When Ford closed the doors on the Mercury division, it was shuttering a brand that was nothing more than a rebadged Ford. But once upon a time Mercury had its own cars, with their own unique styling and packages, that made them stand out from the crowd, and above the average Ford product.

Cars like the Mercury Comet, which today have been all but forgotten, even by those who consider themselves car enthusiasts. Over at the Hemmings Auto Blog, a 1963 Mercury Comet Convertible with the rare S-22 package is up for sale, a reminder of the cars Mercury used to build.

While the Comet was technically based on the Ford Falcon platform, for the first two years it was sold it was sold simply as “the Comet”, no Mercury badge whatsoever. In ‘62, the S-22 package was introduced, adding bucket seats, a new center console, and S-22 badging. The S-22 package also added extra chrome trim, because everybody loves chrome.

What makes this particular Merc special is that the seller claims it came from the factory with a four-speed, floor-mounted manual transmission. Most Comets we knew of came with either a two-speed automatic or “three on the tree” manual transmission on the steering column. Alas, that engine backs up a 170 cubic-inch six-cylinder making a paltry 105 horsepower.

Still, this old Mercury is the kind of car people remember, if only because they’re so uncommon.