The Mercury Montego is a nameplate that was applied to three separate generations of vehicles marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. Taking its name from Montego Bay, Jamaica, the nameplate made its first appearance for 1967 in the Canadian market as part of the Mercury-derived Meteor model line. For 1968, the Mercury Montego made its debut across North America, becoming the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Torino intermediate-size model line for two generations.
For the 1977 model year, Ford revised the intermediate-size product ranges of both its Ford and Mercury divisions; as part of a mid-cycle update, Mercury discontinued the Montego nameplate and expanded the Mercury Cougar line to include a full range of sedans and wagons (with the Ford Gran Torino becoming the Ford LTD II).
After a 28-year absence, the Montego nameplate was revived for the 2005 model year, this time applied to a full-size sedan. Marketed between the Mercury Milan and Grand Marquis, the 2005 Montego, internally code-named D333, was the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Five Hundred (D258). For the 2008 model year, the Montego adopted the nameplate of the car it had replaced, becoming the final generation of the Mercury Sable.
First generation (1968–1971)
left|thumb|1968 Mercury Montego MX convertible
left|thumb|1969 Mercury Montego MX (optional "Yacht Panel" exterior trim)
For 1968, Mercury introduced the Montego as part of its intermediate Mercury Comet product line. While its predecessor was repackaged as an entry-level trim, the Montego (sharing its M-letter nameplate with full-size Mercury sedans) replaced the Comet Capri and Comet Caliente under a single nameplate; the high-performance Comet Cyclone became a stand-alone model line. The Montego was the counterpart of the Ford Torino (itself, phased in to replace the Ford Fairlane).
The first-generation Montego was initially offered in four body styles: two-door hardtop and two-door convertible, four-door sedan, and five-door station wagon. The model line was marketed in three trims: Montego and Montego MX (replacing the Comet Capri and Comet Caliente, respectively) and the Montego MX Brougham. For 1969, the 200 cubic-inch inline-6 was replaced as the standard by a 250 cubic-inch inline-6; a 351 V8 was added as an option (alongside the 302 and 390 V8s), in addition to a 428 Cobra Jet V8 (for non-MX Brougham vehicles).
1970 facelift
left|thumb|1970 Mercury Montego 2-door hardtop
left|thumb|1971 Mercury Montego 2-door hardtop
For 1970, the Montego underwent a mid-cycle revision, with the Mercury intermediate range dropping the Comet name entirely. The chassis gained an inch of wheelbase (for both sedans and wagons), as the front fascia was styled with a forward-thrusting grille and hood (concealed headlamps on MX Brougham trim). The convertible was dropped from the model range, with the two-door hardtop adopting a sleeker roofline. Following the introduction of exterior wood-panel trim for Montego station wagons in 1969, Mercury added the Montego MX Villager (serving as the wagon equivalent of the MX Brougham). The V8 engine lineup was revised, dropping the 390 and 428 V8s (in favor of a 429 V8; high-performance versions were reserved for Mercury Cyclones) and replacing the 351 V8 with an all-new engine of the same displacement.
For 1971, the grille was restyled to an egg-crate style (retaining the forward-thrusting shape); the concealed headlamps were dropped from the MX Brougham/Villager. During the model year, Mercury began to add the Cyclone to the Montego line (as its Ford counterparts were all Torinos). The rest of the model line dropped the 429 V8, leaving the 351 Cleveland as the highest-performance V8.