While its exterior footprint closely matched the Cougar (Montego) intermediate sedan, the 1979 Grand Marquis offered more interior and luggage space.

Along with its stablemates, the Ford LTD Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car, the Grand Marquis received a light refresh in 1988 that included more rounded front and rear fascias and other subtle updates inside and out.

Starting with the 1986 model year, the engine adopted multi-port fuel injection with a cast-aluminum upper intake manifold, increasing output to 150 hp (112 kW; 152 PS).

While styled nearly identical to the LTD Crown Victoria, the first-generation Grand Marquis was three inches longer than its Ford counterpart; alongside the doors and front and rear windows, only the bumpers are externally shared between the two model lines.

[9] For 1985, to lower production costs, the external "Electronic Fuel Injection" and "Automatic Overdrive" emblems were deleted (both had become standard features); for 1986, a CHMSL (center brake light) was introduced.

The Grand Marquis LS received options including a JBL Audio 6-speaker AM/FM/Cassette stereo system (with a power antenna) and a heated windshield called "Instaclear."

Additionally, as an unintentional consequence of years of badge engineering, the Grand Marquis and its LTD Crown Victoria counterpart were left as virtual identical twins.

[19][20] In line with the rest of the Ford Motor Company vehicles sold in North America, aerodynamics and fuel economy played a prominent role in designing the new Grand Marquis.

Unlike the Crown Victoria, which followed the design themes of the Ford Taurus, the Grand Marquis continued with traditional styling features, such as full-width taillights, a formal roofline, and a chrome waterfall grille.

The replacement for the OHV 5.0 L and 5.8 L Windsor V8s, the 190 hp (142 kW; 193 PS) 4.6 L SOHC Modular V8 engine was the first overhead-cam V8 to appear in an American-market full-size sedan.

While the 1992 Crown Victoria was better received in the marketplace than the new-for-1991 Chevrolet Caprice, its exterior design (inspired by the Ford Taurus) was not as popularly accepted as the Grand Marquis.

With General Motors' full-size B-body vehicles discontinued in 1996 to focus on more profitable SUVs and trucks, the third-generation Grand Marquis primarily competed against its Ford Crown Victoria counterpart.

Seats were freshened with slightly revised designs, and the chrome trim was deleted from the column-mounted gear shifter and the turn signal lever.

Other changes included a re-designed intake manifold with an aluminum water crossover, and an electronic return-less fuel system with a revised EGR setup.

Freestanding options available on the base GS were limited to heated mirrors (2004–08), an AM/FM/CD radio (mid-2003-04), chromed wheel covers (2004–07, standard for 08), rear air suspension (2007–08), and two-tone paint.

Additionally, several free-standing options were available on the GS Convenience: leather seating, a full-size spare tire, chromed wheel covers (2004–06), heated mirrors (2004-06), and a trunk organizer.

Freestanding options available on the LS Premium included a six-disc CD changer radio with a subwoofer (an Audiophile unit on 2005 and newer models), chromed aluminum wheels, LSE package (later replaced by the Handling package), heated front seats, leather-trimmed seats, side airbags, heated mirrors (made standard again for 2006), and PPG laminated side windows (2004–05).

It was a direct replacement for the outgoing LSE package and included all of its features except for a new nine-spoke machined 16x7-inch wheel design shared with the 2006-07 Crown Victoria LX HPP and six-passenger bench seating.

[36] Vehicles built after December 2002 no longer included a remote-release fuel door (introduced in 1992), black B-pillars (switched to body-color paint), map pockets on the front seats, an instrument panel digital clock (a feature integrated into the radio on other Ford vehicles), a standard dual-media radio (CD/cassette), automatic parking brake release, foam sound insulating strips inside the headliner, silver V8 emblem on the engine "beauty cover", under-hood bulb, or an air intake sound resonator.

For LS-trim vehicles, an Audiophile six-disc in-dash CD changer was provided as an option (similar to the Montego and sourced from the Lincoln Town Car).

An all-new front fascia was fitted with a rectangular grille (similar to the 1988-91 Grand Marquis); for the first time, fog lamps were offered as an option.

On LS models, the new instrument panel consolidated many features previously used by the overhead console into a message center, allowing the driver to perform a system check, view/reset oil life, distance to empty, average/instant fuel economy, and trip time.

For its shortened 2011 model year, the Grand Marquis received redesigned front-seat headrests in compliance with updated federal safety standards.

Outside of North America, exports were concentrated on the Middle Eastern market, where its large size and V8 power were attributes sought by buyers towards the end of production.

The GCC-Spec vehicles initially offered a lower price, reliability, and relative simplicity (compared to German and Japanese luxury sedans).

Nevertheless, the GCC-spec Mercury Grand Marquis began to lose market share in the 2000s towards updated competitors (such as the Holden-produced Chevrolet Caprice and Dodge Charger).

Produced alongside North American examples in St. Thomas, Ontario, GCC-Spec versions of the Mercury Grand Marquis included several mechanical and trim modifications.

It is equipped like an LS model, with standard features such as an 8-way power driver's seat (2-way manual passenger seat), side airbags, leather-wrapped steering wheel, automatically dimming rearview mirror, electronic climate control, power-adjustable pedals, premium sound system with CD and cassette, 17-inch wheels with 235/55WR17 Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires, heated door mirrors, fog lights and special "GSL" badging.

[2] The St. Thomas Assembly plant in Ontario, Canada, closed on September 15, 2011, ending the production of the Ford Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car.

Nearly unmatched by other automakers for longevity, the Grand Marquis's external appearance remained unchanged for the last 19 years of its production life (along with its engine, the 2011 model shared many body panels with its 1992 counterpart).