In January of 1964, Lincoln-Mercury rolled out a sporty performance version of the Comet called the Cyclone, and it was a decent seller from the start.

On January 17, 1964, three months into the ’64 selling season, a Lincoln-Mercury press release announced an addition to the Comet line: the Cyclone. Here was “two-fisted sporting machinery with bite and brawn in every line,” the marketing materials declared. “This is Comet Cyclone—pure elegance in action!” Seems like the copywriters were pretty excited about it, anyway.

If we may translate:  The Cyclone was a sport-performance version of the Caliente, Comet’s latest top trim level also introduced that year. Available only as a two-door hardtop, this new job listed for $2,655, compared to $2,375 for the Caliente. The extra $280 bought a number of attractive features, most notably a standard 289 cubic-inch V8, an extra-cost option in the rest of the Comet line.

As installed in the Cyclone, the Super Cyclone V8, as it was called, featured a 9.0:1 compression ratio, a dual exhaust system, an Autolite four-barrel carburetor, and output ratings of 210 hp at 4,400 rpm and 300 lb-ft of torque at 2,800 rpm. A dress-up kit was also included with chrome-plated rocker covers, dipstick, oil filler, and air cleaner lid, with the air cleaner housing painted Argent (silver). While the engine carried a K designation, this was not the K-code High-Performance 289 CID V8 rated at 271 hp, leading to considerable confusion through the years. But on the plus side, the Super Cyclone V8 did sport a maintenance-free hydraulic camshaft and could run on regular gasoline.

The Cyclone’s base transmission was a three-speed manual with synchronizers on all three gears. But for less than $200 more, buyers could opt for the three-speed Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic or a floor-shifted four-speed manual gearbox. Car Life magazine in April 1964 reported that the four-speed was “better suited to the drag strip than to the highway.” First gear was too low for normal driving, the editors found, while the gap between third and fourth was too wide to provide a useful passing gear.

Appearance items included a Cyclone badge with a checkered flag on each front fender, bright-metal wheel-opening and rocker moldings, and a unique set of 14-inch wheel covers. Styled to resemble the chrome-reverse wheels so popular in hot rodding at the time, they were too shallow to effectively pull off the look, but they were distinctive. As we can see above, the front and rear wheel covers are different to accommodate the wheel hubs.

Inside, the standard Cyclone equipment included bucket seats of crinkle-finish vinyl in White, Black, Red, or Palomino and a short console with a storage compartment—extra-cost options in the Caliente. Also standard were a three-spoke steering wheel with a woodgrain rim and a 6,000 rpm electronic tachometer fixed to the top of the dash. With all these standard features, including the 289 V8, for only $280 more than a Caliente, the Cyclone looks like a real bargain.

Comet buyers must have agreed, for despite the short selling season due to the late introduction, the Cyclone racked up nearly 7,500 sales—not bad considering the Mercury brand’s total volume. In the following year, sales rose to more than 12,000, and in ’66 the Cyclone became a full line with Cyclone and Cyclone GT, hardtop or convertible. A Cyclone would be included in the Mercury lineup through 1971.