Montclair! - Mercury

It may be inconceivable today, but by the late Thirties, Ford Motor Company was losing sales due to a price gap in its product lineup. The space between the top-of-the-line Ford DeLuxe and entry-level, semi-luxury Lincoln Zephyr was being absorbed by similarly positioned Buicks and Chryslers, as well as upscale Dodge and Oldsmobile models. Recognizing the market potential, Edsel Ford convinced Henry they were overdue in building a new line of cars to fill the void. The result was Mercury: a full-sized car that featured the popular Zephyr styling and a plush interior, with an economical price.

Introduced in 1939, Mercury was available in a single series that supported four body styles on a 116-inch wheelbase platform while motivation was supplied by a 95-hp version of Ford's venerable 239.4-cu.in. flathead V-8. Over 69,000 were produced, a number that swelled to a little over 86,000 in 1940, and to 98,293 in '41--a year that featured a lengthened 118-inch wheelbase. Although World War II halted 1942 automobile production, Mercury had done more than establish itself as a great mid-market value: Its flathead was now making 100 hp unaltered, earning the line--still available as a single series--a reputation as a "hot car." It was a perception not lost on hot rodders and customizers after the war, especially when Mercury introduced its unique, yet polarizing, 1949 redesign.

Mercury's evolution continued in 1952 when the make was finally offered in two trim levels: the entry-based Custom and upscale Monterey series, and in 1954, the aging flathead was replaced by a new 256-cu.in. overhead-valve V-8 rated for 161 hp. All told, total production had jumped to 259,305 units.

1956 Convertible

As successful as the Mercury was, the auspicious start was tempered by a growing sentiment from its own customer base and critics alike that it was a car ceaselessly shifting from an upscale, or "Senior," Ford--dressed with style, comfort and luxury within a Ford-based body shell--to a cheapened, or "baby," Lincoln, and back again. Even within Dearborn's front office, the division was an enigma, as executives and designers struggled to come to terms with where it actually fit in within the company. Jettisoned from Lincoln-Mercury to a stand-alone division in 1955, it became part of Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln by 1958, before Edsel was unceremoniously dropped. Mercury's fate was forever sealed as a member of the Lincoln division thereafter. It was into this tumultuous era in which Mercury--reveling in sales growth, yet mired in product placement--released a new trim level in 1955: Montclair.

Touted as a "luxury line with a sports car flair," the Montclair supplanted the Monterey as the luxury model. Initially available in a trio of two-door body styles--hardtop, Sun Valley (with its green-tinted Plexiglas roof section), and convertible--the Montclair was more than a new model name. For the first time since 1941, the chassis was redesigned, featuring a longer 119-inch wheelbase, upgraded ball-joint independent front suspension and realigned rear shocks, as well as larger brakes.

The V-8 engine received a boost in power, to the tune of 198 hp. This was made possible by enlarging the 256 to 292 cubic inches while reshaping the combustion chambers, utilizing aluminum pistons and a higher-lift camshaft, adding a Holley four-barrel carburetor versus a two-barrel, and increasing the compression ratio from 7.5:1 to 8.5:1. On paper, the new engine was said to push a showroom-stock Mercury in excess of 100 MPH, which would eventually have an impact on the stock car circuit.

But chassis dynamics and a more powerful engine do not make a new car sellable to the masses alone: Styling was a necessity, and Mercury did not disappoint. In spite of the fact that the division (technically not a single entity under its own general manager until April 1955) was still massaging a three-year-old Ford shell, a budget increase permitted sweeping changes that separated the new model from its counterpart.

Most of the sheetmetal was new, with front fenders featuring sharply designed headlamp eyebrows above a revamped double-bar grille treatment. Chrome trim on the hood lip wrapped around to each fender, which continued toward the aft end of the doors. Faux chrome scoops on the quarter panels were designed with a forward rake, visually enhancing the sense of speed. Additionally, vision was increased with a new curved windshield and A-pillar.

Inside, a colorful array of upholstery colors and patterns greeted consumers. For the driver, an arched instrument panel contained auxiliary gauges and indicators set above and below a sweeping speedometer. Typical of the era, other controls flanked the instruments, including a centrally mounted optional radio and electric clock.

Mercury added a body style to the Montclair line in April: a four-door "hardtop," though it was technically not a hardtop at all--brightwork acted to "camouflage" the model's B-pillars. It was revered by the press due to its low overall height, which was just 0.2 inches taller than its two-door hardtop brethren.

With a cost ranging from $2,631 to $2,712, the Montclair earned its merit in just one season, finding 104,667 buyers. Most of the cars sold were equipped with the Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission rather than a standard three-speed manual. It was part of a combined 328,808-unit model year that set a new production benchmark for Mercury.

Not surprisingly, changes seemed to be minimal to the Montclair for 1956; however, visually there was still a sense of newness. Aside from the typical front and rear fascia changes, the side trim became a sweeping "Z" shape, starting at the front fender before meeting the bottom of the faux quarter panel vent, and then continuing to the taillamp bezel. It was the perfect division point for two-tone and "Flo-Tone" paint schemes. On the hood was a new "M" logo, which the division capitalized on in the form of the new "Big M' advertising campaign.

