Comes this. Well, actually, from across the parking lot at Fonda Speedway in New York, the historic dirt track, where I stumbled upon this a month ago. It’s a 1973 Mercury Comet, one of about 29,000 four-door sedans total. Fewer than half, including this one, had the 302-cu.in. V-8.

Even fewer had the Custom option we see here, which combined body-color wheel discs, a vinyl roof, vinyl-insert side moldings and front bucket seats. This car is almost totally original. Most 1973 Comets were either junked, rusted to nonexistence, or (like their Ford Maverick siblings) battered by muscle-car wannabes who fitted them with Cherry Bombs and lift kits so the mags with too-wide rubber would clear the wheel openings. The owner of this Comet sedan, Joe Daigle, of Niskayuna, New York, was nice enough to bring it to our recent cruise-in and a photo session. Stand by for a full feature on this never-seen Mercury in Hemmings Classic Car.