Listing snapshot
| Spotted | July 2023 |
| Asking price | Not recorded |
| Location | Washington, Pennsylvania |
| Listed on | Craigslist, dealer |
| Drivetrain | 4.6-liter V8, automatic, rear-wheel drive |
| Status | Ad expired. This page is our archive of the listing. |
We spotted this 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis in July 2023, offered by a dealer in Washington, Pennsylvania. We didn’t record the asking price, but the photos and the equipment list are worth keeping. If you’re trying to judge what a tidy late-’90s Grand Marquis looks like, this is a useful reference.
What this car was
A red four-door sedan with a gray cloth interior, from the last year before the 1998 restyle. The paint in the photos has a strong shine, the chrome grille is straight, and the wheels are clean. Like every Grand Marquis of the era, it was a body-on-frame, rear-drive car with Ford’s 4.6-liter V8 and an automatic.
The dealer’s description listed:
- 4.6-liter V8 with automatic transmission
- Gray interior with full power equipment, a power seat and remote entry
- Cruise control and an AM/FM stereo
- Upgraded wheels
- Kept covered or garaged, with paint described as like new
- A new Pennsylvania inspection and emissions test
The interior photos back that up. The gray cloth bench shows little wear, and the wood-look dash trim and cassette stereo are intact. The ad called it low mileage but we did not note a figure. The engine bay is clean and complete, with the factory intake cover in place and no obvious leaks or missing parts. For a 26-year-old car on a dealer lot, it looked ready to drive home.
What to know if you’re shopping for one
These cars were built in large numbers, so condition matters far more than rarity. Look for a straight frame, clean service history and a cooling system that has been looked after. Many were driven gently by older owners, which is why clean, well-kept examples like this still turn up.
A little Grand Marquis history
Mercury first used the Grand Marquis name on the top Marquis in the mid-1970s, and it became its own model for 1983. It shared Ford’s Panther platform with the Crown Victoria and the Lincoln Town Car. The 4.6-liter modular V8 replaced the old 5.0 for 1992, and the car stayed in production until Mercury was closed in 2011.
More cars from the archive
- Every Mercury Grand Marquis we’ve spotted, with asking prices
- 1994 Mercury Sable GS, another Mercury
- 1997 Mercury Cougar XR7 30th Anniversary Edition, another Mercury
- 1987 Mercury Topaz, another Mercury
- 1994 Pontiac Bonneville SE, another 1990s American car
