Donated 1965 Mercury Comet

This 1965 Mercury Comet rolled off the assembly line at Ford’s Lorain, Ohio plant on October 20, 1964, onto a train bound for Ford’s Jacksonville, Florida distribution center and ultimately to Stewart Lincoln-Mercury in Hollywood, Florida.

Soon after, a Hollywood retiree purchased it. He asked the dealership to install air conditioning and rear seat belts, which weren’t standard equipment at the time. Cathy’s father, a Stewart service technician, did the installations and all maintenance and repairs while the first owner owned it.

The first owner traded in the Comet at Stewart in April 1971. Cathy’s Dad was able to purchase the car for $400 at Stewart and called Cathy to see if she wanted it. With an ecstatic “Yes,” this became Cathy’s first car, and she has many fond memories of driving it all over southeastern Florida and most of the rest of the state for 17 years.

In 1988, it was time for a new car, but instead of trading in the Comet for a 1985 Mustang, she kept it. Cathy moved to Georgia in 1990 and occasionally drove the Comet until 1995, when it was then stored in a barn ever since.

Cathy decided to donate the car to Miles Through Time in September 2021; it was then moved from the barn to a friend’s garage. For the next seven months, her brother Chris spent most of his spare time returning the Comet to the condition it’s in today.

It bears some scars from being driven for almost 25 years and a few more scars from 32 years of barn storage. The owner’s manual and warranty card are still in the glove box, where Cathy found them when in 1971.

The 1965 Florida license plate commemorates the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city of St. Augustine.

Cathy has owned this Comet for over 50 years.

It’s very unusual for any car to have had only two owners in its lifetime, but it’s even more unusual that only two people have ever touched a wrench to this one—her dad and brother.

You can see this car on display at Miles Through Time Automotive Museum in Clarkesville, Georgia now.