Motorcade is among the more obscure magazines included in the Automotive History Preservation Society’s digital archives. A supposed preview of the 1969 models may hint at why the magazine apparently did not survive the early-70s.
Although the article was published in September 1968 — which was around the time that U.S. automakers were unveiling their new products — Motorcade included sketches that were way off the mark. The article also overpromised a “Detroit Preview” when it was focused on Ford Motor Company cars (although one uncaptioned sketch appears to show a facelifted AMC Javelin).
What was most amusing is how their sketch of the big Mercury’s redesign was completely wrong even though the article also included cutaway images from the manufacturer that showed how the car would actually look.
The sketches tended to extrapolate design trends that were no longer current. For example, a Ford LTD was shown as a two-door fastback with a vinyl roof that would have been a much better fit in 1967 than 1969.
The sketches could also deviate from the text. Whereas the article stated that the Thunderbird would have only “minor trim changes,” a drawing hinted at major sheetmetal revisions that included a more fastback roofline.
Motorcade also predicted that innovations would be introduced that didn’t reach production. As a case in point, the Lincoln Continental was lauded for offering as an option “a rear window wiper and washer! We’ve been wondering when this would show up on an American car” (1968, p. 18). Lincoln instead offered an optional rear-window defogger.
Were some predictions initially correct?
Some of Motorcade’s predictions might plausibly have been initially accurate but a manufacturer changed its plans. As a case in point, the magazine showed a sketch of a facelifted Ford Falcon that looked plausible if it were on a two-year redesign cycle similar to the Fairlane, which it shared a body with.
Motorcade quite rightly sensed that something was afoot, noting that the Falcon “is not selling” and “we hear rumors of Ford developing a new foreign-type compact, code-named the ‘Delta,’ to be built at slightly lower labor rates in the Canadian factory. It would be somewhat smaller than the original 1960 Falcon (much smaller than today’s Falcon), would sell for less than $2000 with a 100-hp six-cylinder engine” (1968, p. 14).
The magazine added that the “rumors were hot for awhile — until Henry Ford II came out the other day and said that Ford definitely was not planning to build an economy compact on this side of the Atlantic in the near future” (1968, p. 14). Less than a year later Ford introduced the Maverick, which sounds a whole lot like the Delta described in this article.
Shallow analysis proved to be off the mark
Motorcade occasionally included analysis in its predictions. The magazine noted that “Mercury is trying to upgrade the intermediate Montego line to sell in the low/medium price market as a family car. The economy versions haven’t been selling, and the line hasn’t yet found its niche in the higher-priced market” (1968, p. 16).
Why? “One reason is that Mercury dealers and salesmen haven’t been in touch with the market at which this car is aimed. They badly need a more vigorous youth image — and they’re starting to get it now through the unexpected success of 427 Montegos in NASCAR racing this season” (1968, p. 17).
Also see ‘Automobile in American Life and Society is valuable but badly needs updating’
It’s true that Mercury was struggling to establish the Montego nameplate, which mostly replaced the Comet lineup in 1968. It’s also true that sales of the high-end MX Brougham models were modest in 1969 — under 3,000 units. But then the high-performance Cyclone didn’t do much better — just over 9,000 units.
Montego sales didn’t begin to take off until the car was significantly redesigned in 1972, when it better targeted an emerging brougham market for mid-sized cars. That was well after Motorcade apparently died. A total of 56 issues were published between fall 1963 and December 1970 (99wspeedshop.com, 2024).
NOTES:
Production figures were calculated from data published by the auto editors of Consumer Guide (1993, 2006).
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RE:SOURCES
- Auto editors of Consumer Guide; 1993, 2006. Encyclopedia of American Cars. Publications International, Lincolnwood, IL.
- 99wspeedshop.com, 2024. “Motorcade – Magazine Covers 1963 to 1970.” Accessed April 17.
- Motorcade; 1968. “Detroit Preview: A ‘sneak peek’ at what promises to be a very good year.” September issue: pp. 10-22.
ADVERTISING & BROCHURES
- oldcaradvertising.com: Mercury Cyclone (1969)
- oldcarbrochures.org: Ford Falcon (1969); Mercury Cougar (1969)
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