The seller says this 1982 Mercury Grand Marquis is the lowest mileage Grand Marquis in the world, and it may be with just a reported 2,940 miles. That’s just 68.4 miles a year over the last 43 years, crazy. This time capsule is posted here on craigslist in Irvington, New York, and they’re asking a whopping $23,000! Here is the original listing, and thanks to Mitchell G. for the tip!
A couple of years after GM’s downsizing of most of its models, Mercury downsized the Grand Marquis for the 1979 model year. The first-generation Grand Marquis was made from 1979 to 1991, with just under a million of them having been produced in both four-door and two-door body styles in portions of that time frame. Believe it or not, and I know you can believe it, this exact car sold for $12,500 almost a year ago on another site here, and now it’s for sale for twice that amount. In the craigslist ad, the seller says this car was “Bought by a dealer fresh from original lady owner estate and garage stored.” We’re not sure if this was before the 2024 auction or not? Our own Dusty Travis wrote up this car a couple of weeks ago here on Barn Finds, and it showed up again, but we tracked down the former auction link for some added interest.
Now that’s a flipper’s dream if it sells for $23,000. This car would have been around $10,000 new in 1982. This car is also listed for sale here on eBay with much better photos, although they are ALSO ALL VERTICALS! Sorry for shouting. The photos in the craigslist ad are, for lack of a better term, embarrassingly horrible. For a $23,000 car to have tiny, all-vertical photos is unacceptable in 2025, it really is. Nobody buying a 1982 Mercury Grand Marquis is going to be looking at the photos on their smartphone.
But let’s move on with what we know now about this car’s history, if that’s even possible at this point. As a 2,800-mile car, it should be as clean as you’d expect, with a fresh detail job. This car looks good in the photos, from what we can see with our magnifying glass. Not to keep harping on the photo quality, but man, turn your #$% smartphone 90 degrees and take better photos of this beautiful horizontal car, it deserves better than this.
The engine is Ford’s 302-cu.in. OHV V8 with 132 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque gliding through an automatic transmission to the rear wheels. It had better work perfectly and this one is reported to have been “gently “Awakened” with new battery, 4 new whitewall radials, fresh noil and NOS Filter, new front calipers and hoses, new rear wheel Cylinders and hose, new master Cylinder, AC blows Ice cold, all power accessories working…absolutely like brand new and runs/handles like a new car.” Any thoughts on this recycled Grand Marquis? I hope it isn’t $46,000 the next time we see it here!
I reckon that the seller is going to be stuck with this car, for a good long while, if he expects to get anywhere near $23,000!
It’s a gussied up Ford LTD (Victoria?) of the same vintage, which was a decent if unremarkable car. And 1982 cars were still stuck in the malaise era, so that 302 is bound to be a slug pulling that weight around. This would have been a nice car back when “The Final Countdown” was a hit. The seller should be happy as a clam if he gets 15k for it.
When guys are asking $30,000 for beat Squarebody shortbed Chevy’s? Why not $23 large for this Merc?
The asking price is laughable. It’s a five or six thousand dollar car at most. If the seller believes it to be so priceless, he needs to give it to a car museum and write off the amount he is asking. That’s the reality of this situation.
I own the 1988 version of this car — with 401,000+ miles. But mine also has the advantages of gas-shocks and fuel injection, which this one lacks. At 150 hp, mine still can barely get out of its own way in trying to maintain 65 m.p.h up a long hill-rise on the Interstate. This one is fit for a museum, obviously, but mine started out as a better car for driving (which is the purpose of a car, after all). These, sadly for the seller, are of minimal interest to the “keep-it-brand-new-and-preserve-it” croud. People buy one of these to drive it in luxurified all-American comfort and reliability — but not for any $23,000. He probably doesn’t really want to sell it, unless he can get enough to buy what he TRULY wants — and that’s fine — good LUCK! This one is worth about what he paid for it.
23k for a 43yr old square body merc. don’t see it happening. i think the price it sold for on bring a trailer was a lot. they say ask all you want and see what you get. whoever pays that much for this no matter the miles is pretty stupid.
This is a 10K vehicle at max.
These were horrible and what’s up with a full sized car having 14″ wheels…pitiful
Less unsprung weight & room for hi profile 75 series tires that can absorb bumps for a nice cushy comfy ride.
The earliest ’65 mustangs came with 13 inch wheels – even those with v8s!
I believe huge ’68 chargers came with 14 inch wheels on some v8 models.
The dreaded Variable Venturi carburetor lurks under that air cleaner. Plus, it has EEC-3 electronics, another failed FORD experiment.
I’m sorry. I don’t believe that mileage for a minute.
Didn’t we just see this car? Buy this (if you can pay a reasonable price for it.) And find a donor 5.0 engine and AOD transmission to install. (Maybe a rusted out 1986 or newer Crown Vic/Mercury) THEN, you have a great car with some horsepower AND fuel economy to boot. Great shape and condition. If you just want to tool around town occasionally. But to really appreciate this car out on the open road, it needs the aforementioned upgrades.
Yes, sir. I mentioned it and included a link in the second paragraph.
My ’88 Grand Marquis has 15″ wheels, and gets good gas milieage.
Harrison, That’s because you have a much improved example with SFI and an Automatic Overdrive transmission that has the bugs worked out.