Independent · Source-led · American performance history Issue 01 · 1951–2023
American Muscle Car Facts

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1968 · Mercury · United States

1968 Mercury (between the S-55 and the 1969 Marauder)

Neither the S-55 nor the Marauder model appears in the sources for 1968; no performance full-size Mercury production figure was found.

United States · researched through 2026-09-22

Wikipedia's S-55 table ends with 1967, and its Marauder article resumes the Marauder name with the 1969-1970 generation. No 1968 figures for a performance full-size Mercury were found in this pass.1,2

Fact sheet · 1968 · United States

The numbers

1968 Mercury (between the S-55 and the 1969 Marauder) — Neither the S-55 nor the Marauder model appears in the sources for 1968; no performance full-size Mercury production figure was found.

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.

Same model year

Also in 1968

  • AMC AMX AMC's two-seat AMX arrived mid-year on a 97-inch wheelbase. The enthusiast production table counts 6,725 cars, two-thirds of them with the 390.
  • AMC Javelin AMC's first pony car, launched in September 1967 as base and SST hardtops. Production of the two combined was about 55,000.
  • AMC Rebel and Rebel Machine Now badged AMC, the Rebel came in 550, 770 and SST trims and could be ordered with the 315-hp 390. It is host-car context for the 1970 Machine.
  • Buick Riviera Record Riviera sales of 49,284, including 5,337 with the GS handling option.
  • Buick Skylark Gran Sport, GS and GSX On the new 112 in two-door body the GS 400 was joined by a GS 350 hardtop, and a dealer-installed Stage 1 package arrived for the 400.
  • Buick Wildcat 73,561 Wildcats with the 430 V-8.
  • Chevrolet Chevelle and Malibu SS The restyled Chevelle kept SS 396 as its own series and added an SS 396 El Camino: 62,785 SS 396s in three bodies.
  • Chevrolet Chevy II and Nova SS engines per the source: L48 350, L34 396 and L78 396. Enthusiast-compiled production: 183,552 cars; Super Sport 5,571.
  • Chevrolet El Camino SS The first factory Super Sport El Camino: a separate SS 396 model, 13880, built 5,190 times.
  • Chevrolet Impala SS Super Sport becomes an option again (RPO Z03): 36,432, plus 1,778 SS427 (RPO Z24).
  • Dodge Charger The redesigned 'Coke bottle' Charger and the new R/T multiplied sales roughly sixfold over 1967.
  • Dodge Coronet R/T and Super Bee The redesigned Coronet kept the 440-powered R/T and added the budget Super Bee coupe, a 383 car with an optional Hemi.
  • Dodge Dart GTS, Swinger and Demon The new Dart GTS brought a 275 hp 340 or a 300 hp 383, and in February Dodge released 80 Hurst-completed LO23 Hemi Darts for Super Stock drag racing; GTS production was not reported separately.
  • Ford Fairlane The restyled intermediate split into Fairlane, Fairlane 500 and the new Torino series; the Fairlane 500 fastback shared the Torino GT body and the 428 Cobra Jet arrived on April 1, 1968.
  • Ford Ranchero GT The Ranchero GT carried Torino GT trim; 1,669 GTs were built, per reference-site counts in the Standard Catalog lineage.
  • Ford Thunderbird The new 429 Thunder Jet V-8 arrived as the Thunderbird's optional engine at 360 hp.
  • Ford Torino Torino arrived as the new top series of the restyled Fairlane line, the Torino GT fastback became its volume performance car, and the 428 Cobra Jet was added on April 1, 1968.
  • Mercury Comet and Cyclone The Cyclone moved to the new Montego-based intermediate; the fastback outsold the notchback hardtop by about ten to one, and the 428 Cobra Jet arrived mid-year.
  • Mercury Cougar The year of the 427 GT-E, the mid-year 428 Cobra Jet, and the XR7-G, with production down to 113,741.
  • Oldsmobile Cutlass, 4-4-2 and Hurst/Olds The restyled 4-4-2 became its own series, the W-31 small-block arrived, and Hurst built the first 455 Hurst/Olds: 515 cars in the tabulation.
  • Plymouth Barracuda and 'Cuda The new 340 arrived in the Formula S alongside the 383, and Plymouth issued a competition-only Hemi Barracuda under order code BO29.
  • Plymouth GTX, Belvedere and Satellite The GTX became its own model on the restyled 1968 intermediate body, still with the 375-hp 440 standard and the Hemi at $605, and outsold its first year.
  • Plymouth Road Runner Plymouth added a stripped Belvedere-based coupe and hardtop with a special 335-hp 383 as standard and the 426 Hemi as the only engine option, and sold 44,599 of them.
  • Pontiac Firebird and Trans Am The first full season: the six grew to 250 cu in, the 326 gave way to a 350, and output rose to 107,112.
  • Pontiac GTO A new 112-inch-wheelbase body with an Endura nose, the sport coupe dropped, and 87,684 built.
  • Pontiac Grand Prix The last full-size Grand Prix: 31,711 hardtops, with a 390 hp 428 HO at the top.
  • Pontiac Tempest and LeMans The new two-door body arrives, and a 350 HO replaces the 326 HO.