Mercury Montego

For 1968, Mercury introduced the Montego as part of its intermediate Mercury Comet product line. While its predecessor was repackaged as an entry-level trim, the Montego (sharing its M-letter nameplate with full-size Mercury sedans) replaced the Comet Capri and Comet Caliente under a single nameplate; the high-performance Comet Cyclone became a stand-alone model line. The Montego was the counterpart of the Ford Torino (itself, phased in to replace the Ford Fairlane). The first-generation Montego was initially offered in four body styles: two-door hardtop and two-door convertible, four-door sedan, and five-door station wagon. The model line was marketed in three trims: Montego and Montego MX (replacing the Comet Capri and Comet Caliente, respectively) and the Montego MX Brougham. For 1969, the 200 cubic-inch inline-6 was replaced as the standard by a 250 cubic-inch inline-6; a 351 V8 was added as an option (alongside the 302 and 390 V8s), in addition to a 428 Cobra Jet V8 (for non-MX Brougham vehicles). 1970 facelift For 1970, the Montego underwent a mid-cycle revision, with the Mercury intermediate range dropping the Comet name entirely. The chassis gained an inch of wheelbase (for both sedans and wagons), as the front fascia was styled with a forward-thrusting grille and hood (concealed headlamps on MX Brougham trim). The convertible was dropped from the model range, with the two-door hardtop adopting a sleeker roofline. Following the introduction of exterior wood-panel trim for Montego station wagons in 1969, Mercury added the Montego MX Villager (serving as the wagon equivalent of the MX Brougham). The V8 engine lineup was revised, dropping the 390 and 428 V8s (in favor of a 429 V8; high-performance versions were reserved for Mercury Cyclones) and replacing the 351 V8 with an all-new engine of the same displacement. For 1971, the grille was restyled to an egg-crate style (retaining the forward-thrusting shape); the concealed headlamps were dropped from the MX Brougham/Villager. During the model year, Mercury began to add the Cyclone to the Montego line (as its Ford counterparts were all Torinos). The rest of the model line dropped the 429 V8, leaving the 351 Cleveland as the highest-performance V8. ==Second generation (1972–1976)==

For 1972, the second-generation Montego was introduced alongside the redesigned Ford Torino. In a major design shift, intermediate-size Ford/Mercury model lines shifted from unibody to body-on-frame construction; similarly to the General Motors A-platform, the Montego adopted a split-wheelbase chassis (114-inch for two-doors, 118-inch for four-doors and station wagons). True four-door hardtops were replaced by "pillared hardtops" (frameless door glass remained, supported by a thin B-pillar), while two-door Montegos retained hardtop roofs, though with much wider C-pillars. The Cyclone had reverted from a stand-alone model line to an option package for 1972 for the Montego; only 30 1972 Cyclones would be produced, making it among the rarest Mercury vehicles. As a replacement for the Cyclone, Mercury introduced the Montego GT, a counterpart of the Ford Gran Torino SportsRoof for the first time; the Montego GT was offered from 1972 to 1973. As a standard engine, the Montego was equipped with a 250 cubic-inch inline-six, with five different V8 engines available as options. Starting in 1974, the Mercury Montego was available with a 460 V8, shared with the Mercury Marquis/Colony Park. The redesign was initially met with success, as 1972 Montego sales increased 136% over 1971; the MX Brougham saw the largest increases in sales, as the two-door increased its sales by 897% while the four-door increased by 1,021%. Following the 1973 gas crisis, sales of the model line began to trend lower in response to industry-wide fuel economy concerns. For 1974, the Mercury Cougar XR7 adopted the body of the Montego two-door hardtop, now the counterpart of the Ford Elite, the Cougar was repackaged as an intermediate-size personal luxury car. While the notchback roofline remained for the two-door hardtop (though rear side windows became fixed in place, with an opera window added as an option), the fastback Montego GT hardtop was dropped. For 1975, the engine lineup was revised, as all Ford/Mercury intermediates dropped the inline-6 and 302 V8; a 351 V8 became the standard engine, with optional 400 and 460 V8s. Sales of the Montego dropped further; in addition to the Cougar competing directly against the two-door Montego, the smaller Mercury Monarch attracted buyers shifting away from full-size and intermediate cars towards compact cars offering increased fuel efficiency. For 1976, the Montego saw only nominal changes, centered primarily on improving fuel efficiency of the V8 engines. The Torino-chassis intermediates underwent a mid-cycle redesign for 1977, with Ford shifting several nameplates. Mercury rebranded the Montego as a fourth generation of the Cougar; in addition to the flagship Cougar XR7 personal luxury coupe, the Cougar offered two-door and four-door sedans and a station wagon. Following a substantial exterior revision, the Torino/Gran Torino was rebranded as the Ford LTD II, with the Ford Elite replaced by a downsized Ford Thunderbird (becoming a counterpart of the Cougar XR7). File:Mercury Montego GT green.jpg|1972 Mercury Montego GT 2-Door Fastback File:1973 Mercury Montego GT 2-Door Hardtop.jpg|1973 Mercury Montego GT 2-Door Fastback File:1974 Mercury Montego MX Villager, front left (ISWC meet, July 15, 2023).jpg|1974 Montego MX Villager station wagon File:1974 Mercury Montego MX Brougham interior.jpg|1974 Montego MX Brougham interior File:'75 Mercury Montego (Cruisin' At The Boardwalk '10).jpg|1975 Mercury Montego 2-Door Hardtop ==Third generation (2005–2007)==

