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1963 Mercury Comet 
Class: Cars, Sedan — Model origin: 
![[*]](/res/star.png){kind=small}
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Comments about this vehicle| Author | Message |
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◊ 2011-03-03 03:57 |
Derived from a 1962-64 Mercury Comet. |
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◊ 2011-03-03 06:02 |
Mercury? i wonder how they get that car in thailand. |
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◊ 2011-03-03 09:53 |
Yes a 1963 Mercury Comet Custom 2 door sedan |
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◊ 2011-03-03 12:42 |
Woah! I just thought it was a Japanese car that looked like a Comet. |
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◊ 2021-06-12 16:43 |
I am sure that many American cars from the Sixties and early 1970s reached Southeast Asia due to the number of American military personnel in the region during the Vietnam War era. Oddly enough, the number of British cars seen in the Bangkok street scene is what puzzles me slightly. The Ford Corsair and the Ford Cortina seem slightly out of place, although not unwelcome sights! Perhaps cars originally imported int Hong Kong? |
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◊ 2021-06-12 17:47 |
/vehicle_46352-Ford-Corsair-1966.html |
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◊ 2023-09-04 20:29 |
I doubt it. That is a project of Ford of Britain, not Ford Motor Company in Dearborn. Mercury never had any recognition outside of the US and Canada and creating a marketing campaign to promote an unknown brand to sell in such a small, niche market makes no business sense. If any US cars were designated for local assembly, a Ford Falcon would be more likely the car chosen such as in Australia, where it quickly morphed into its own very unique Australian car. For a period during the 1960s, Galaxie was also available in Australia in small numbers, sourced from the Commonwealth brethren in Canada. Notice the '68 Chevelle in the same image, and a '65 Bonneville coupe that appears in a couple frames of the film as well. Most likely these late model US cars were brought into Thailand by service personnel during the Vietnam War, or other support staff, people at the US or Canadian Embassy, or a business official. Thailand was still up-and-coming in 1974, and used cars no longer needed or desired by American owners returning to the US who didn't want to deal with the hassle of export, and / or wanted a new vehicle more than likely decided to part with the vehicle to locals with the cash. Indeed, perhaps some of the European cars were in the country with a foreign owner who sold it. Some of the Japanese cars may have been exported from Japan as used vehicles. |
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◊ 2023-09-04 20:36 |
That was a reply to your comment about the number of British Fords on the street. |
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◊ 2023-09-04 21:27 |
As I've been mentioned in dispatches, I'll pop my head up above the parapet. My source for UK Ford build in Thailand were World Car Catalogue 1967 and 1969 editions, which have lists in very small print of manufacturers around the world, where their overseas plants were, and sometimes what models they built. I'm not always convinced these lists are 100% solid and sometimes may be 1-2 years out of date, but they seem mostly accurate. Both 1967 and 1969 list Ford US (including Mercury and other brands), Ford UK and Ford Germany as separate entries, each with their own collection of overseas sites. Obviously many overlaps around the globe, but many are unique to only one of the trio - such as Thailand which is only mentioned under Ford UK and only producing English models (as above reference) - nothing else. An interesting development in the 1969 lists - but irrelevant for this Thai discussion - is a new entry for Ford Canada, with "subsidiaries" in Aus, NZ, and ZA, plus Singapore as "associated company", but nothing on what any of them built. But they're all RHD countries then alongside Canada in the Commonwealth. Aus, NZ, and ZA are also still listed under Ford US as "associated company". |
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◊ 2023-09-04 21:59 |
Possibly the closest that we Brits got to Mercury was the use by Allard of Mercury V-8 engines rather than straight Ford, as the Mercury gave a bit more power. The engines rarely stayed here for long, being exported in the cars. There were also Zora Arkus-Duntov cylinder heads which were an attempt to liven up the Ford V-8. -- Last edit: 2023-09-04 22:04:09 |
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◊ 2023-09-04 22:03 |
Lesney imported the Cougar and Commuter to the UK - but only in 1:43 scale  |
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◊ 2023-09-04 22:33 |
^ and both also in smaller Matchbox 1-75 as well. You could reverse the statement and say they exported Mercurys to the US??? |
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◊ 2023-09-04 22:53 |
that sounds kind of strange from a North American point of view but in this situation, i'd say its the case !  |
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