1964 Mercury Comet Super Cyclone Concept
Built by Dearborn Steel Tubing on behalf of Ford, the 1964 Comet Super Cyclone was a one-off fastback created for the custom car show circuit.
Designers Vince Gardner and Paul Shedlik started with a stock ’64 Comet Cyclone hardtop, stripped most of the factory sheet metal behind the A-pillars, and replaced it with a hand-formed fiberglass skin (designed under the direction of Ford stylist David L. Ash).
The result was a dramatically raked roofline supported by a large wraparound rear window that drew immediate comparisons to the Plymouth Barracuda, then just entering production.
Up front, a custom grille with fine vertical teeth and French Cibié rectangular headlamps gave it a sharp, purposeful presence.
Radiused rear wheel openings, teardrop racing mirrors, and Astro knockoff wheels finished the exterior. Large exhaust outlets in the rear fenders appeared to be decorative rather than functional.
Underneath, the car retained its stock 289 cu in V8 and Borg-Warner four-speed transmission. The Super Cyclone debuted at the 1964 Chicago Auto Show and went on to tour as part of the Lincoln-Mercury Caravan of Stars.
No production version was ever planned, and the car has not been publicly sighted in decades (likely scrapped, as was the common fate of show cars from this period).
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