Buyers had one last chance to purchase a really large Mercury Marquis in 1978, measuring over 19 feet in length, before the car got a total redesign the following year that included shaving off nearly 17 inches and a weight loss program that resulted in almost half a ton of dropped fat. Dr. Now would be proud, but I’ll take the heavy-set Mercury any day. The sedan for sale here on Craigslist is a real beauty, and I’m not knocking anything about what the seller is describing, although a little internet sleuthing may indicate that the next owner may have missed the boat on getting a better deal. But that was then and this is now, and this one sure looks like a top-tier car, just be prepared to pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $18,500. And plan a trip to Jacksonville, Florida to check it out in person.
Reader Pat L. sent us the tip here, and for that, we’d like to say thank you! What first rattled my suspicions that this may be an instant flip was the Smoky Mountain Traders backdrop in the photos and license plates on the car, and no detective is needed to investigate that Jacksonville is nowhere near Tennessee. A visit to the SMT website also shows this vehicle is no longer in their inventory and has been sold, with the Classic site also revealing the Mercury recently exchanged hands in Maryville, TN.
Be that as it may, this is one beautiful Marquis, presumably just as it was after leaving The Volunteer State, as the seller used mostly the same photos and ad copy as before. Dove Grey was getting to be a popular and elegant color by the end of the seventies decade, and the finish is said to be original with a gorgeous luster, along with a laser straight body. The matching vinyl top is equally impressive, and those red pinstripes are painted on, not those awful tape applications. No accidents have been reported during the less than 11k miles this car is claimed to have been on the road, and if a late seventies 4-Door Mercury is on your must-have list it may be hard to find a nicer one.
Stepping inside reveals an interior just about as fine as the exterior, with the period popular red staring at you from all directions. Everything inside is said to be original and in beautiful condition, including the door panels which surprisingly have manual window cranks instead of power motors. The dash is said to look remarkable, and why other manufacturers didn’t follow Ford’s lead in providing a glove box this size in their bigger cars is beyond me.
Three engine choices were available here for ’78, with this one having the middle-of-the-road 400 cubic-inch V8. The smallest powerplant was the 351, but you could also equip your Marquis with a 460, and while I’d prefer the latter I could probably live with the 400 under the circumstances since it’s stated as so low-mileage, even though horsepower was only rated at 166 from the factory. What are your thoughts on this 1978 Mercury Marquis? Is $18.5k reasonable for what you’re seeing here?
Nice work, Mike! I love the sleuthing, well done, sir. Thanks to Pat for another great tip.
Hey Mike, the big engine option would have displaced 460 cubic inches. BTW nice write.
Whoops, thanks Pat, I was writing Ford and thinking GM! Corrected and much appreciated, thanks so much for reading.
Fake wood instrument panel or real wood?
Roll up windows
No AC
Surprised
People who like these boats expect both. Now its worth?
Probably not a Florida car without air
Yep. Surprised the seller brought it here to FL to flip. Jacksonville isn’t too far away but no AC will save me the drive.
Maybe if it were a Vette b7t a landyahct sedan? Nope
..but a land yacht sedan..
I wish there was an edit option.
Missouri (maybe some others) used these as Highway Patrol Cars. Had the Ford Version, 78″ with the 460, big Ammeter on the dash, 140mph calibrated speedometer, got 8mpg no matter what, highway, city,
460 in the Ford, as said here already.
Ok, so 8 MPG, but more enjoyable than an old van getting 16.
Depends on what is important to you.
We Love the big ones.
Don’t let the fender skirts fool you. This is a base-level Marquis, so the lack of options isn’t all that surprising. The other offerings were the Marquis Brougham and the Grand Marquis.
But never a “de Sade” option, LOL!! (Long running C&D magazine joke!) :-)
Car and Driver was awesome in the ’80s! 1/3 Motor Trend, 1/3 Road & Track, 1/3 Mad Magazine.
Having seen many ads over the years, it seems that many (but not all) of the low-mileage, excellent shape cars are real strippers (such as this). Disappointing for sure. Seemingly the frugal buyers don’t want the expense of driving and depreciation as well? Or, they just want a cheap car because they don’t need to drive much? I don’t know. Just an observation.
