Mercury Meteor

Last updated
Mercury Meteor
1963 Mercury Meteor Custom S33 coupe (7708057010) (cropped).jpg
1963 Mercury Meteor Custom Two-Door Hardtop
Overview
Manufacturer Mercury (Ford)
Production1961–1963
Body and chassis
Class Full-Size (1961)
Mid-size (1962–1963)
Body style 2-door hardtop
2-door sedan
4-door sedan
4-door hardtop
5-door station wagon
Layout FR layout
Related Ford Fairlane

The Mercury Meteor is an automobile that was produced by Mercury from the 1961 to 1963 model years. Adopting its nameplate from the namesake Ford of Canada brand, the Meteor was introduced as the base-trim full-size Mercury sedan, while the compact Mercury Comet shared a naming convention associated with the ongoing Space Race of the early 1960s. Slotted below the Mercury Monterey, the Meteor was the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Fairlane.

Contents

For 1962, as part of a revision of the Mercury range, the nameplate was adopted by the first intermediate-size Mercury sedan (with the Meteor again serving as a counterpart of the Fairlane). Following the 1963 model year, Mercury withdrew the model range. While the Meteor would become one of the shortest-lived Mercury nameplates, its role within the division would be revived for 1966 as the Mercury Comet grew into the intermediate segment (later becoming the Montego).

Meteor (Ford of Canada brand)

1954 Meteor Niagara 1954 Meteor Niagara two-door sedan.jpg
1954 Meteor Niagara
1968 Meteor Rideau 500 two-door hardtop. Although this car bears close resemblance to the U.S. market Monterey, it is actually based on the Ford Galaxie 500. 1968 Meteor Rideau (14252728170).jpg
1968 Meteor Rideau 500 two-door hardtop. Although this car bears close resemblance to the U.S. market Monterey, it is actually based on the Ford Galaxie 500.

Meteor was first used by Ford of Canada as the brand name for a distinct line of models introduced in 1949. The standalone Meteor brand name used then-contemporary Ford bodies, trimmed specifically for the Canadian market with unique grilles, taillights and other trim to marginally differentiate them from the Ford vehicles. This was done to give Canadian Lincoln-Mercury dealerships a product to sell in the low-price field, similar to Ford of Canada dealerships offering the Monarch line of lower-price vehicles which used the Mercury body with unique trim and model names. This was typical practice in the Canadian market (compared to that of the United States), where smaller towns might have only a Ford dealer or a Lincoln-Mercury dealer, but often not both. The introduction of Meteor also gave Mercury dealers a direct competitor to the GM Pontiac brand in Canada.

From 1962 to 1963, the Meteor brand was temporarily discontinued, as the Mercury division used the Meteor name for a midsize car based on the Ford Fairlane. In addition, in both the United States and Canada, the Mercury division was shifted downward in price.

In 1964, the Meteor brand was reintroduced, replacing the Mercury Monterey in Canada. In contrast to previous versions, the new Meteor used Mercury bodies, distinguished by the use of Ford interior trim. After 1976, the separate Meteor model lines were discontinued, [1] with the nameplate becoming a low-cost trim of the Mercury Marquis in Canada through the 1981 model year.

Background

In the mid-1950s, Ford executives were convinced by Ernest Breech that in order to compete with General Motors the automaker had to meet each sales segment with a unique product. Alongside the creation of the Edsel, the plan affected Mercury by giving the brand a distinct chassis and body for 1957 (model differentiation not seen since 1940).

Historically, Mercury was typically considered a "lower-medium-priced" car brand (competing against Pontiac and Dodge). Under the Breech plan, Mercury was to move upmarket (competing against Buick, Oldsmobile, Chrysler, and DeSoto), with the Edsel adopting the lower-medium-price role previously served by Mercury. While Breech’s plan could have succeeded in the early 1950s, by the end of the decade, the medium-price car market was severely affected by the 1958 recession; sales of the Edsel brand fell far under sales projections.

