Top 10 Under-Appreciated American Cars of the 2000s
Everybody remembers halos like the Dodge Viper and Ford GT — but this list is for the people.
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2: Mercury Marauder
The Blue Oval's long-running Panther platform, rest its soul, deserves a tribute grander than this space allows. That'll come another day; we're here to talk about the Panther body's undisputed daddy, the Mercury Marauder.
To cook up the Marauder, Ford followed a recipe that called for the best cuts of the Mercury Grand Marquis, Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor, and Ford Mustang Mach 1, and the resulting hot dog spoke for itself. Its all-aluminum, DOHC V-8 served up interstates for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the comfort of its leather interior could keep you hungry for that asphalt all day. And come time to take the offramp at full send, it doesn't handle like a cat that hates being picked up, courtesy of what Elwood Blues would call "cop suspension."
Mercury made barely 11,000 Marauders, the ultimate Panther body, and they're rarely seen on the market. It's almost like owners don't want to get rid of them for some reason.
