Mercury now has to deal with the constraints of its bathtub design. Though it still cannot afford to add a hardtop coupe to its range, the company tastefully restyles its cars and makes them look less round in their rear part. Ford also reacted, though late, to the new-found popularity of automatic transmissions by having Borg-Warner, through its Warner Gear division, design such a device for its own cars. When fitted in Mercury, it is dubbed Merc-O-Matic (and logically Ford-O-Matic when installed in a Ford).
Mercury's 1951 range includes a single line: Mercury Eight.
Mercury Eight
The front end of all 1951 Mercurys received a much heavier chromed grille that encompasses the position lights. The rear is even more deeply reworked, with squarer, taller wings fitted with vertical taillights - a cheap but efficient way to distant the cars’ lines from the already obsolete “bathtub” style. But the biggest news comes from the introduction of Mercury’s first automatic transmission, the three-speed “Merc-O-Matic” provided by Warner Gear.
● Introduction: April 1948. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 4.2-litre, 112 hp, mounted at the front. Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox. Three-speed automatic gearbox optional. Suspension: independent at the front, solid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Length: 525 cm (all models except wagon), 542 cm (station wagon). Top speed: 160 kph. Range: two-door sport coupe, four-door sport sedan, two-door convertible coupe, two-door station wagon.
Mercury Eight Monterey
Still unable to offer a true hardtop coupe, Mercury has to content itself with a luxurious Monterey coupe. The package includes either vinyl or canvas covering the roof, and a custom interior.
● Introduction: April 1948 for the Mercury Eight, 1949 for its Monterey version. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 4.2-litre, 112 hp, mounted at the front. Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox. Three-speed automatic gearbox optional. Suspension: independent at the front, solid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Length: 525 cm (all models except wagon), 542 cm (station wagon). Top speed: 160 kph. Range: two-door club coupe.
Any mistake you’ve just spotted? A detail to add? A suggestion? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment!
Click to jump to another model year of the same car: 1948 – 1949 – 1950 – 1951
Click here to return to a list of all Mercury vehicles presented on this blog.
Click here to return to this blog’s initial post, featuring a list of all vehicles already presented.
Mercury's 1951 range includes a single line: Mercury Eight.
Mercury Eight
The front end of all 1951 Mercurys received a much heavier chromed grille that encompasses the position lights. The rear is even more deeply reworked, with squarer, taller wings fitted with vertical taillights - a cheap but efficient way to distant the cars’ lines from the already obsolete “bathtub” style. But the biggest news comes from the introduction of Mercury’s first automatic transmission, the three-speed “Merc-O-Matic” provided by Warner Gear.
● Introduction: April 1948. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 4.2-litre, 112 hp, mounted at the front. Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox. Three-speed automatic gearbox optional. Suspension: independent at the front, solid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Length: 525 cm (all models except wagon), 542 cm (station wagon). Top speed: 160 kph. Range: two-door sport coupe, four-door sport sedan, two-door convertible coupe, two-door station wagon.
Mercury Eight Monterey
Still unable to offer a true hardtop coupe, Mercury has to content itself with a luxurious Monterey coupe. The package includes either vinyl or canvas covering the roof, and a custom interior.
● Introduction: April 1948 for the Mercury Eight, 1949 for its Monterey version. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 4.2-litre, 112 hp, mounted at the front. Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox. Three-speed automatic gearbox optional. Suspension: independent at the front, solid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Length: 525 cm (all models except wagon), 542 cm (station wagon). Top speed: 160 kph. Range: two-door club coupe.
Any mistake you’ve just spotted? A detail to add? A suggestion? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment!
Click to jump to another model year of the same car: 1948 – 1949 – 1950 – 1951
Click here to return to a list of all Mercury vehicles presented on this blog.
Click here to return to this blog’s initial post, featuring a list of all vehicles already presented.
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