have a little bit of that car, albeit a different one, on hand for memories!
In the late 60’s we had a 62 2 dr. 3 on the tree. Spent most of its time with us in the driveway because my brother painted it primer red (with a brush) and my mother refused to drive it. I would practice my clutch skills going up and down the driveway. One winter it was stuck in the snow so I got to practice shifting (tires spinning through all three gears). I believe I saw 100 on the speedo.