There are some vehicles from the 1970s that tick the boxes for me when it comes to the subject of their styling. The 1972 Mercury Comet/Ford Maverick cousins fall into that category, especially in two-door form. This Comet is an extremely tidy vehicle with only minor needs. It can be enjoyed immediately by its new owner, with the V8 under the hood potentially promising an entertaining motoring experience. The seller has listed the Comet here on eBay in Yerington, Nevada. They set their BIN at $24,000, with the option to make an offer.
As with the Cougar and the Mustang, Mercury’s Fifth Generation Comet range shared its architecture and many of its styling cues with a Ford product. In this case, it was the Maverick, which predated the Comet’s 1971 release by a year. This two-door left the factory in 1972, and looks as pretty as a picture in Medium Lime Metallic. The seller describes the paint as decent, suggesting that close inspection will probably reveal a few imperfections. However, it retains a healthy shine, and the panels are straight. The listing mentions fiberglass repairs to the floor, indicating that this classic hasn’t completely avoided rust problems. There are no supplied photos revealing the extent of the issues, but the exterior sheetmetal looks solid and clean. The seller states that the Magnum wheels are original, and the trim and glass look nice. However, the hood scoop is the first sign that this Comet is more than a pretty face.
Perhaps the biggest mystery with the Comet revolves around its mechanical specifications. It features a 302ci V8, a three-speed C4 automatic transmission, factory disc brakes, and power steering. The seller doesn’t specify whether the car left the factory with a V8 under the hood or if this motor is a later addition. The factory V8 in 1972 produced a relatively modest 143hp and 243 ft/lbs of torque. However, with a curb weight below 2,900 lbs, this Comet would have provided pretty respectable performance by the standards of the day. The seller states that it has received plenty of recent TLC, including a new carburetor, master cylinder, dual exhaust, brake lines, shocks, ball joints, and tie rod ends. It is a turnkey proposition that runs and drives well, making flying in and driving home a viable option.
The Comet’s interior is a mixed bag, having recently received a new carpet set and a dashpad. Most of the upholstered surfaces look nice, but it is crying out for new seatcovers and a headliner. It once featured factory air conditioning, but it seems that most of the system has been removed. It retains its factory AM radio, and if the buyer splashed around $800 on new seatcovers and another $210 on a headliner, the interior would look pretty sweet.
There is much to like about this 1972 Mercury Comet, and with its interior shortcomings addressed, it would combine great looks with excellent performance. The sticking point is the seller’s BIN figure, which is not only well above recent successful sales results but also exceeds potential values quoted by NADA and Hagerty. I suspect that there may be a compromise required by the seller if this Comet is to find a new home. What do you feel would be a fair price?
Leave it to Ford to take a mundane, lackluster car like the Maverick, and turn it into this. Mercury always stood for ” a little nicer Ford”, and this car is no exception. Once again, the price ( hey, it’s my heritage to do so), this car cost a grand more, $3100, than a V8 Maverick at about $2150. ( V8 was a $107 option) or about the same as a Cougar ($3133). Obviously, the V8 was worth the $100 bucks, but nothing to write home about. 0-60 in 9.5 and the 1/4 mile in 17.1 @81mph, but it made this car into a cruiser the 6 could never match. I love the green, but not on a Jeep. Very nice car.
Just Googled the MSRP of a 1972 Mercury Comet, was $2,342. The Comet GT started at $2,565.
Someone I used to work with once quipped that a Mercury is a Ford with lock washers.
Wow!! A thousand dollar spread from a Maverick to a Comet? Thats quite a sum of money in ’72. Thanks for mentioning that Howard. I never looked, but I never would have guessed that much of a difference. Iknow I’ve said before that I’m more partial to the Comets nose and tailight treatment over the Maverick. ( just a personal preference). And also the early bumpers too which I’m sure I’m not in the minority here either. We had a family friend with a Maverick with a 302 and a C4 and it actually felt quicker than its performance
numbers would suggest. Nice write up Adam.
-Dave
Howard I’m wondering if you found some bad data. I’m fairly certain there was not a thousand dollar difference in price between comparably equipped Mavericks and Comets.
Desirable Comet.
1972 Mercury Comet GT 2-Door Coupe | Savoy Automobile Museum https://share.google/urIzxnn5cZsmdAlXL
Hey Bob, we’ve been over this before. I know you have an axe to grind with me on my Fox Mustangs views, but don’t assume it’s automatically bad data. I get my base car prices from JD Power, for some reason, they have the MSRP on almost every car made, some sites, like for Chevelles, have the option list costs new and performance is from “Automobile Catalog”, and they too, for some reason, have the stats on every car made, it seems. The $1,000 difference was from the base Comet,( Maverick $1995) always typically a bit higher than the Maverick, to this model, and with more options, higher yet. The internet has all kinds of prices, I take the average, but I can’t spend all day, I’m a busy man. ( cough) If you can find more accurate figures, by all means post a link. I don’t do that anymore,,,sends my comment to Hades, it does.
I liked both the early 70s non bulky bumpers Maverick. The 302 could be built up a lil with exhaust , intake and heads.
It’s hard for me to see these and the pricing but I will leave it up to what the market will bear. Unfortunately we’re moving to the bullish market these days with cars are more affordable for those who have saved some scratch. In my early life I tried to get one a couple of times but without the intranet and looking at bargain marts or newspapers it made this ability to lock down one not beat hard to do. My cousin had a 72 Maverick wiih the wide cragars and narrows in the front with the engine mods to make burn the wheels off the back and race respectable etc. I did okay with a 55 Chevy 327 punched and four speed then second car in HS a 1969 Rally Z28 . I ran them hard but hey thats what they were built to do…. I wish the owner good luck and like the color choice plus hope the Market hits his needs. :-)
This was featured on this site 9/4/2025, the Craigslist ad, which is still active and is currently 3 weeks old has it listed for $17,000. It’s a good strategy to raise the price and list it on another platform, though the results are likely going to be the same. Regardless of where it’s listed, it priced seems to be priced too high for the market.
Steve R
I knew that it looked familiar. Not too many of these in this condition, and high priced.
The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975, 4th Ed, which I now have open in front of me LOL, says a 1972 Maverick Grabber had a factory base price of $2,493 ($19,322 adjusted to 2025 dollars). It says a Comet GT had a factory base price of $2,515 ($19,493 adjusted). These are for the six cylinder models. It looks like the V-8 cost an extra $160.
So it does not look like the information from JD Power is correct, nor does it make much sense because $1k in 1972 is $7,750 today. There was no way there was that big of a price difference between a Comet and a Maverick. They were basically the same car, with the Comet having a few more superficial luxury looking features.
Sorry Howard! I do love your posts though.
Seller would get more if that hood scoop disappeared.
That hood scoop is factory, I had the same car in 78′
I just looked at some photos – – – their hood scoops seemed about half the height of this one (the operative word is ‘seemed’).
Nice Comet Loose the chrome exhaust tips
Mom had one but it was a six and a copper penny color. Six year old me loved it and I want this one BAD lol.
24 large and “fibreglass repairs to the floors”????? Hahahahahahah
bt
Always liked the Mercury products, just the little extra touches they put on them, especially the Cyclone that made them a little different to look at