Although more established than Edsel, the Mercury brand still saw significant sales declines (with 1957 sales higher than 1958 and 1959 combined). In response, Ford President Robert S. McNamara had recommended the elimination of Lincoln, Mercury, and Edsel, leaving Ford as its namesake brand. In a compromise, although Edsel was withdrawn early during the 1960 model year, Mercury and Lincoln were given a reprieve. For 1961, Lincoln was consolidated to a single Lincoln Continental line, with Mercury returning to its previous market position (vacated by Edsel), returning solely to the Monterey sedan and Commuter/Colony Park station wagon.

To build a better business case for Mercury, the division again was developed as a longer-wheelbase version of the Ford bodyshell and chassis, largely differentiated by trim elements. As part of the cancellation of Edsel, the Mercury line saw further revision. To recoup the engineering and development costs of the 1961 Edsel product line, the vehicles entered production as part of the Mercury line. Intended as the redesigned 1961 full-size Edsel, the Mercury Meteor was joined by the Comet (not branded as a Mercury Comet until 1962), which served as a divisional counterpart of the compact Ford Falcon.

Full-size (1961)

First generation
Meteorsunsetcliffs1 (cropped 1).jpg
1961 Meteor 800 4-door hardtop
Overview
Production1960–1961
Assembly Wayne, Michigan
Pico Rivera, California
Metuchen, New Jersey
St. Louis, Missouri
Body and chassis
Body style 2-door sedan
2-door hardtop
4-door hardtop
4-door sedan
Related Ford Fairlane
Ford Galaxie
Mercury Monterey
Mercury Commuter
Powertrain
Engine 223 cu in (3.7 L) Mileage Maker I6
292 cu in (4.8 L) Y-block V8
352 cu in (5.8 L) FE V8
390 cu in (6.4 L) FE V8
Transmission 2-speed Merc-O-Matic automatic
3-speed Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic automatic
3-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 3,048 mm (120 in)
Length214.6 in (5,450 mm)
Width79.9 in (2,030 mm)
Height55.0 in (1,400 mm)
Chronology
Predecessor Edsel Ranger
Successor Mercury Monterey

For 1961, Mercury shifted from its own body and chassis to a variant of the 1960 Ford bodyshell, downsizing from a 126 inch wheelbase to 120 inches. [2] Originally developed as the 1961 Edsel Ranger, the Meteor was slotted below the Monterey within the Mercury line; the higher-priced Montclair and Park Lane nameplates were retired. [2] The Meteor was now the corporate counterpart to the demoted Ford Fairlane when the all-new Ford Galaxie took the top billing in the Ford product line. The Fairlane, which was also offered as the Fairlane 500 as a higher content alternative, was very similar in price to the Meteor but sold much better while the Meteor offered a hardtop roofline as both a two-door and four-door while the Fairlane and Fairlane 500 didn't. [2]

1961 Meteor 800 2-door hardtop 1961 Mercury Meteor Hardtop.jpg
1961 Meteor 800 2-door hardtop

Optional and "convenience features" continued to grow from past years, and items that were extra cost included air conditioning, passenger compartment heater, electric clock, interior courtesy light group, exterior backup lights, windshield defroster, padded instrument panel, power assist brakes, four-way adjustable power front seat, power steering, pre-selected pushbutton AM radio, tinted glass, two-speed windshield wipers, windshield washer, and two-tone exterior paint choices. Some vehicles were pre-ordered with optional equipment by dealerships and then sold new, listing the optional equipment on the window sticker or could be specially requested by the customer. [2] The Meteor 600 two-door sedan was more popular than the four-door sedan and was listed at US$2,533 ($25,826 in 2023 dollars [3] ) and sold 18,117, while the Meteor 800 two-door sedan was also the most popular at US$2,711 ($27,641 in 2023 dollars [3] ) with 35,005 manufactured. [2]

