Here’s Why $37K For A Mercury Marauder Isn’t That Crazy

We find all sorts of interesting stuff for sale online. Some vehicles are incredibly overpriced examples of limited-edition models, while other machines are worth every penny.

Asking $37,500 for a 2004 Mercury Marauder may sound crazy, but we think the seller that posted the sedan on Autotrader is actually on to something.

Just last summer, police departments across the United States retired their Ford Crown Victorias in favor of more modern offerings, like the Dodge Charger, Ford Taurus, and Explorer. It was a shame, as the Crown Vic was an all-American all-star. And while enthusiasts won’t have any trouble finding a Crown Victoria for sale, the Marauder is a little more exclusive and performance oriented.

Making its debut at the 1998 SEMA show as a concept car, the Marauder, which is essentially a performance, blacked-out version of the Mercury Grand Marquis, is clearly a striking car. It wasn’t until 2003, though, until the Marauder officially went on sale.

The Marauder is based on the same Panther platform as the Crown Victoria and is a true high-performance sedan. Under the massive hood sits a naturally-aspirated 4.6-liter DOHC V8 engine that’s borrowed from the Mustang Cobra. The engine pumps out 302 hp and 318 lb-ft of torque, which were impressive figures for the time.

The motor’s paired to a four-speed automatic gearbox that helps put the engine’s power down through an aluminum driveshaft to a 3.55:1 rear end, which came from the Police Interceptor. Mercury also reached further into Ford’s bag of available parts, as the car’s performance-tuned suspension setup came from the Crown Vic’s handling and performance package.

The sedan also features large vented disc brakes, low-profile performance tires, and 18-inch polished alloy rims, because you couldn’t have enough chrome back then. And speaking of looks, the sedan’s menacing appearance is highlighted by smoked headlights and taillights, a bespoke front bumper with SVT-style fog lamps, and dual chrome exhaust tips.

It may be a performance version of the Grand Marquis, but boy does this rectangular thing look mean. The interior also comes with special touches over the regular sedan, with logo-embossed front bucket seats, a unique instrument cluster, and Auto Meter Pro-Comp gauges.

Unfortunately, the Marauder looked the part and had the growl that matched that of an actual panther’s, but it wasn’t very fast. At the time, Car and Driver recorded a zero to 60 mph time of 7.5 seconds. And the quarter-mile time wasn’t better – 15.5 seconds at 91 mph. Top speed was an appalling 117 mph.

Still, the Marauder is arguably the best vehicle that was ever built on the Panther platform and with the death of the Crown Victoria, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the sedan become collectible in the near future. It’s believed that only 11,000 units of the Marauder were sold, as well.

The one we found on Autotrader only has 3,925 miles on it and the seller states that the sedan is in “Perfect and Pristine” condition and the pictures back that statement up. The seller also goes on to state, “It has always been garaged and literally still has that new car smell!”

It might not look like much, but when autonomous vehicles and electric cars rule the road, a few lucky individuals will be cruising around in one of these bad boys. While $37,500 sounds like a lot of money, we expect prices to continue to go up, as the sedan has everything it takes to become a classic.