1958 (I think) Mercury - but what model?

[Steve Hagy]

Hi!

 

Well, if my research on the internet is correct this is a 1958 Mercury. Where I have failed is in trying to decide what model this is. 

 

Help me out here gang!

 

Thanks,

 

Steve

 

[m-mman]

I am thinking that it is a 'Metalist.' An unusual car but not necessarily for commercial/government use. 

 

1958 was supposed to be a banner year. Mercury offered the Monterey, Montclair, and Parklane series. All rather expensive. Then the recession hit and the market dropped for middle-priced and expensive cars. To survive Mercury began offering a very cheap loss-leader car, the Metalist. It was made cheap by removing the second molding along the side and using only the older Y-block engine (not the new MEL 383-430 design) but also Metalist cars use a column shift transmission in place of Mercs pushbutton controls. 

 

Anything to try to price compete in a very down market. 

 

Introduced (cobbled together?) in January, they did not create a Metalist script for it. Some printed material doesn't even use the Metalist name, rather calling it by its body codes  58C or 64C(?)  Could be wrong on this detail - my books are at home. 

 

 

[nzcarnerd]

Going by the info in The Standard Catalog, what you say is correct - except the model name was Medallist with a 'd' and two 'l's.

[Dave Mellor NJ]

Interesting how the sedan roof with the reverse "C" pillar came out in the '58 cheapie sedan model Merc and was adopted by the '59 cheapie sedan model Ford.

[Dave Mellor NJ]

The Medalist first appeared in '56, not in response to the '58 recession.

 

[gwells]

Based on the above pic, it looks like the proper spelling of the model name is 'Medalist,' with a single 'L.'

 

 

[m-mman]

Introduced for 1956, dropped for 1957, returned (temporarily) for 1958, then gone forever...

 

Not the best-sounding model name. Difficult to spell, has hard "T" ending, doesn't bring to mind beautiful places or images.