Good Point. Maybe being “beer can” models they didn’t sell. Might explain the low mileage.
For some people back then, buying a new car, any new car, was a big deal. Imagine a guy who worked his whole life in coal mine, steel mill, or the cab of a long-haul semi. He and his wife raised their four children, and now it’s time for retirement. He has an empty spot in his garage, and some cash, so he buys a “Sunday drive” car. It doesn’t matter that it’s the low-level Marquis. It’s his first brand-new car, so he uses it sparingly and treats it like it’s a Lincoln Continental.
I was 24 years old when I bought a Grand Marquis in the same color , dove grey with matching leather interior. Had all the options , she was a beauty. Drove great , such a huge car. After a couple of years of filling it up with gas 3 times a week , I swapped it for a 280Z.
It truly was a beautiful car.
Both the 351 and 400 were thirsty and under-powered dogs in the malaise years, more so in a car as big as this. The 460 would have been the right choice here. And I’d guess this car was owned for some years by an elderly couple who rarely drove.
I had a 73 Marquis C/P wagon. 460. Loaded, got 17 Highway 9 round town. this 400 is not BIG enough, and like was said you’ll get about 8 mpg ON A GOOD DAY.
A gas hog, but super comfy. I am a Marquis guy, have had mine 15 years with no intention of selling. I live in the Pocono Mountains. Except for about three days out of August, no need for air conditioning up here. Just another ton of weight that was originally R12, and that stuff costs a ton as well. Nice car, probably owned by a grandma. With the way drivers race today, I’d rather be in this barge than some econobox.
As stated before. The 400 is an underperforming grandma engine, and with no options on this Merc? This flipper is hoping he gets some unsuspecting suburbanite, wanting to relive his childhood, to shower the cash on him.
If I had a bottomless bank account, I’d love to have one of these with a 3.5 Ecoboost and 10 speed auto…with a trailer hitch for my bass boat. You could buy a LOT of gas for the cost of that swap though, LOL.
Hello 14-second quarter miles though and some gaping mouths.
The craigslist ad says. “400 Cleveland” engine. No such animal. And also, the 351 in those Mercuries were Windsors, not Clevelands. She’s beautiful but overpriced for a base model.
Actually it was a Cleveland style engine, It was the same engine used in pickup trucks. It was known as a 351M – 400M. It had Cleveland style heads with canted valves not inline valves like the 351 Windsor. Ford never made a 400 ci Windsor style small block.
This car is gorgeous!! However- what is up with what appears to be rust on the insides of the fenders under the hood?? They should take care of that if they expect a buyer to pay their asking price!!
Nice 👍🏾. But I would have every option installed on that Ride you can imagine. All Bells 🛎️ 🔔 and Whistles that you are not included they damn sure would have been.
If our dad 👨🏾 👴🏾 had brought that Ride and asked all 3 of us his Sons
and said to us what options should be installed in that Ride?
We would’ve said everything.That said I would have said if you are going to spend the Money 💰 💴 💵 why half step. Go for what you know.
Act like it’s Miller Time Go For The Gusto. Buy and get the top of the line.
Especially the last year of that model year.
Buy the Mercury Brougham Grand Marquis LS Park Lane with every option that we can think 🤔 💭 🧐 of that comes to mind. The same goes for the 2Dr Coupe just to say and tell the man G. F. H. The same even for the Convertible that you would order for yourself and us and also The C. P. Beach 🏝️ 🏖️ Wagon Station 🚉 Wagon.
Better still for the 1979 Model before it went downsized in 1980k to the present 🎁. The Top Model for 1979 The Lincoln Continental Town Car
Presidential Series 4Dr, 2 Town Coupe, 2Dr Convertible and last but not least. A Town Car Presidential Beach 🏝️ 🏖️ Wagon Station 🚉 Wagon.
Again all the Bells 🛎️ 🔔 and Whistles. Now that’s how I would have my Ride.
No a/c?