1964 · Mercury · United States
1964 Mercury Comet Cyclone
The Cyclone name first appeared on a 1964 Comet hardtop; the only production figure found is a single secondary total.
United States · researched through 2026-09-22
The Cyclone name debuted for 1964 on a Comet hardtop. Wikipedia's production table, citing Holder and Kunz's Ford Muscle, gives 7,454 Cyclones, a figure conceptcarz's own 1964 Comet spec page repeats; this record treats it as a single tertiary relay of a book figure not itself seen, rather than as independently confirmed. For context, conceptcarz's ten body/series rows for the whole 1964 Comet line sum to 187,956, and the Comet Caliente two-door hardtop, sharing the Cyclone's own body, totals 31,204 separately. No 1964 Over-Drive Magazine Comet-Cyclone fact sheet was available to check the 7,454 figure against; that particular compilation is noted in this record as beginning only with the 1965 model year.1,2
Mercury's own Cyclone folder advertises the "Super 289" V8 at 210 hp at 4,400 rpm and 300 lb-ft at 2,800 rpm, an advertised-gross figure with chrome engine dress-up, an argent air cleaner, and chrome rocker covers and caps, as standard equipment. The engine itself measured 4.00 x 2.87 in bore and stroke, ran a single four-barrel carburetor at a 9.0:1 compression ratio on regular fuel, and used hydraulic lifters, and it was the Cyclone's sole engine offering for the year, since this record's own engines section carries only this one entry. Wikipedia's own relay of the 210-hp figure does not state its rating basis, so this record treats it as the same advertised-gross figure the brochure itself states, rather than as an independently sourced second figure.1
A 2,655-dollar list price is reported for the Cyclone two-door hardtop by a single secondary source, in the same sentence that gives $2,375 for the Caliente hardtop for comparison; that source does not state its own pricing basis, and no factory invoice or second independent price list was found to check it against. A 3-speed manual, geared 2.79, 1.70, and 1.00, was standard; a Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic automatic, geared 2.46, 1.46, and 1.00, and a floor-mounted 4-speed manual, geared 2.78, 1.93, 1.36, and 1.00, were both optional at extra cost.3
NHRA's own history separately identifies Jack Chrisman's Sachs and Sons Comet at the 1964 Nationals as considered by many the original Funny Car, running a supercharged, nitromethane-fueled engine in B/Fuel Dragster trim and recording 10.25 seconds at 156.31 mph before losing in eliminations; this record notes it was a purpose-built race car rather than a showroom Cyclone, so it is not treated as representative of the production car's own specifications or performance.4
The Cyclone measured 195.1 in overall on a 114.0-inch wheelbase, 71.4 in wide and 53.6 in tall, with a 55.6/56.0-inch front/rear tread. Self-adjusting 10-inch drum brakes with 154.2 sq in of lining were standard, with power assist optional; tires were 6.50x14 standard (7.00x14 optional) on 14x5-inch rims, and the fuel tank held 20 gallons. No exterior color chart, interior trim listing, or options beyond the two optional transmissions were found in an accessible documented source for the year, so those sections carry nothing further in this record, and no performance testing data (acceleration, braking, or top speed for the production car itself) or identification/data-plate decoding detail was found either.
Fact sheet · 1964 · United States
The numbers
1964 Mercury Comet Cyclone — The Cyclone name first appeared on a 1964 Comet hardtop; the only production figure found is a single secondary total.
Coverage: Partial — researched sections are shown; missing ones are not yet sourced. Researched through 2026-09-22.
Every figure is labeled with how sure we are. Reported means a manufacturer, registry, or reference figure we cite but have not reconciled against factory records ourselves. Disputed means credible sources disagree and both are shown. Rows are separately scoped; don't add them together unless the note says they make up a total.
Key facts
- Cyclone 1964: 7,454 (secondary, Holder and Kunz via Wikipedia).1
- Mercury's 1964 Comet Cyclone folder advertises the "Super 289" V8 at 210 hp at 4,400 rpm and 300 lb-ft at 2,800 rpm (advertised gross), with chrome engine dress-up as standard.
Production
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comet Cyclone1,2 Cyclone · 289 · as published Single tertiary relay of a book figure; not seen in the book. | 7,454 | built, model-year | Reported |
| What was counted | Count | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| All 1964 Comets (host line, context)2 all series of the host line · as published The whole Comet line, given as the denominator for the Cyclone; conceptcarz lists ten body/series rows summing to it. | 187,956 | built, model-year | Reported |
| Comet Caliente 2-door hardtop (context)2 Caliente · 2-door hardtop · as published The Caliente hardtop shared the Cyclone's body. | 31,204 | built, model-year | Reported |
Rows are separately scoped; do not add them unless a note says they partition a total.
Over-Drive Magazine Comet-Cyclone fact sheets begin with 1965; no 1964 compilation was available.
The conceptcarz 1964 Comet page states the whole Comet line (187,956, held as context) with the Cyclone hardtop coupe (7,454) listed inside it; it prints no separate Cyclone total, and the 7,454 row is the only Cyclone figure. Searched 2026-09-29: conceptcarz spec pages (re-read), Over-Drive Magazine tables and Wikipedia already cited; OpenLibrary search-inside of Heasley's Production Figure Book returned nothing for Mercury mid-size totals. A Mercury production report or the Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975 would settle the accounting basis.
Prices when new
| Model | Price | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Comet Cyclone 2-door hardtop3 | $2,655 | list price as reported by Mac's Motor City Garage (basis not stated), 1964 model year |
Prices are the nominal dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation.
