Ford introduced the Maverick compact in 1969 and it was nearly as successful as the Mustang five years prior. Mercury had a void in its product offering, so in 1971 a rebadged version of the Maverick debuted as the Comet, a name the company had used in the 1960s. The Comet was mechanically the same as the “Mav”, so you could take it to a Ford dealer to have work done if need be. This nice example in GT trim from 1973 is a one-owner car located east of Stockton, California, and available here on craigslist for $11,500 OBO.
What would be the fifth generation of the Comet nameplate ran from 1971 to 1977, the last year of Maverick production, too. Cooking up the newest Comet wouldn’t be difficult as Mercury simply dug into the existing parts bin for items like taillights. As was the case with the Maverick, 200 and 250- cubic inch engines were offered with six cylinders, plus Ford’s venerable 302 V8. But no Comet came with more than a 2-barrel carburetor, meaning the V8 was a 210-hp proposition at best.
The Comet GT option was available from 1971 to 1975 and was essentially a trim package. With it, you got things like body stripes, a blacked-out grille, twin racing mirrors, bucket seats, and a hood scoop that was for looks, not function. The most noticeable change for 1973 was the growth in the size of the front bumper, which would be accompanied by a cowcatcher in the rear in 1974.
This single-owner Mercury has 30,000 miles on a rebuilt motor, but we don’t know the overall odometer reading. A floor-shifted 3-speed manual transmission is there to add some spirit to the ride since a 4-speed wasn’t on the options list. The car runs well and looks good, including the factory mag wheels. Everything is said to work as it should, including the car’s air conditioning. No mention is made of any work that’s needed other than carpeting, so perhaps this is a turn-key 50-year-old auto that’s ready for monthly outings to Cars & Coffee.
Very nice Comet owner.Make a great weekend driver.Price seems fair.
Yes it do…. Plus it’s STANDARD. 3 SPEED….
Nice car, love the 3 speed 302 combo. Leave original, or easy to build, especially with no inspection in my state.
Id buy this without hesitation if I had room.
What state do you live in with no inspection? Thank you
Don’t know where Greybeard lives. But, Ohio is a free state, and we don’t have inspections.
Looks like a real nice Comet. While just a stripe/trim package, the GT package gives it a sporty look. The floor-mounted 3 speed would be fun. Period-correct colors. Funny how the carpet fades to a completely different color. Overall a interesting, kind of cool, yet simple car.
I agree, the 3 speed stick on the floor would be a lot of fun. And even though this is from the early 70s the 302 was still pretty quick from what I remember. This looks like it’s ready to be enjoyed right now. Someone is going to get a great car.
Oh no! A three-speed with a floor shift, a 302 AND a/c? and it looks to be in good shape. This will probably be gone by the end of today.
I had the same thought. Not many of these are left. How many could still exist with a 302, 3 speed stick, and A/C to boot? If it’s in the nice shape it appears to be from the pics, it’s a rare bargain in an otherwise insane collector car market nowadays. It’ll be gone in a heartbeat.
If it wasn’t on the opposite coast I’d be running to get it myself.
My first car was a 1973 Comet in the Dark Green Poly, with the white vinyl top. 302 with C4 Auto with console shifter. Paid 900.00 for it back in 1980. It wasn’t a Mopar but I beat a couple of Mopars in street racing that had 383’s in them. Fun little car. They seemed to have an abundance of that yellow vinyl available at Ford during that time!
I had a lime green 73 Comet with a 200 6 cylinder with a 3 speed Cruise Omatic that got about the best gas milage of any car I owned. Great cars all around.
A great buy on a cool and unusual car. Mavericks were everywhere, Comet’s less so. A Comet GT, V8, manual and factory air, can’t be many of them left. Sweet little car, wish I had 11k laying around…
Already gone.
This would be a fun ride, one that I wouldn’t mind taking into foster care for a while I believe that for older cars like this, especially uncommon, humble vehicles, we should think of ourselves as caretakers rather than owners, but that’s just me telling someone else what to do with their car, so there’s that.
Anyways, I can’t get to the Craigslist post because I’m on a feeble semiprivate wifi kink, so I can’t tell whether the seller provided whether this car has the optional front disc brakes or standard four-wheel drums.
I was able to drive one while writing an article for AutoWeek and part of the experience included having to use the bakes on a long downhill. The owner told me, “You’re going to feel the drum brakes start to pulse. Don’t worry about it. That’s just the drums warming up and going out of round.” Brake fade wasn’t a problem on that hill…but a different time it was back then indeed.
gone in 60 seconds
Had I only seen it sooner It’d be getting shipped back to The Motor City! Great Comet! Great deal!
These cars are quick with a built up 302 in them,i owned a 1970 maverick with a 275hp 302 and weighed only 2600lbs.could chase down foxbody mustangs all the time.with a little fab work a 351w can fit in the engine bay as well
I had 73 GT 302 WITH 3SPEED IN THE TREE FORD BLUE WITH WHITE STRIPES WHITE INTERIOR…HERE IS SAID PART I TRADED MY 63 1/2 GALAXIE 500 WITH 406 3 DUCES 4 SPEED 4:11 POSI EVEN SWAP GT NEW OFF SHOWROOM FLOOR…..
This is the abomination resulting from government sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong. My Aunt Sharon had a beautiful 72 Comet GT in red. She adored that car. It got totaled in an accident. Her insurance replaced it with a 74 Comet GT in Bittersweet Orange. OMG, Becky, do these bumpers make my butt look big? Yes, Becky, they do. You still look fine on the hind end… Becky,…but OMG, the Uncle Sam plastic surgeon totally f-ed up your face! Why does your lip look big enough to serve the next church pot luck off of? Your face has become a park bench! Bumper regulations back then messed up plenty of pretty car faces. This, I think, tied with the Torino, was one of it’s biggest victims.
My neighbor across the street had the first 71 Comet GT in our area. It was grabber blue. 302 with automatic on the floor. Stainless dog dish hubcaps and trim rings. Philco (remember that?) am push button radio. Dual sport mirrors. It had strong pick up for a grocery getter. It was always reliable for them. Had the typical lazy ford wipers of the period where one wiper would be a little bit ahead of the other leaving the base f the windshield. Also, it had a dash tray. No glove box like Dusters it Novas. Fake hood scoop looked cool. This was Fords competition with the Duster Twister and Novs Rally because the 340 Dustrer/Dart and Nova SS were in a whole different league. Remember Demon 340 Ads? “DEMON 340-THE PERFORMANCE IS MORE THAN PAINTED ON!” “It’s GOT THE POWER TO GRAB THE GRABBER!” Demon Sizzler was the equivalent of the Comet GT and Maverick Grabber.