For Sale: 1974 Mercury Grand Marquis in Lithia Springs, Georgia

Full-sized '70s luxury cars are heating up in the collector car market as the guys who knew them when they were younger are buying up the cars of their youth. For the guy whose family traveled with the Cat, this 1974 Mercury Grand Marquis Brougham should be a neat throwback to a time when luxury meant big V8s, couch-like seating, and a pillow-soft ride.

If you like your coupes big and flashy, this Mercury is right for you. As long as a school bus and bright red, it proudly stands as a monument to the excesses of the 1970s. The red paint appears to be all-original and this car still looks great, suggesting that someone went the extra mile to take care of it even during the oil crisis in which it was born. The sheetmetal is in great shape, with sharp creases along the tops of the fenders, that hood that's probably six feet long all by itself, and long quarters that seem even longer thanks to trim-fitting fender skirts. The paint isn't perfect, but for a high-quality survivor, this car needs to make no apologies. The hidden headlights make it look a lot more like its big brother Lincoln and don't worry, there's plenty of bright chrome and stainless trim to make it look expensive, and it's all in very good shape. Even the white vinyl top, which adds some great contrast, remains bright, clean, and with no clear issues underneath.

You got genuine 6-passenger comfort in your Grand Marquis, and nobody will be complaining about the accommodations. The handsome white upholstery remains in great condition and offer that kind of all-day comfort that you just can't buy anymore. Like the exterior, the interior appears to be mostly original, so there's some mild discoloration in a few spots like the door arm rests, but also like the paint, it would be a crime to change any of it. Gauges cover the basics, but some enterprising soul has added auxiliary gauges under the center stack, probably a good idea. This car also has just about every option Mercury offered in 1974, including A/C, power windows, locks, and seats, cruise control, a tilt steering column and an AM/FM stereo radio. Both the back seat and the trunk are massive, with the trunk area expensively upholstered in matching gray carpets.

Ford gave you plenty of horsepower to move all this sheetmetal in the form of a 460 cubic inch V8. This is reportedly the car's original engine, and it is indeed effortless in everything that it does. Smooth, torquey, and able to consume vast quantities of interstate in a single stretch, this is a fantastic cruiser. It's still wearing original Ford Blue paint on the major components and aside from routine maintenance items, it's quite original. It's backed by a C6 3-speed automatic transmission and a 9-inch rear end with towering highway gears inside. The underside is just as clean as you'd hope on a survivor like this, and includes a mellow-sounding single exhaust system that just whispers along at speed. Factory steel wheels with Mercury hubcaps are the right choice, as are the recent whitewall radials.

One of the feature cars in "Collectable Automobile" magazine, this clean, handsome Grand Marquis is a great entry-level hobby car with a strong pedigree and a lot of character. Call today!