The 1966 Mercury Comet was bigger than the previous year having 'upgraded' from a compact to an intermediate car. Previously based on the Ford Falcon it now shared its body with the Ford Fairlane.
The Caliente Convertible in Cardinal Red you see here is part of a sub-series within the comet family consisting of 3 models: a 4 door sedan, a hardtop coupe and the convertible.
It enjoys chrome trim around the wheelwell openings and above the rocker panels - a feature not on the base Comets. There is also Caliente identification on the rear fenders.
Rear fender
The convertible came with a power top as standard.
Top down fun
The interior is a bit plusher than in other Comets and includes a deluxe steering wheel and walnut trim on the door panels and dash adding a nice, decorative touch.
All-vinyl interior
As standard the Comet came with a 200 cubic inch, 6-cylinder engine. However, under the hood of this Caliente is the more desirable 289 cubic inch V8 that produces 200 horsepower. This is paired with a Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission.
Mercury sold 3,922 Comet Caliente Convertibles in the 1966 model year at a base price of $2,475. The 289 V8 on this car would have cost approximately an additional $106 and the Merc-O-Matic around $186. It was also ordered with an AM radio costing $59 and was built in the Lorain, OH assembly plant.
This Comet Caliente is currently for sale on eBay. (follow the link for even more photos)
Why not give an email address for contact?
Are you aware that a serious buyer can not contact you unless they open an account on e bay?
Hi Gerald. It’s simply because we aren’t a dealer and are a magazine style website that features cars that we think are interesting that may / may not be for sale. THEY ARE NOT OUR CARS – If it’s appeared on eBay then that is the only information we have. In this instance the car looks like it is now sold. HOWEVER, the seller did have his phone number in the listing description which is available with or without eBay membership.
We hope this helps.