Puzzle #291 - Solved! The Edsel that Became the Mercury Comet

[Otto Puzzell]

Know what it is?

Please, respond below and let us know the make, model designation and designer of the car posted here.

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Thanks!

[grobmotorix]

The styling indicates a 1962 Pontiac, maybe this is one of John Zachary DeLorean´s pre-production design models for the 1961 Tempest.

Your car looks smaller than the fullsize Pontiacs of 1961, so this is my guess.

Or is it some South American or Australian offspring?

[Otto Puzzell]

Not South American, nor a Pontiac.

[Ultra]

Acadian?

[Otto Puzzell]

No - not a GM product.

[Ultra]

No - not a GM product.

Were there illicit relationships going on between this companies designers and Pontiac designers?

Methinks the answer is yes. 

[Otto Puzzell]

Could be, but none that I'm aware of...

[Tifosi]

It was supposed to be an Edsel, but wound up being a Mercury Comet, ca 1960.  The Edsel was going kaput at the time this mockup for a "small" Edsel was being made.  That's where the divided Pontiac-esque grille treatment came from.  If you look at the taillights of the real 1960 Comet, you'll see a remarkable resemblance to the original Edsel taillights.

So, it's a mockup of a small Edsel, that ended up being a Mercury Comet, probably dating from early 1959 or so.


Dan

[Otto Puzzell]

Right you are!

[grobmotorix]

Interesting story. I wouldn´t have guessed it in years...

[Tifosi]

This is from the October 2006 issue of Collectible Automobile...