The 1956 Mercury models may look similar overall to last year's, but their manufacturer has big dreams for them. While the company had been initially launched as a Pontiac's competitor back in 1938, it now moves higher and challenges Oldsmobile, and perhaps those cheaper models from Buick too. Mercury's cars are now dubbed the "Big M" while Ed Sullivan is hired to heavily promote them. Nonetheless, this leaves a widening gap in FoMoCo's lineup between Mercury and the popular Fords. To correct this problem, a cheaper Medalist is launched half-way through the model year, but the public seems confused about Mercury's strategy and this new entrant struggles to find buyers.
Mercury's 1956 range includes four lines: Mercury Medalist (added during the year), Mercury Custom, Mercury Monterey and Mercury Montclair.
Mercury Custom
Only minor modifications differentiates this year’s Mercurys from their predecessors. The Custom now offers two more body variations, a convertible coupe and a brand-new hardtop sedan, the latter being introduced during the model year.
● Introduction: 1954. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 210 hp, mounted at the front (manual gearbox only). With automatic: V-8, 5.1-litre, 225 hp. Optional engine: V-8, 5.1-litre, 260 hp (available late during the model year). 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. Servo optional. Length: 524 cm. Top speed: n/a. Range: two-door sedan, four-door sedan, two-door “Sport” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan (available during the model year), two-door convertible coupe, four-door station wagon. Note: during the year, the “312” 5.1-litre engine receives a new camshaft. From then on, outputs are either 220 hp (manual) or 235 hp (automatic).
Mercury Monterey
Mercury’s most popular car, the Monterey is a better appointed version of the Custom, that offers two-tone paint and dual exhausts as standard equipment. A “sport sedan” with a lower roof serves as a stopgap until a real four-door hardtop sedan is introduced during the year.
● Introduction: 1954. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 210 hp, mounted at the front (manual gearbox only). With automatic: V-8, 5.1-litre, 225 hp. Optional engine: V-8, 5.1-litre, 260 hp (available late during the model year). Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox. Three-speed automatic gearbox optional. Suspension: independent at the front, rigid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Servo optional. Length: 524 cm. Top speed: n/a. Range: four-door sedan, four-door sport sedan (replaced by hardtop sedan during the model year), two-door “Sport” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan (available during the model year), four-door station wagon. Note: during the year, the “312” 5.1-litre engine receives a new camshaft. From then on, outputs are either 220 hp (manual) or 235 hp (automatic).
Mercury Montclair
The Montclair is again Mercury’s most prestigious car. It is heavily loaded with chromes, but most major equipments remain optional. Spectacular but highly criticized, the Sun Valley hardtop coupe is no longer produced this year.
● Introduction: 1954. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 210 hp, mounted at the front (manual gearbox only). With automatic: V-8, 5.1-litre, 225 hp. Optional engine: V-8, 5.1-litre, 260 hp (available late during the model year). Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox. Three-speed automatic gearbox optional. Suspension: independent at the front, rigid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Servo optional. Length: 524 cm. Top speed: n/a. Range: four-door sport sedan (replaced by hardtop sedan during the model year), two-door “Sport” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan (available during the model year), two-door convertible coupe. Note: during the year, the “312” 5.1-litre engine receives a new camshaft. From then on, outputs are either 220 hp (manual) or 235 hp (automatic).
Mercury Medalist
During the year, a new model expands Mercury’s range down. The plain Medalist, a simplified version of the Custom, competes with Chevrolet’s most expensive models or Pontiac’s cheaper ones.
● Introduction: 1954 for this generation of Mercury full-sizes, 1956 for the Medalist. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 210 hp, mounted at the front (manual gearbox only). With automatic: V-8, 5.1-litre, 225 hp. Optional engine: V-8, 5.1-litre, 260 hp (available late during the model year). Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox. Three-speed automatic gearbox optional. Suspension: independent at the front, rigid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Servo optional. Length: 524 cm. Top speed: n/a. Range: two-door sedan, four-door sedan, two-door “Sport” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan. Note: shortly after its introduction, the “312” 5.1-litre engine receives a new camshaft. From then on, outputs are either 220 hp (manual) or 235 hp (automatic).