After a 28-year hiatus, Mercury revived the Montego nameplate for 2005, moving it to a full-size sedan. Introduced as the successor of the Mercury Sable (alongside the smaller Mercury Milan), the Montego was slotted between the Milan and Grand Marquis in size. The divisional counterpart of the Ford Five Hundred, the model line entered production on July 12, 2004. The third-generation Montego was manufactured at the Chicago Assembly facility in Chicago, Illinois alongside the Ford Five Hundred and the Ford Freestyle; the latter was a CUV wagon serving as a replacement for the Taurus/Sable station wagon. Design The third-generation Montego used the Ford D3 platform. Developed in collaboration with Volvo, the D3 platform is the first full-size Ford platform to use front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive as an option. Shifting away from the body-on-frame Panther platform, the D3 chassis utilizes unibody construction. Only two inches shorter than the Grand Marquis in wheelbase, the Montego was nearly 500 pounds lighter in curb weight. The Montego was equipped with a single engine, shared with the previous Taurus/Sable, a 203hp version of the 3.0L DOHC Duratec V6. Front-wheel drive versions were equipped with an Aisin 6-speed automatic; AWD versions were equipped with a CVT sourced from a Ford/ZF joint venture. Total Vehicle Geometry (TVG) The Montego, Five Hundred and Ford Freestyle were manufactured using a Volvo-derived system called Total Vehicle Geometry (TVG) to ensure fit, finish and craftsmanship — by requiring comprehensive participation by all engineers as well as suppliers and vendors. Heavily using computer-aided design, TVG tracks all design modifications, translating them into the central CAD database which in turn allows each engineer access to current project data. The system improves part tolerance at the body-in-white stage as well as early cabin integrity testing, via air leakage testing. TVG improved fit and finish at the first prototype stage and decreases pilot manufacturing times. Interior Contrasting with both the Grand Marquis and the Sable, the third-generation Montego was available solely in a five-passenger configuration. As with the Mercury Marauder (and the Grand Marquis LSE), the Montego was fitted with a console-mounted transmission shifter. As with the Milan, the Montego was fitted with a 60/40 fold-down rear seat. Along with expanding the 21 cubic-foot trunk space, the folding rear seats (and optional forward-folding front passenger seatback) allowed for objects up to 10 feet in length to be transported inside. At its launch, two airbags were standard, with four more available as an option (front-seat airbags and side-curtain). For 2008, the Montego was renamed the Sable, taking on the nameplate of the vehicle that it originally replaced. ==Use in competition==

. In the 1968 NASCAR Grand National stock car season, the fastback Fairlane body style proved much slicker than other makes, but the nose of the Mercury Cyclone Fastback was the main reason pointed to it being even slightly faster than its Ford counterpart. Cale Yarborough drove a Wood Brothers Cyclone to victory in the Daytona 500, and the Mercury bodies would remain a major force in NASCAR through 2 generations of bodies. The battle over aerodynamics would prompt Chrysler to respond with specialized "winged wonder" Daytona and Superbird bodies after its own fastback bodies proved disappointing. ==References==