Early models 1963–1965
The early Marauder was a V8-engined large automobile. It débuted as a 1963½ model as a two-door "fastback" hardtop version of the full-size Mercury. Marauders were offered from the 1963½ to 1965 model years, then again from 1969 to 1970.
In 1964, the Marauder name was used to designate both two and four door models of the Mercury Monterey, Montclair, and Park Lane using a fastback roofline, rather than the reverse-slant Breezeway roof that had been introduced in 1963.
This fastback roofline was developed for both the Mercury Marauder and the Ford Galaxie for NASCAR competition, and may have helped with the many 1963–64 Ford Mercury victories.
Engine and transmission choices for these cars were identical to the big Ford, including 390, 406, and 427 cubic-inch Thunderbird V8s, and a choice of 3-speed or 4-speed manual, or 3-speed automatic transmissions.
Marauders also featured bucket seats, central consoles, and other trim items similar to those in the Ford Galaxie 500/XL.
The Marauder name was dropped after 1965. The Marauder engine designation did continue in 1966 and 1967 and could be found in other full-size Mercurys including the Mercury S-55.
In 1969, the Marauder became a distinct model. It competed in the personal luxury market. The base Marauder had a 390 in³ engine, while the Marauder X-100 normally came with a larger 360 hp (268 kW) 429 in³ engine. Well appointed versions had bucket seats with a floor console housing a U-shaped automatic transmission shift handle, and sporty Kelsey-Hayes stylized road wheels complete with rear fender skirts. The Marauder had its own look with distinctive non-functional louvered side air intakes in the quarter panels and a tunneled rear window. Its front end and interior components were shared with the Marquis, but the back end was unique.
The market for sporty full-size cars had disappeared, though, and production was limited to about 15,000 cars for 1969 and barely a third of that for 1970.
"Marauder" was also used as the name of Mercury's 390, 410 (66–67 only), and 428 in³ engines in the 1960s.
2003-2004
From 2003 to 2004, Ford produced the Marauder as a high-performance version of the Mercury Grand Marquis sedan. Although the Mercury division is most directly a competitor to Buick (and formerly Oldsmobile), the Marauder of 2003–2004 targeted the 1994–1996 Chevrolet Impala SS in being a contemporary full-size "muscle sedan."
The Mercury Marauder was based on an updated version of the Ford Panther platform. The Marauder had a naturally aspirated 4.6 L DOHC Modular V8 producing 302 hp (225 kW) and 318 ft·lbf (431 N·m) of torque; this engine had many parts — including heads, cams, block and rotating assembly — in common with the 2003–2004 Mustang Mach 1 Automatic and the 2003–2005 Lincoln Aviator SUV. The Marauder featured a dual exhaust system with unique tailpipe tips, with custom designed chassis and suspension modifications – such as moving the rear shocks outboard of the frame-rails, which were later made available for the Crown Victoria and Grand Marquis. The Marauder was fitted with the 4R70W 4-speed automatic in 2003 and received the upgraded 4R75W 4-speed automatic for 2004. The limited slip differential with a 3.55 rear axle ratio was borrowed from the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, as well as the aluminum drive shaft.
Cosmetically, the Marauder borrowed trim parts from both its Ford and Mercury stablemates. The headlights and corner lights, from the Grand Marquis, have all non-reflector surfaces blacked out and its grille is painted body-color instead of chrome. Side trim and the B-pillars are painted body-color like the Crown Victoria, which also donates its trunk panel, and tail lights which are tinted to just within DOT standards. The Marauder's front and rear bumper cover are unique to the vehicle though, with the front featuring Cibié fog lamps, and sporting the car's name embossed on the rear bumper. The car's five spoke, eighteen inch wheels feature Mercury's classic "god-head" (Mercury's silhouette) emblem on its center caps. And unlike the standard Grand Marquis, the Marauder featured front bucket seats and a floor shifter with a center console. The instrument cluster was specific to the Marauder, with the satin aluminum gauges and the pressed electrical board to control them are specific to the Marauder, as is the tachometer. The 140 mph (220 km/h) speedometer head unit was borrowed from the Police Interceptor, but with a Marauder unique gauge face. The Marauder is also the only Panther after 1997 with a specific pin on the PCM for a tachometer.
The 2003–2004 Marauder sales fell short of corporate forecasts, and after a production run of just 11,052 vehicles, the Marauder was discontinued at the end of 2004. However the Ford Crown Victoria LX Sport remained, bearing a monochrome appearance similar to the Marauder but powered by the lesser 239 hp (178 kW) 4.6 L 2-valve SOHC V8. The LX Sport also included smaller 17" wheels, softer suspension, a taller 3.27 rear axle ratio, along with numerous other mechanical and cosmetic details that remain unique to the Marauder. The LX Sport too would be discontinued in 2008 after a very short production run of 2008 model year cars.
In 2008, the Ford Performance Group officially began recognizing the Mercury Marauder (along with the Motor City Marauders Car Club as the official club for the vehicle). And as of Fall 2009, the Ford Performance Group also began offering certificates verifing the Mercury Marauder as a Limited Production Vehicle.