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Click to jump to another model year of the same car: 1955 – 1956
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Mercury's 1956 range includes four lines: Mercury Medalist (added during the year), Mercury Custom, Mercury Monterey and Mercury Montclair.
Mercury Custom
Only minor modifications differentiates this year’s Mercurys from their predecessors. The Custom now offers two more body variations, a convertible coupe and a brand-new hardtop sedan, the latter being introduced during the model year.
● Introduction: 1954. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 210 hp, mounted at the front (manual gearbox only). With automatic: V-8, 5.1-litre, 225 hp. Optional engine: V-8, 5.1-litre, 260 hp (available late during the model year). 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. Servo optional. Length: 524 cm. Top speed: n/a. Range: two-door sedan, four-door sedan, two-door “Sport” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan (available during the model year), two-door convertible coupe, four-door station wagon. Note: during the year, the “312” 5.1-litre engine receives a new camshaft. From then on, outputs are either 220 hp (manual) or 235 hp (automatic).
Mercury Monterey
Mercury’s most popular car, the Monterey is a better appointed version of the Custom, that offers two-tone paint and dual exhausts as standard equipment. A “sport sedan” with a lower roof serves as a stopgap until a real four-door hardtop sedan is introduced during the year.
● Introduction: 1954. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 210 hp, mounted at the front (manual gearbox only). With automatic: V-8, 5.1-litre, 225 hp. Optional engine: V-8, 5.1-litre, 260 hp (available late during the model year). Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox. Three-speed automatic gearbox optional. Suspension: independent at the front, rigid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Servo optional. Length: 524 cm. Top speed: n/a. Range: four-door sedan, four-door sport sedan (replaced by hardtop sedan during the model year), two-door “Sport” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan (available during the model year), four-door station wagon. Note: during the year, the “312” 5.1-litre engine receives a new camshaft. From then on, outputs are either 220 hp (manual) or 235 hp (automatic).
Mercury Montclair
The Montclair is again Mercury’s most prestigious car. It is heavily loaded with chromes, but most major equipments remain optional. Spectacular but highly criticized, the Sun Valley hardtop coupe is no longer produced this year.
● Introduction: 1954. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 210 hp, mounted at the front (manual gearbox only). With automatic: V-8, 5.1-litre, 225 hp. Optional engine: V-8, 5.1-litre, 260 hp (available late during the model year). Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox. Three-speed automatic gearbox optional. Suspension: independent at the front, rigid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Servo optional. Length: 524 cm. Top speed: n/a. Range: four-door sport sedan (replaced by hardtop sedan during the model year), two-door “Sport” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan (available during the model year), two-door convertible coupe. Note: during the year, the “312” 5.1-litre engine receives a new camshaft. From then on, outputs are either 220 hp (manual) or 235 hp (automatic).
Mercury Medalist
During the year, a new model expands Mercury’s range down. The plain Medalist, a simplified version of the Custom, competes with Chevrolet’s most expensive models or Pontiac’s cheaper ones.
● Introduction: 1954 for this generation of Mercury full-sizes, 1956 for the Medalist. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 210 hp, mounted at the front (manual gearbox only). With automatic: V-8, 5.1-litre, 225 hp. Optional engine: V-8, 5.1-litre, 260 hp (available late during the model year). Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed manual gearbox. Three-speed automatic gearbox optional. Suspension: independent at the front, rigid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Servo optional. Length: 524 cm. Top speed: n/a. Range: two-door sedan, four-door sedan, two-door “Sport” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan. Note: shortly after its introduction, the “312” 5.1-litre engine receives a new camshaft. From then on, outputs are either 220 hp (manual) or 235 hp (automatic).
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: 1955 – 1956
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 brands already presented.
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