Though Mercury’s styling has been rather consistent since 1952, this year the “Big M” cars appear totally different - for the very first time, their style is unique, rather than adapted from Ford or Lincoln. The rear slant fins with triangular taillights, in particular, are inspired by last year Turnpike Cruiser show car. And a Turnpike Cruiser production model is indeed listed, loaded with all possible gadgets one may imagine! Early in the year, all Mercurys sport two-headlight front ends, while new legal provisions allow the cars to adopt quad headlights a few months later.
Mercury's 1957 range includes four lines: Mercury Monterey, Mercury Montclair, Mercury Turnpike Cruiser and a line of station wagons that includes the Mercury Commuter, the Mercury Voyager and the Mercury Colony Park.
Mercury Monterey
With both the Custom and the short-lived Medalist gone, the Monterey suddenly fells to the bottom of Mercury’s range. It remains nonetheless an elegant and comfortable car, built on a longer chassis this year and fitted with a larger engine. The convertible coupe now receives a plexiglas wraparound rear window, in this series as in all others.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 255 hp, mounted at the front. Optional engines: V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp; and V-8, 6.0-litre, 335 hp. 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: 536 cm. Top speed: 170 kph. Range: two-door sedan, four-door sedan, two-door “Phaeton” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan, two-door convertible coupe.
Mercury Commuter
The station wagons now form their own series, split into Commuter, Voyager and Colony Park models. Available with two- or four-door bodies, all adopt a hardtop style - rare for this kind of vehicles - which proves extremely elegant. The Commuter is based on the Monterey.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 255 hp, mounted at the front. Optional engine: V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp. 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: 536 cm. Top speed: 170 kph. Range: two-door hardtop station wagon, four-door hardtop station wagon.
Mercury Montclair
Over the cheaper Monterey, the Montclair not only offers more chrome here and there, but also an automatic transmission as standard equipment.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 255 hp, mounted at the front. Optional engine: V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp. Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic gearbox. Suspension: independent at the front, rigid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Servo optional. Length: 536 cm. Top speed: 170 kph. Range: four-door sedan, two-door “Phaeton” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan, two-door convertible coupe.
Mercury Voyager
The Voyager station wagons are based on the Montclair, but otherwise look similar to the Commuters.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 255 hp, mounted at the front. Optional engine: V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp. 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: 536 cm. Top speed: 170 kph. Range: two-door hardtop station wagon, four-door hardtop station wagon.
Mercury Colony Park
The Colony Park is Mercury’s most expensive station this year. Its side decoration made of fake wood sets it apart from the Voyager. It is exclusively available with four doors.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 255 hp, mounted at the front. Optional engine: V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp. 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: 536 cm. Top speed: 170 kph. Range: four-door hardtop station wagon.
Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
The Turnpike Cruiser openly boasts about its show car origins. Its “skylight” dual curve windshield, roof-mounted air intakes, reverse-slanted retractable rear window, push-button automatic transmission and ‘Seat-O-Matic” power seats with tens of preset positions are all exclusive features.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp, mounted at the front. Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic gearbox. Suspension: independent at the front, rigid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels, with servo. Length: 536 cm. Top speed: n/a. Range: two-door hardtop coupe, four-door hardtop sedan, two-door convertible 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: 1957 – 1958
Click here to return to a list of all Mercury vehicles presented on this blog.
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Mercury's 1957 range includes four lines: Mercury Monterey, Mercury Montclair, Mercury Turnpike Cruiser and a line of station wagons that includes the Mercury Commuter, the Mercury Voyager and the Mercury Colony Park.
Mercury Monterey
With both the Custom and the short-lived Medalist gone, the Monterey suddenly fells to the bottom of Mercury’s range. It remains nonetheless an elegant and comfortable car, built on a longer chassis this year and fitted with a larger engine. The convertible coupe now receives a plexiglas wraparound rear window, in this series as in all others.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 255 hp, mounted at the front. Optional engines: V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp; and V-8, 6.0-litre, 335 hp. 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: 536 cm. Top speed: 170 kph. Range: two-door sedan, four-door sedan, two-door “Phaeton” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan, two-door convertible coupe.
Mercury Commuter
The station wagons now form their own series, split into Commuter, Voyager and Colony Park models. Available with two- or four-door bodies, all adopt a hardtop style - rare for this kind of vehicles - which proves extremely elegant. The Commuter is based on the Monterey.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 255 hp, mounted at the front. Optional engine: V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp. 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: 536 cm. Top speed: 170 kph. Range: two-door hardtop station wagon, four-door hardtop station wagon.
Mercury Montclair
Over the cheaper Monterey, the Montclair not only offers more chrome here and there, but also an automatic transmission as standard equipment.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 255 hp, mounted at the front. Optional engine: V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp. Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic gearbox. Suspension: independent at the front, rigid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels. Servo optional. Length: 536 cm. Top speed: 170 kph. Range: four-door sedan, two-door “Phaeton” hardtop coupe, four-door “Phaeton” hardtop sedan, two-door convertible coupe.
Mercury Voyager
The Voyager station wagons are based on the Montclair, but otherwise look similar to the Commuters.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 255 hp, mounted at the front. Optional engine: V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp. 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: 536 cm. Top speed: 170 kph. Range: two-door hardtop station wagon, four-door hardtop station wagon.
Mercury Colony Park
The Colony Park is Mercury’s most expensive station this year. Its side decoration made of fake wood sets it apart from the Voyager. It is exclusively available with four doors.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 5.1-litre, 255 hp, mounted at the front. Optional engine: V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp. 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: 536 cm. Top speed: 170 kph. Range: four-door hardtop station wagon.
Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
The Turnpike Cruiser openly boasts about its show car origins. Its “skylight” dual curve windshield, roof-mounted air intakes, reverse-slanted retractable rear window, push-button automatic transmission and ‘Seat-O-Matic” power seats with tens of preset positions are all exclusive features.
● Introduction: 1956. Construction: body on separate chassis. Engine: water-cooled V-8, 6.0-litre, 290 hp, mounted at the front. Transmission: to the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic gearbox. Suspension: independent at the front, rigid axle at the rear. Brakes: hydraulic, to drums on all four wheels, with servo. Length: 536 cm. Top speed: n/a. Range: two-door hardtop coupe, four-door hardtop sedan, two-door convertible 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: 1957 – 1958
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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