Digestible Collectible: 2003 Mercury Marauder

Panther Love will never die.

Plenty of TTAC writers and readers have shared their affection for the big Ford sedans and wagons. I have but one brief tale of Panther Love of my own — that of unrequited lust.

For many years, my dad was a traveling salesman. Company cars were the big perk, and dad went through a few A-bodies before landing a Crown Victoria, painted the same shade of dark grey as the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s cruisers. This came in handy throughout the Great Lakes region he covered. Unfortunately, his time with the big Vic ended before I turned 16, to be replaced by a second-generation Taurus wagon in which I took my drivers’ test.

I’ve yet to drive a Panther.

Since I’ve been on a big, V-8 sedan theme lately, it only makes sense to look toward Dearborn, as I’ve covered GM and the German Big Three over the last couple weeks. This 2003 Mercury Marauder is a natural choice, as it hides a couple of big secrets under the low-key skin.

A decade ago, 300 horsepower was impressive from a family car. Today, my minivan is pushing 270 horses. Thus, someone decided to bring this Marauder up to modern power levels with twin turbochargers. No numbers are quoted, however. The six-speed transmission is an unusual, welcome touch, though the parking brake arrangement is disappointing. Four pedals is one too many, as I can easily see myself bashing an ankle against the floor-mounted emergency brake. There has to be an easy-button lever that can be fitted.

I don’t know that I’d spend $16,000 on this car. Any collector value for the limited edition went out the window when the snails and stick were fitted, and the performance could easily and cheaply be replicated with a cast-off P71 and some catalogs. The workmanship is suspect, too, considering the hacked-up look in the trunk. But it’s an interesting look at what can be done with a beloved chassis.