Mercury had allowed the Marauder nameplate to lapse after the 1965 model year, but brought it back for 1969 as a personal luxury car using late-60s “coke bottle” body styling on a full-size chassis.

The 1969-70 Mercury Marauder was available only as a two-door hardtop similar to the Ford Galaxie 500 SportsRoof, but featured false air intakes on the rear fenders to distinguish the car visually.

Engine power came from Mercury’s 390 cid V-8 engine, rated at 265 horsepower with a two-barrel carburetor. Buyers could also order the Marauder with the 390 and a four-barrel carburetor at 320 horsepower, or a 428 cubic inch V-8 at 335 horsepower.

At the high end, buyers could opt for the special X-100 model, which utilized Mercury’s 429 cubic inch V-8 engine rated at 360 horsepower with a four-barrel carburetor. X-100 cars also received most of the option book as standard equipment, including rear fender skirts, two-tone paint, leather upholstery, and alloy wheels.

A three-speed manual transmission was standard equipment, but a SelectShift automatic was optional on Marauder and standard on Marauder X-100. Just 9,031 Marauders were made for 1969, plus 5,635 of the Marauder X-100 models.

For 1970, production dropped to 3,397 Marauders and 2,646 of the Marauder X-100. The 390 base engine was dropped, and the Marauder received the 429 V-8 with a two-barrel carburetor at 320 horsepower, while the Marauder X-100 was powered by the 429 with a four-barrel at 360 horsepower. The Marauder X-100 still received the upgraded trim levels of 1969.

The X-100 package Marauders in this generation are most collectible, with the 429 engine as a true muscle car package for Ford-family aficionados. Marauders are heavy, at about 4,000 pounds, but also luxurious. After this generation, the Marauder name went out of production until it was revived in 2003.