Mercury Monterey
Mercury Monterey
The Monterey was a full size vehicle released by Mercury in 1952. This particular model was a popular subseries for the auto manufacturer and considered top of the line thanks to its solid construction and impressive engineering. Its appeal to customers allowed the Monterey to become an entirely separate line of its own in 1953.
Ford installed its flathead V-8, the highest horsepower engine for Mercury, for the first two years. Then, the manufacturer’s new Y-Block overhead-valve V-8 arrived on the scene utilizing a standard four-barrel carburetor and five-main-bearing crankshaft.
In later years, the Monterey would share the same body style with more upscale vehicles like the Marquis, the Montclair, and the Park Lane. The Marquis and the Monterey had a wheelbase that was longer and a body that was lengthier than the Ford Galaxie, Ford Custom, and Ford LTD.
Throughout its duration, the Monterey was produced to serve the entry-level, mid-range, and high-end markets. It was a standout and deserves special recognition because it is the only Mercury to be in constant production throughout the 1960s.
From 1949 to 1951, many considered Mercury the “little Lincoln” in regard to its styles and body types. Mercury wanted to change that perception.
The Initial Stages of the Monterey
At first, the Monterey was introduced as a higher-end two-door coupe in 1950. It was part of the Mercury Eight series in an effort to compete against the hardtop coupes that were produced by General Motors. The Mercury Eight was a model type originally manufactured in 1939 and lasted until 1951. It was the only model offered by the company until Mercury started producing multiple series in 1952.
Monterey’s had either a canvas covered hardtop that sold for $2,146 or a vinyl hardtop that retailed for $2,157.
In 1952, the engineering and styling of the Monterey got a reboot. This included 18% more window space. Inspired by the flight panel of large aircraft, controls for the heaters and vents were changed to levers on a perpendicular plane on the dashboard just behind the steering wheel.
The Siren Red Monterey Convertible was the forty-millionth car produced by Ford, a milestone reached in 1953. A year later, the Monterey released new models that included the bubble-top Sun Valley. Features included a roof whose front half was made of Plexiglas and lower taillights.
A Brief Summary of the Monterey
Pros
- Attractive
- Quality manufacturing
- Reasonably fast for the period
Cons
- Unlike other Fords produced at the same time, slower to appreciate in value
- The underbody was susceptible to rust
Production of the 4-door sedan more than doubled from 1952 (30,000 approximately) to 1953 (64,000 approximately). Production of the 2-door hardtop tripled during the same period with almost 25,000 produced jumping to a little over 76,000. Only a fraction of convertibles and 4-door wagons were manufactured comparatively.
Following the 1974 model year, Mercury decided to discontinue the Monterey to make room for full-size offerings that were more streamlined such as the Marquis. During the years of 2004 to 2007, the name was revived and applied to a minivan to complement the Ford Freestar.