The Meteor was offered as the 600 series and 800 series in four body styles, including two door and four-door pillared sedans and two-door and four-door hardtops with the same wheelbase and exterior dimensions. The lower-priced Meteor 600 was offered only as a sedan and was distinguished by two oblong taillamps. The Meteor 800 was offered in all four body styles and was given additional chrome trim; the rear fascia used six round taillamps (shared with the Monterey). [2] While the Meteor was not offered as a station wagon, the Mercury Commuter was trimmed as its equivalent, with the wood-trim Colony Park serving as the counterpart of the Monterey. [2]

Powertrain details

In a first for a full-size Mercury, the Meteor was not fitted with a V8 engine as standard equipment. Instead, a 223 cubic-inch inline-six was fitted, producing 135hp. Four V8 engines were offered as options, including a 175hp 292 cubic-inch V8 (the standard engine for the Monterey/Colony Park), a 220hp 352 cubic-inch "Marauder" V8, and a 390 cubic-inch V8 producing either 300hp or 330hp. A three-speed manual was offered as standard equipment, with overdrive as an option; 3-speed "Merc-O-Matic" and "Multi-Drive" automatic transmissions were available as options. [2]

Intermediate (1962–1963)

Second generation
63 Mercury Meteor S33-2.jpg
1963 Mercury Meteor S-33 2-door hardtop in Carnival Red
Overview
Production1962–1963
Assembly Dearborn, Michigan
Kansas City, Missouri
Milpitas, California
Body and chassis
Body style 2-door sedan
2-door hardtop
4-door sedan
5-door station wagon
Related Ford Fairlane
Powertrain
Engine 170 cu in (2.8 L) Thriftpower I6
221 cu in (3.6 L) Windsor V8
260 cu in (4.3 L) Windsor V8
Transmission 2-speed automatic
3-speed automatic
3-speed manual
4-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,934 mm (115.5 in)
Length197.6 in (5,019 mm)
Width71.3 in (1,811 mm)
Curb weight 2,930–2,970 lb (1,329–1,347 kg)
Chronology
Successor Mercury Comet (1966)

For 1962, Lincoln-Mercury again consolidated the full-size Mercury line, adopting the Meteor nameplate to a newly-created intermediate-size car (the forerunner of mid-size cars of today), bridging the size gap between the Mercury Monterey and the Mercury Comet. [2] Again a divisional counterpart of the Ford Fairlane, the Meteor used a 115.5 inch wheelbase.

For 1962, the Meteor was offered as a two-door and four-door sedan. To downplay the appearance of tailfins, the rear fascia was styled with "jet-pod" taillights. Alongside the standard Meteor and higher-trim Meteor Custom, the Meteor S-33 was a trim package for two-door sedans, featuring premium exterior trim and interior amenities including bucket seats and a center console (serving as the Mercury counterpart of the Fairlane 500 Sports Coupe). [2]

For 1963, alongside minor trim revisions, the Meteor received the addition of a four-door station wagon and a two-door hardtop coupe. The station wagon was offered in both trims; Meteor Custom wagons were branded as the Mercury Country Cruiser, with simulated woodgrain exterior trim. The hardtop was offered as a Meteor Custom and Meteor S-33; the latter was no longer offered as a two-door sedan. [2]

Sales of the mid-sized Mercury Meteor were less than expected and the model was discontinued at the end of the 1963 model year. [2]

Powertrain details

The standard engine for the 1962–1963 Meteor was a 170 cubic-inch inline-six, producing 101hp. Two V8 engines were offered as options, including a 145hp 221 cubic-inch V8 and a 164hp 260 cubic-inch V8. A three-speed manual transmission was standard, with an overdrive manual transmission offered as an option; a "Merc-O-Matic" 3-speed automatic was offered as an option. For 1963, a four-speed manual transmission became an option. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edsel</span> Automobile brand of the Ford Motor Company