Engines
| Engine | Factory rating | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|---|
| 289 V81 289 cu in | 210 hp (SAE gross) | Cyclone | Not yet sourced |
Ratings are the manufacturer's advertised figures under the standard shown (SAE gross before 1972, SAE net after). They are not dyno results, and gross and net ratings can't be compared directly.
Transmissions
| Transmission | Availability | Built |
|---|---|---|
| 3-speed manual (2.79, 1.70, 1.00) | standard | Not yet sourced |
| Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic automatic (2.46, 1.46, 1.00) | optional at extra cost | Not yet sourced |
| 4-speed manual, floor-mounted (2.78, 1.93, 1.36, 1.00) | optional at extra cost | Not yet sourced |
Specifications
| Measure | Value | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 114 in | Comet Cyclone |
| Tread, front / rear | 55.6 / 56.0 in | Comet Cyclone |
| Overall length | 195.1 in | Comet Cyclone |
| Overall width | 71.4 in | Comet Cyclone |
| Overall height | 53.6 in | Comet Cyclone |
| Brakes | self-adjusting 10-in drums, 154.2 sq in lining; power assist optional text | Comet Cyclone |
| Tires | 6.50 x 14 (7.00 x 14 optional), 14 x 5-in rims size | Comet Cyclone |
| Fuel tank | 20 gal | Comet Cyclone |
| Engine detail, 289 V8 | bore x stroke 4.00 x 2.87 in; 300 lb-ft @ 2,800 rpm advertised; 4-barrel; 9.0:1; regular fuel; hydraulic lifters; chrome dress-up (argent air cleaner, chrome rocker covers and caps) text | Comet Cyclone |
Identification
Read a 1964 Mercury VIN
The VIN decoder runs in your browser and never sends the VIN anywhere. How the factory numbered this year's cars:
Same model year
Also in 1964
- Buick Riviera The 425 became standard, the dual-quad Super Wildcat 360 arrived as an option, and the Super Turbine 400 replaced the twin-turbine automatic.
- Buick Wildcat The best Wildcat year at 84,245, with a 425 in 340- or 360-hp form and an available four-speed.
- Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The first Chevelle; the Malibu SS was a series, and its strongest released engine was the midyear 300 hp L74 327.
- Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova First V8 (283) year in the source engine table. Enthusiast-compiled production: 191,691 cars; Super Sport 10,576.
- Chevrolet El Camino SS No factory Super Sport El Camino is documented for this year; the record carries the host El Camino production as context.
- Chevrolet Impala SS Super Sport becomes its own series: 185,325 built.
- Chrysler 300 letter series Cheaper by about $1,000, with a single-four-barrel 360 hp 413 standard, leather made optional and the convertible restored, the 300K became the best-selling letter car: 3,022 hardtops and 625 convertibles.
- Dodge Dart 330/440, Polara and Max Wedge The Max Wedge's last year brought the Ramcharger 426-III, a 365 hp street 426 for Polara buyers, and in midyear a competition-only 426 Hemi in lightened 330/440 bodies; Roger Lindamood's Dodge won Top Stock at the Nationals.
- Ford Fairlane The year of the Thunderbolt: a midsize Fairlane with a 427 installed for NHRA Super Stock, which carried Gas Ronda to the national Stock title.
- Ford Falcon Sprint The restyled Falcon kept the Sprint hardtop and convertible with the 164 hp 260 V8 standard; the club counts 18,108 built, many with a bench seat.
- Ford Galaxie Ford sold its 427 in the restyled full-size range in two advertised versions, 410 hp with one four-barrel and 425 hp with two, and the Galaxie 500 XL hardtop was the bucket-seat flagship.
- Ford Thunderbird The redesigned fourth-generation car offered one drivetrain, a 300-hp 390 with Cruise-O-Matic, and output rose to 92,465.
- Mercury Marauder and S-55 Marauder now meant the fastback roof on any full-size Mercury series, two-door or four-door, with the 390 standard and the 427 optional.
- Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds Oldsmobile's first 4-4-2 was a mid-year option package, B09 Police Apprehender Pursuit, with a 310 hp 330, a four-speed and dual exhausts; 2,999 are tabulated.
- Oldsmobile Starfire Production fell to 16,163 as the cheaper Jetstar I took the same body; Motor Trend timed a convertible at 9.7 s to 60.
- Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda Plymouth's glassback Valiant-based fastback launched in a short first season and sold 23,443 cars.
- Plymouth Savoy, Fury and Max Wedge Plymouth's last Max Wedge year offered the Super Stock 426-III beside a 365 hp street 426 Commando, while a competition-only 426 Hemi went into lightened Savoy/Belvedere drag cars and swept the Daytona 500.
- Pontiac Catalina 2+2 and Super Duty The 2+2 arrived as a $291 Catalina option and the 370 hp 421 HO replaced the Super Duty at the top.
- Pontiac GTO A $295 option on the Tempest LeMans that put Pontiac's 389 in the intermediate body; 32,450 were built.
- Pontiac Grand Prix A carryover year: 63,810 built, with the 370 hp 421 HO at the top of the option list.
- Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The Tempest becomes a 115-inch intermediate with a 326 V8, and the LeMans carries the new GTO option.
- Studebaker Avanti The last Studebaker Avanti, cut short when South Bend stopped building cars on 20 December 1963. It got rectangular headlamp bezels and a level stance, and 809 were built, including the nine production R3s.
- Studebaker Hawk The final Hawk, with a new deck lid and an optional vinyl 'Sports Roof', ended when South Bend closed on 20 December 1963. 1,767 were built, 1,484 of them domestic.
- Studebaker Lark and Super Lark Brooks Stevens restyled the Lark-type line and the Daytona became its top series. Of the V8 Daytonas, 111 got the R1 and 48 the supercharged R2, and one got the only production R4, before South Bend closed in December 1963.