Mercury

The Comet was originally planned as an Edsel model. However, Ford announced the end of the Edsel program in November 1959. The Comet was reassigned to the Lincoln-Mercury division, where it was marketed as a stand-alone product for 1960 and 1961 as the Comet without any Mercury badging. It was initially based on the compact Ford Falcon and its name reflected the ongoing Space Race of the early 1960s. Introduced in March 1960, initial body styles were two- and four-door sedans and station wagons. The Comet was officially made a Mercury model for the 1962 model year and it received some minor restyling, mainly a redesign of the trunk and taillight area to bring the car more in line with the Mercury look.

Beginning in 1965, the Comet grew from a compact to become a mid-sized car, now based on the Ford Fairlane chassis. The Comet wagon introduced a dual-action tailgate, able to both fold down or swing aside, an idea soon copied by all the major U.S. manufacturers. After 1969, the use of the Comet name was suspended, as the base model for Mercury's intermediate model line became the Montego. The Comet name was revived on Mercury's version of the Ford Maverick for model year 1971.