Edsel is a discontinued division and brand of automobiles that was produced by the Ford Motor Company in the 1958 to 1960 model years. Deriving its name from Edsel Ford, son of company founder Henry Ford, Edsels were developed in an effort to give Ford a fourth brand to gain additional market share from Chrysler and General Motors. Established as an expansion of the Lincoln-Mercury Division to three brands, re-christened the Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division, Edsel shared a price range with Mercury. The division shared its bodies with both Mercury and Ford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury (automobile)</span> Automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company

Mercury was a brand of mid-priced automobiles produced by American manufacturer Ford Motor Company between 1938 and 2011 with 1939 being the first model year. It stood as its own line within Ford until 1945, and thereafter formed half of Ford's Lincoln-Mercury Division. The brand was created by Edsel Ford in 1938 to bridge the gap between the Ford and Lincoln model lines.,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Comet</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Comet is an automobile that was produced by Mercury from 1960–1969 and 1971–1977 — variously as either a compact or an intermediate car. In its first two years, it was marketed as the "Comet" and from 1962 as the "Mercury Comet".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Galaxie</span> American full-size car

The Ford Galaxie is a car that was marketed by Ford in North America from the 1959 to 1974 model years. Deriving its nameplate from a marketing tie-in with the excitement surrounding the Space Race, the Galaxie was offered as a sedan within the full-size Ford range throughout its production run. In the full-size segment, the model line competed against the Chevrolet Impala and Dodge Polara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Country Squire</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Country Squire is a series of full-size station wagons that were assembled by American automaker Ford. Positioned as the top-level station wagon of the Ford division, the Country Squire was distinguished by woodgrain bodyside trim. From 1950 through the 1991 model years, eight generations of the Country Squire were produced. Following the discontinuation of Edsel Bermuda, Mercury marketed the Mercury Colony Park as a divisional counterpart of the Country Squire, sharing bodywork and trim while the Mercury was not available with a six cylinder engine and was more expensive due to the optional equipment on the Ford that was standard on the Mercury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Montego</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Montego is a nameplate that was applied to three separate generations of vehicles marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. Taking its name from Montego Bay, Jamaica, the nameplate made its first appearance for 1967 in the Canadian market as part of the Mercury-derived Meteor model line. For 1968, the Mercury Montego made its debut across North America, becoming the Mercury counterpart of the Ford Torino intermediate-size model line for two generations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford LTD (Americas)</span> Model range of automobiles

The Ford LTD is a range of automobiles manufactured by Ford for the 1965 to 1986 model years. Introduced as the highest trim level of the full-size Ford model range, the LTD moved the Ford range upmarket, offering options and features previously reserved for Mercury and Lincoln vehicles. For much of its production life, the LTD competed against the Chevrolet Caprice ; the Mercury Marquis served as its divisional counterpart from 1967 until 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meteor (automobile)</span> Defunct brand name of automobile by the Ford Motor Company of Canada

Meteor was a marque of automobiles offered by Ford Motor Company of Canada from 1949 to 1976. The make was retired for the 1962 and 1963 model years, when the name was used for the Mercury Meteor sold in the United States. It succeeded the Mercury 114, a Canadian-market Mercury based on the Ford, the "114" name being taken from the car's wheelbase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Montclair</span> Motor vehicle

