1965 Mercury Comet Cyclone

Compact performance powered by 1965 Mercury Super Cyclone 289 V8.

Restored 1965 Mercury Comet Cyclone hardtop, front three-quarter view

Body Cyclone 63E two-door hardtop

Standard engine 225-hp Super Cyclone 289 four-barrel V8

Special-order engine 271-hp high-performance 289 V8

Transmissions Three-speed, four-speed, or Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic

Production 12,347 Cyclone hardtops reported

Story

1965 Mercury Comet Cyclone

The 1965 Cyclone was Mercury's bucket-seat Comet hardtop, identified by body model 63E. Its standard powertrain was the 225-horsepower Super Cyclone 289 four-barrel with a floor-shift three-speed manual. Buyers could select a four-speed manual or Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic, while a 271-horsepower high-performance 289 was available by special order. Those engines are configurations of the same Cyclone, not separate models.

Cyclone equipment included a console, front bucket seats, tachometer, walnut-finished three-spoke steering wheel, carpeting, bright engine dress-up, distinctive grille and badging, and 14-inch wheels. The optional Rally-Pac added a vacuum gauge and elapsed-time clock around the tachometer. Mercury offered fifteen solid exterior colors and black, palomino, red, or white interior color families with coordinated appointments.

Documentation matters most on the special-order car. The serial number's A engine code identifies a 289 four-barrel but does not distinguish the 225-horsepower engine from the 271-horsepower version. A claimed high-performance Cyclone therefore needs its district special-order paperwork, build sheet, or equivalent car-specific records. Badges, chrome engine pieces, a four-speed, or a later 289 do not prove that configuration.

**Restored 1965 Mercury Comet Cyclone hardtop, rear three-quarter view**MercurySable99 via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Price history

Values

Nominal dollars from original price sheets, auction archives, and approved value references.

Original Price

Base MSRP $2,625

Comet Cyclone 63E two-door hardtop (1965)
Reported base price before destination and optional equipment.
1965 Mercury models, prices, and production numbers

Market Observations

High bid $26,750

Dec 1, 2025 · Bring a Trailer
A-code 289 four-speed car with 63E body tag, 3.00 open axle, and disclosed Holley carburetor, headers, bracing, air shocks, and newer tires. · restored · good Reserve-not-met high bid; not a completed transaction or evidence of a 271-hp special-order build.
1965 Mercury Comet Cyclone 289 4-Speed - December 2025
Auction sale $55,600

Jun 8, 2022 · Bring a Trailer
Heavily modified Cyclone fitted with a 427 and five-speed transmission. · modified · excellent Completed sale retained as a modified-car observation, not a stock 289 benchmark.
427-Powered 1965 Mercury Comet Cyclone 5-Speed - June 2022
High bid $18,500

Jan 26, 2021 · Bring a Trailer
A-code 289 four-speed car with aluminum heads, custom upholstery, replacement wheels and shifter, and other changes. · modified · good Reserve-not-met high bid retained with modification context.
1965 Mercury Comet Cyclone 289 4-Speed - January 2021

Values move with paperwork, originality, options, condition, venue, and body style. High bids and guide values are labeled separately from completed sales.

Reference records

Options, Colors & Components

Source-backed details for trim, chassis, production, and authenticity.

Engine Details

Standard Super Cyclone 289 four-barrel 225 hp at 4,800 rpm; 305 lb-ft at 3,200 rpm; 10.0:1 compression · standard Cyclone powertrain · engine assembly / specification
High-performance 289 four-barrel 271 hp; solid-lifter special-order configuration · special-order Cyclone; requires car-specific ordering evidence · engine assembly / other
Factory 289 four-barrel architecture 90-degree OHV V8; 4.005 x 2.87 in bore and stroke; 4.38 in bore spacing; cast-iron block and heads; no cylinder sleeves; 1-5-4-2-6-3-7-8 firing order · 1965 Comet 289-4V specification issued September 1, 1964 · engine assembly / specification
Factory 289 four-barrel fuel system Mechanical pump on left side of engine; 4.5-5.5 psi; automatic choke; exhaust-heated intake manifold; dry replaceable air-cleaner element · 1965 Comet 289-4V specification issued September 1, 1964 · carburetor / specification
Emissions manual-transmission 289-4V carburetor Ford GPD C5ZF-9510-C, one four-barrel, 1.437 in barrel size · 1965 Comet 289-4V with manual transmission and emissions equipment; AMA issue dated September 1, 1964 · carburetor / part number
Emissions automatic-transmission 289-4V carburetor Ford GPD C5ZF-9510-D, one four-barrel, 1.437 in barrel size · 1965 Comet 289-4V with automatic transmission and emissions equipment; AMA issue dated September 1, 1964 · carburetor / part number
Non-emissions manual-transmission 289-4V carburetor Ford GPD C5ZF-9510-J, one four-barrel, 1.08 in primary and 1.19 in secondary barrel sizes · 1965 Comet 289-4V with manual transmission and non-emissions equipment; AMA issue dated September 1, 1964 · carburetor / part number
Non-emissions automatic-transmission 289-4V carburetor Ford GPD C5ZF-9510-K, one four-barrel, 1.08 in primary and 1.19 in secondary barrel sizes · 1965 Comet 289-4V with automatic transmission and non-emissions equipment; AMA issue dated September 1, 1964 · carburetor / part number

