Mercury Montclair

Mercury Montclair
Overview
Manufacturer - Mercury (Ford)
Production - 1955-1960 / 1964-1968
Assembly - Main plant Wayne, Michigan (Branch assembly) / St. Louis, Missouri / Maywood, California / Pico Rivera, California / Metuchen, New Jersey
Body and chassis
Class - Full-size
Body style - 2-door coupe / 4-door sedan / 2-door convertible / 2-door hardtop / 4-door hardtop
Layout - FR layout
Related - Lincoln Capri / Lincoln Premiere / Mercury Monterey / Mercury Medalist / Mercury Custom
Dimensions
Length - 211 in (5,359 mm) (1957)
Chronology
Successor - Mercury Monterey Custom

The Mercury Montclair is a series of full-size sedans that were manufactured and marketed over five generations by the Mercury division of Ford. The nameplate was used by the division twice, from the 1955 to the 1960 model years and from the 1964 to the 1968 model years. The model was offered as two-door and four-door hardtops, four-door pillared sedan, and a two-door convertible.
Through its production, the Montclair typically served as the mid-range Mercury sedan offering; always slotted above the Monterey, at various times, the Montclair was slotted below the Turnpike Cruiser and Park Lane in the Mercury line. While the true origins of the nameplate are unknown by Ford historians, the consensus is that is derived from Montclair, New Jersey, an affluent community located near its then-new Mahwah Assembly facility.
For 1969, Mercury discontinued the Montclair, repackaging the vehicle as the Mercury Monterey Custom, which was marketed through 1974.
First generation (1955-1956)
For 1955, Mercury redesigned its model line, adding the Montclair as a premium sedan line above the Monterey. Alongside a four-door sedan (sharing a different roofline from the Monterey), the Montclair was introduced in a two-door hardtop and two-door convertible configuration. As a styling feature, the Montclair received a color-contrast panel below the window line (typically color-coordinated with the roof). A 292 cubic-inch V8 adopted from the new Ford Thunderbird roadster produced 195 hp; along with a 3-speed manual transmission, a 3-speed automatic was offered as an option. The listed retail price for the 1955 2-door Hardtop Coupe was US$2,631 ($28,742 in 2022 dollars) and sold 71,588. Standard equipment included cloth and vinyl upholstery, full interior carpeting, and chrome window surround mouldings; among the options were a heater and windshield defroster, radio, power adjustable front seat, power windows, power steering, power brakes and auxiliary road lamps.
For 1956, Mercury sedans underwent an exterior revision. The side trim was revised to a full-length multi-tier chrome spear, with two types of two-tone paint combinations, offering the traditional approach of a roof color over a different body color, and "Flo-tone" where the roof and lower body were painted in one color and the upper body painted in another color. There were a total of thirty-one two-tone combinations and twenty-eight "Flo-tone" combinations. The Montlair offered a special paint appearance where the area immediately below the side windows were painted in the color of the roof, or if the "Flo-tone" appearance was used, the color of the roof and lower body panels ... on the hood the crest badge was replaced by a "Big M" emblem.
The update brought several functional revisions, including a 12-volt electric system, which allowed the installation of such power operated accessories as air conditioning, standard dual exhaust to improve engine performance, and an automatic self-lubrication system (for the steering and front suspension). Mercury added its own version of the Ford Lifeguard safety system; a deep-dish steering wheel was standard, along with safety door locks, tubeless tires, and a breakaway safety glass rearview mirror. In addition, childproof rear door locks, seatbelts, and a padded dashboards were introduced as free-standing options.
The 292 cubic-inch V8 was replaced by a 225 hp 312. Starting in 1956 an optional dual 4-barrel carburetor version provided 260 hp (190 kW). The 3-speed manual or the optional 3-speed Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission continued, while an additional Touch-O-Matic overdrive was offered separately.
Sun Valley
For 1955, the Montclair model line offered the Sun Valley, succeeding the Monterey Sun Valley from 1954. In line with the Ford Fairlane Crown Victoria Skyliner, the front half of the roof was a tinted Plexiglas panel; in contrast to the pillared Skyliner, the Sun Valley was a hardtop.
While transparent roofs had been a styling feature of multiple 1950s concept cars (including the Lincoln Futura), the design as a production feature was not widely accepted by consumers, who found interior heat buildup in the vehicle during the summer unacceptable, particularly as air conditioning was not offered as a factory-supplied option until 1956. In total, only 1,787 Sun Valleys were produced.

1955 Mercury Montclair sedan
1955 Mercury Montclair Convertible
1955 Mercury Montclair interior
1956 Mercury Montclair 2-door hardtop with "Flo-tone" paint combination
Roof panel view of Mercury Montclair Sun Valley

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