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Park Lane</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Park Lane is a full-sized automobile that was produced by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. While not officially introduced as the replacement of the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, the Park Lane became the flagship of the Mercury model line upon its introduction. The second-generation Park Lane was positioned above the Mercury Montclair.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Colony Park</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Colony Park is an American luxury full-size station wagon that was marketed by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company between 1957 and 1991. Distinguished by its simulated wood-grain paneling, the Colony Park was marketed as either the premium-trim or the sole full-size station wagon offering of the division. Following the 1960 demise of Edsel, full-size Mercury vehicles shared bodywork with Ford; the Colony Park served as the counterpart of the Ford Country Squire through 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Fairlane (Americas)</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Fairlane is an automobile model that was sold between the 1955 and 1970 model years by Ford in North America. Taking its name from the Dearborn, Michigan estate of Henry Ford, the Fairlane nameplate was used for seven different generations of vehicles. Through its production, the model line would be marketed in a wide variety of body styles, including two-door and four-door sedans, two-door and four-door hardtops, station wagons, and both traditional and retractable-hardtop convertibles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Marquis</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Marquis is a model line of automobiles marketed by Mercury from 1967 to 1986. Deriving its name from a title of French nobility, the Marquis was introduced as the divisional counterpart of the Ford LTD; four generations of the two model lines were paired through rebranding. Initially slotted as the flagship Mercury full-size range, the Marquis would serve as the basis for the later Mercury Grand Marquis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ford Falcon (North America)</span> Motor vehicle

The Ford Falcon is a model line of cars that was produced by Ford from the 1960 to 1970 model years. Though preceded by the Rambler American, the Falcon was the first compact car marketed by the Big Three American manufacturers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1949 Ford</span> Motor vehicle

The 1949 Ford is a line of cars produced by Ford from the 1949 to 1951 model years. The successor to the prewar 1941 Ford, the model line was the first full-size Ford designed after World War II, becoming the first Ford car line released after the deaths of Edsel Ford and Henry Ford. From 1946 to 1948, each of the American Big Three concentrated on the restoration of car production, offering updated versions of their 1941-1942 model lines. Released in June 1948, the 1949 Ford was the first major "postwar" American car line, beating Chevrolet to market by six months and Plymouth by nine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Monterey</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Monterey is a series of full-size cars that were manufactured and marketed by the Mercury division of Ford from 1950 to 1974. Deriving its name from Monterey Bay, the initial Mercury Monterey served as the top-of-the-line two-door sedan model for 1950 and 1951 to compete with the hardtop models of Oldsmobile and Buick. It came with a vinyl roof covering, upgraded upholstery, and other features. The hardtop was introduced for 1952. During its production, the Monterey would be offered in multiple body styles, ranging from coupes, convertibles, sedans, hardtops, and station wagons.

Full-size Ford is a term adopted for a long-running line of Ford vehicles with a shared model lineage in North America. Originating in 1908 with the Ford Model T, the line ended in 2019 with the Ford Taurus, as Ford withdrew from the full-sized sedan segment in North America. Across 111 years, 15 generations, and over 60 million examples of the model line were produced across over 50 model nameplates. By contrast, the longest-running single nameplate worldwide is the Chevrolet Suburban, in use since the 1935 model year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Voyager</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Voyager is a station wagon that was sold by the Mercury division of Ford for the 1957 and 1958 model years. For the 1957 model year, Mercury created a model range of station wagons distinct from sedans, following Ford. The Voyager served as the mid-range offering, slotted above the base-trim Mercury Commuter, with the woodgrained Colony Park serving as the top-range offering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury S-55</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury S-55 is a full-size car that was marketed by the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company during the 1960s. Developed as a performance-oriented version of the mid-level Mercury Monterey, the S-55 was the largest vehicle of the Mercury "S" (Special) range introduced in 1962; its Ford equivalent was the Ford Galaxie 500XL and competed in the full-size luxury sport coupe market segment against the Chrysler 300H.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Marauder</span> Motor vehicle

The Mercury Marauder is an automobile nameplate that was used for three distinct full-size cars produced by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. Deriving its name from the most powerful engines available to the Mercury line, the Marauder was marketed as the highest-performance version of the full-size product range.

References

  1. Odin, L.C. A concise guide to the Ford and Mercury full-size automobile production 1969-1978. Belvedere Publishing, 2016. ASIN: B01HE91Y4K.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Gunnell, John, ed. (1987). The Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946–1975. Kraus Publications. ISBN   0-87341-096-3.
  3. 1 2 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.