The Comet Concept

The Idea of the Comet began as early as October of 1955, when the first executive suggestion was made by L.D. Crusoe for a smaller, more fuel efficient family car. Mr. Crusoe was actually thinking of the Ford Falcon at this point but the Comet conception was not far behind.

The engineering and styling division began to experiment and design various compact models in January of 1956, under the direction of George Walker. Some of the early designs had wheelbases of less than ninety inches.

Proposed Edsel Comet 1959 Prototype (Private collection of D. Hendricks)

In March of 1957 the final decision had been made that an economy car was going to be produced by the Ford Motor Company. The engineering and merchandising departments were given explicit instructions to design a car that would be comparable in price to other compacts and the imported models, but to have enough major styling changes to appeal to the public eye.

The engineering department was given demanding specifications that were not only building an economy car, but designing a revolutionary new type and size of automobile that was smaller and more economical than the large behemoth cars of the late 50’s and early 60’s, but larger than the small compacts and uncomfortable imported cars. With this new size, the completed automobile would not only be economical but would also be better suited for the congested traffic of city driving and limited parking conditions. The engineers and designers were to do this and at the same time not give up the good styling, roominess, easy ride, performance and the luxuries the public had grown accustomed to.

The management at Ford, therefore, set the following design guidelines for the Comet.
* First, the exterior size was to be reduced from a standard size automobile.
* Second, the cars weight and initial cost had to be low.
* Third, the cost of operation had to be reduced substantially, with at least a 50% improvement in fuel economy.
* Fourth, the ride and stability of the larger size car had to be maintained while improving the maneuverability and handling characteristics.
* Fifth, interior size must be kept generous with ample room for six passengers and luggage.
* Sixth, the luxury of fine exterior and interior appointments had to be maintained.
* Finally, ease of maintenance and repairs completed the list.

The design process began. The first code name for the new Comet was the Australian “B” car. Some of the other names were the Debonaire, the Astrion, and the Allegro. The L’Avion I, which had a wheelbase of one hundred and two inches, was also a chosen code name, and this was in fact the first full size experimental model that preceded the Comet. Another experimental design was known as the 19XK Thunderbird, in which the body closely resembled that of a 1960 Comet, while the front end resembled the 1959 Ford T-Bird.

1959 Cut-away view of the unitized Comet body (Private collection of D. Hendricks)

In the Spring of 1958, six compact car designs were proposed and reviewed. The final design features were agreed upon, and the dimensions and overall specifications were settled. By June of 1958 all of the major development and experimental work had been completed.

It is believed that the Ford Motor Company had thoughts of marketing the new car as an “Edsel Comet”, a senior compact car, but when the Edsel production line was abruptly halted in November of 1959, the new size Comet was in danger of never being produced.

Comet Station Wagon Prototype 1959 (Private collection of D. Hendricks)

This was a time when the Ford Motor Company was rejoicing over their sales winning Ford Falcon and the Mercury division did not want to be left behind in the fast growing economy car market, so the Lincoln-Mercury executives jumped at the chance to have the Comet become part of the Mercury family and persuaded the Ford Motor Company to let them introduce it as Mercurys answer to the economy car market. The Comet production models had already been produced, so all the Lincoln-Mercury people had to do was remove the Edsel script and change a few minor trim pieces and the Comet was born.

Some of the design features of the Comet were the very first among automobile manufacturers. The Comet was designed with a unitized body, giving the ability to do away with a major portion of the frame and also a major portion of the weight. Other weight reducing efforts were thinner door designs, and the use of aluminum for the ornamentation where possible. The Comet fenders were bolted on instead of welded, thus cutting the insurance cost for replacements, and also providing better hood fitting and adjustability.

To maintain the body rigidity and protect the structural members, a special rust resistant galvanized metal was used in certain areas, allowing thinner gauge metal to be used while keeping the same durability as the thicker metal.

The Comet engine was designed using 122 fewer parts than the average automobile, and using aluminum where possible, thus reducing the engine overall weight by almost 175 lbs. without sacrificing the performance or mechanical stability. The brakes were also redesigned and used 30 fewer pieces than the standard automobile of the time and also resulted in simpler maintenance and better braking performance.

The redesign of the Comet left this car weighing approximately 1200 lbs. lighter than the average car of the time and was easier to maintain. The Comet also gained better performance and reliability than the competition.

Comet 4-door sedan prototype 1959 (Private collection of D. Hendricks)

The Comet was well on its way to becoming one of the Ford Motor Companies first and hottest selling compact cars.

By January of 1960 several magazines began writing articles about the entirely new supplement to the Ford Motor Companies, Mercury Division. At this time they had not seen the new Comet but they had a pretty good idea of what was to come. Some of the articles stated that the new Comet could be loosely compared to the Ford Falcon, the Corvair or the Valiant, but that there were major differences. The new Comet was to be the first of the so-called luxury compact cars in the medium priced range. There were other automobile manufacturers that were trying to get their cars ready in this field but the Comet was the first to appear.