Transmission

Factory transmission Standard floor-shift three-speed manual
Factory transmission Optional four-speed manual with 2.74, 2.04, 1.51, and 1.00 ratios; a heavy-duty ratio set is separately reported
Factory transmission Optional Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic three-speed automatic with 2.46, 1.46, and 1.00 ratios

Options

289 Powertrain reference for the 1965 Mercury Comet CycloneClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

DSO High-performance 289 special order special_order · performance · Reported 271-hp 289 configuration priced at $440.10. A four-speed transmission, heavy-duty front suspension, low-profile rayon tires, and 42-amp alternator were mandatory extra-cost equipment; power steering and air conditioning were unavailable. The A engine code alone does not identify the package; retain district special-order and build records.
DSO-TI High-performance 289 special order with transistorized ignition special_order · performance · Reported $516.10 package variant. The same mandatory equipment and power-steering and air-conditioning exclusions applied; authenticate from car-specific district special-order and build records.
Rally-Pac Rally-Pac instrumentation optional · appearance · Added a vacuum gauge and elapsed-time clock around the standard tachometer.
Handling Special handling package optional · performance · Listed in the brochure; complete spring, shock, and bar contents remain a follow-up item.

Paint

A Onyx factory · solid
M Polar White factory · solid
J Carnival Red factory · solid
Y Blue Ice factory · solid
H Midnight Blue factory · solid
K Pearl Gray factory · solid
D Silver Turquoise factory · metallic
X Burgundy factory · solid
7 Yellow Mist factory · solid
O Aquamarine factory · solid
C Ivy Gold factory · metallic
I Sandrift factory · solid
P Pecan Frost factory · metallic
5 Ocean Turquoise factory · metallic
R Olive Mist factory · metallic

Production

Transmission Choices reference for the 1965 Mercury Comet CycloneClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

1965 Comet Cyclone 63E two-door hardtop total · 12,347 · reported

Authenticity

Rear Axle reference for the 1965 Mercury Comet CycloneClassic Muscle · Reference illustration

Body model 63E for the Cyclone two-door hardtop with bucket seats and console · Warranty plate on the rear face of the left front door and supporting build records. · trim correctness
Serial body and engine codes 27 body-series characters with A for the 289 four-barrel · Official serial stamped on the left front fender apron and the warranty plate. · fraud detection
High-performance 289 documentation District special-order, build-sheet, invoice, or equivalent car-specific evidence for the 271-hp configuration · Original ordering and ownership records, build sheet, and authenticated registry files. · numbers matching
Transmission and axle codes Transmission 1, 5, or 6 and axle 1, 5, A, or E as applicable to the documented build · Warranty plate, build records, transmission identification, and axle evidence. · numbers matching
Engine and vehicle number locations Vehicle number at the left cowl or front spring-pocket strut and engine number on the front-left block boss · Factory AMA identification locations, inspected without publishing a full serial number. · numbers matching

Still Researching

engine The dated factory AMA now establishes standard 289-4V architecture, fuel-system specifications, and manual/automatic emissions and non-emissions carburetor numbers; the 271-hp path remains reported, while complete casting, assembly, calibration, revision, and effective-date matrices remain unresolved.
transmission Factory ratios and availability are documented, but complete case, tag, shifter, and date-code matrices remain unresolved.
rear axle Factory and identification references establish the ordinary 289 V8 axle's semi-floating hypoid construction, adjustment, bearings, capacity, lubricant, ratios, and locking codes. Complete housing and carrier identifiers, tag decoding, axle-shaft and service-part applications, assembly dates, running changes, the special-order high-performance axle, and individual-car installation remain unresolved.
brakes The hash-matched factory AMA now documents the regular 289 V8 drum construction, lining sizes and areas, wheel- and master-cylinder bores, pedal travel, line pressure, and shoe clearance, while the brochure bounds power assist to automatic-transmission applications. Model 71/76 exceptions, complete drum, shoe, cylinder, booster, hose, line, hardware, supplier, running-change, supersession, and individual-car part applications remain unresolved.
suspension The dated factory AMA documents front and rear architecture, spring dimensions and rates, design loads, shock construction, stabilizer diameters, bushings, leaf count, and Model 71/76 schedules. It does not map those schedules to the brochure's optional special handling package or supply the final sales code, complete service-part and supersession matrix, running revisions, or individual-car installation evidence.
option packages The 271-hp DSO package prices, mandatory extra-cost equipment, and power-steering and air-conditioning exclusions are reported from period sales information, but the primary Cyclone order guide, district bulletins, regular-option prices, and running revisions were not recovered.
production The Cyclone hardtop total is documented, but no reviewed ledger supplies standard-versus-high-performance engine or transmission splits.
paint colors The factory brochure establishes fifteen solid-color choices, but complete paint formulations, two-tone restrictions, vinyl-roof combinations, and effective dates remain unresolved.
trim and appearance Factory sales material documents the primary Cyclone appearance, but complete molding, emblem, wheel-cover, roof, and running-change part numbers are not established.
interior Factory material documents color families and principal equipment, but a complete Cyclone-only trim-code, material, and hardware matrix remains unresolved.
authenticity markers Body, engine, transmission, axle, and identifier locations are documented, but the 271-hp path cannot be authenticated from the A engine code alone.