More notable were the mechanical advancements, the first being the introduction of a 12-volt ignition system, as well as altered brakes and softer shocks. These were trumped by the 312-cu.in. Y-block available in an array of horsepower ratings: 210 hp (8.0:1 compression) for those with a standard three-speed manual transmission, and a 225-hp (9.0:1 compression) version in conjunction with the Merc-O-Matic. Late in the model year, a 235-hp 312 appeared on the option list, while dealers supplied the necessary parts--dual four-barrel carburetors included, mostly to racers--that would enable the 312 to produce 260 hp on paper.

Eliminated from the Montclair lineup was the Sun Valley--which never witnessed strong sales--while the two-door hardtop and convertible remained. So, too, did the four-door hardtop, officially called the Sport Sedan, but only until January 2, 1956, when it was replaced by a true hardtop called Phaeton, itself attaining 23,493 buyers in an abbreviated production run. Montclair sales as a whole slid, however, to 91,434--a common plight in the mid-price market due in part to a recession which began that year.

As highly lauded as the Montclair had been, changes came swiftly when the division drove into a completely new realm of production for 1957. For the first time, the marque offered cars that did not share a body with Ford or Lincoln. Stretched over a new 122-inch-wheelbase chassis, the 211.1-inch-long bodies were given concave grilles and front-hinged hoods, quad headlamps before the end of the model year, and V-shaped canted taillamps, with their concave contours continuing to the leading edge of the quarter panels, or in the case of four-door models, to the midpoint of the rear doors.

There were mechanical changes as well. Montclairs were still offered with a standard 312, now rated for 255 hp; however, the Merc-O-Matic transmission became standard equipment rather than optional. If the 312 wasn't enough for buyers, they could have selected the 290-hp version of the 368-cu.in. V-8. It was an engine originally introduced in 1952 for the Lincoln family of cars, and 1957 would be the only year in which it was available in a Mercury. A race-breed 335-hp 368 was also available under homologation rules; however, most were installed in Montereys.

Visual and mechanical changes aside, Mercury also realigned their product roster for 1957. The Custom and Medalist series were eliminated, which demoted the Monterey to entry-level status. In turn, the Montclair's two-year reign as the luxury model was over, as it was repositioned to the mid-range series, while the new Turnpike Cruiser claimed top honors. As to the Montclair lineup, a two- and four-door Phaeton (hardtop) was accompanied by a convertible and four-door sedan, with prices ranging from $3,188 to $3,430. Series production dropped to 75,351.

Overall, much of the 1957 styling was retained for 1958, with alterations in trim being the primary visual enhancements. That said, the body was slightly lengthened to 213.2 inches. Mechanically, the MEL (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) family of engines was introduced; thus the Montclair series now contained a 10.5:1 compression, 330-hp 383-cu.in. V-8 standard, or an optional 400-hp 430-cu.in. engine featuring a trio of two-barrel carburetors.

Nineteen Fifty-Eight also marked another year of series realignment. The two- and four-door hardtop Turnpike Cruisers--easily spotted by their reverse-slanted backlites--were fully absorbed as models within the Montclair series, which continued to support a convertible, four-door sedan, and two- and four-door (hardtop) Phaetons. By now, the Montclair closely mirrored the appearance and appointments in the Monterey series; outwardly, save for the Turnpike Cruisers, additional trim separated the two series. But with sales focused on the new Edsel, Mercury production dipped yet again, and Montclair model year production ceased at just 20,682 vehicles.

The 1959 Montclairs could be described as refined. V-shaped taillamps remained; however, the concave cove along the model's rear flanks was not as dramatically recessed, and it had been lengthened to cover a full two-thirds of the stretched-again 217.8-inch body. Also lengthened was the wheelbase, to 126 inches, while the front body work received a facelift that closely resembled that of the Ford sedans.

Although the standard 383 and optional 430 engines were still offered, the initial wave of horsepower battles between makes subsided, thus output was reduced to 322 hp and 345 hp, respectively. There was also a reduction in the number of body styles. Montclairs could now be purchased in two- and four-door hardtop, and four-door sedan guises, with hardtops receiving a different, curved-roof design from flat-topped sedans. Sales rebounded only slightly, however, landing at 23,602 units as the parent company strove to keep the mid-priced Edsel viable.

If 1959 was a year of refinement, 1960 was the year in which Mercury took a conservative approach. Again, the body was lengthened slightly--to just over 219 inches--however the flanks took on a more slab-sided look devoid of scalloped contours. Montclairs continued to closely resemble Montereys; however, three small vertical chrome bars in front of the rear wheel opening were visual indicators on the three body styles retained from the previous year. Still offering plush interiors with contemporary designs, Montclairs were now equipped with a 310-hp version of the 430-cu.in. V-8 standard.

The design coincided with the fallout of Edsel's failure and the late release of the compact Comet, a model that was met with great fanfare. With a $3,280 to $3,394 starting price--compared to the most expensive, similarly equipped $3,077 Monterey--just 19,814 Montclairs were produced during the 1960 model year. A year later, as the Comet's star rose rapidly, the Montclair (and Park Lane) was eliminated from Mercury's lineup, albeit briefly. After a three-year hiatus, it would return to Lincoln-Mercury showroom floors.