Mercury S-55

Mercury S-55
1966 Mercury S-55 2-Door Hardtop
Overview
Manufacturer	Mercury (Ford)
Production	1962–1963 1966–1967
Assembly	Main plant Wayne, Michigan (Branch assembly) Metuchen, New Jersey Pico Rivera, California Hazelwood, Missouri
Body and chassis
Class	Full-size
Layout	FR layout
Related	Ford Galaxie Mercury Monterey

The Mercury S-55 is a full-size car marketed by the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company for the 1962 and 1963 model years, and again in 1966 and 1967.

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.

The automobile marketplace shifted away from full-size sedans in the late 1960s, and performance-oriented vehicles such as the S-55 fell out of favor, with personal luxury coupes and muscle cars taking their place. After the 1967 model year, the S-55 was discontinued; its role was essentially taken by the 1969 Mercury Marauder, which was produced until 1970. ^[1]

Mercury S (Special) Series

Ford Motor Company introduced performance-oriented trim packages for its Ford and Mercury divisions for the 1963 model year. Mercury featured the S (Special) line of sub-models. While the smaller S-22 Comet and S-33 Meteor consisted primarily of exterior trim, badging, bucket seats, and floor-mounted shifters, the full-size S-55 offered the upgraded interior features along with a higher-performance powertrain.

First generation (1962–1963)

1963 Mercury Monterey S-55 Marauder two-door (aftermarket wheels)

The 1962 Mercury S-55 was introduced alongside the Mercury Monterey. As with the Ford Galaxie 500XL, the S-55 was available in two-door hardtop and convertible body styles. As a performance-oriented variant, the S-55 had bucket seats, a center console, a floor-mounted shifter, and special wheel covers.

The S-55 was powered by the two largest V8s available in the Monterey, a 390 cu in (6.4 L) engine rated at 300 or 330 hp (224 or 246 kW), or a 406 cu in (6.7 L) version that was rated at 385 or 405 hp (287 or 302 kW). The triple-carbureted version of the 406 was a special-order engine that achieved over 95 mph (153 km/h) in quarter-mile dragstrip tests by Road & Track . ^[2] The hardtop was listed at US$3,488 ($36,258 in 2024 dollars ^[3] ) and 2,772 were sold. ^[1]

For 1963, the S-55 model line was expanded to include four-door hardtops. The previous notchback roofline was discontinued and replaced with the "Breezeway" design. This featured a reverse-slant retractable rear window. The "Marauder", a semi-fastback hardtop version, was continued. As in other Ford vehicles, the 406 V8 was replaced for 1963 by a 427 cu in (7.0 L) engine rated at 410 or 405 hp (306 or 302 kW). A special-order version producing 425 hp (317 kW) was intended for racing use.

Mercury discontinued the S-series line after 1963. Performance-oriented versions were available in 1964 with the 390 and 427 V8 engines and a Marauder fastback roofline. Bucket seats and console interior trim were extra-cost options known as the "Sports Package" for the luxury-oriented "Park Lane" two-door and four-door Marauder models.

Second generation (1966–1967)

1966 Mercury S-55 Convertible

For the 1966 model year, the S-55 made its return as a stand-alone model (becoming the only S model to make a return). As in 1962, the model lineup consisted solely of two-door hardtops and convertibles. Again based on the Monterey, the S-55 featured a bucket-seat interior with a floor-mounted shifter and a higher-performance powertrain. Styling accents include unique body side-striping, deluxe wheel covers and the distinctive S-55 emblem on rear quarter panel and 428 V-8 emblem on the front fender sides. As with the previous generation the retail price and number of hardtops made was similar at US$3,292 ($31,904 in 2024 dollars ^[3] ) with 2,916 sold. ^[1]

In place of the 390 and 427 V8 engines, the 1966 S-55 was powered by a single engine. A 345 hp ''Super Marauder'' 428 cubic-inch V8 was paired to a 4-speed manual transmission or 3-speed ''Merc-O-Matic" automatic transmission. This was the same engine that powered the Ford Galaxie 500 7-Litre of the same year.

For 1967, poor sales of the S-55 demoted the model to become the "S-55 Sports Package". ^[4] The Mercury full-size line saw a major exterior update, changing its flat-fendered sides to a more rounded shape. During the model year, the S-55 Sports Package would be dropped; the division would concentrate its two-door efforts on the smaller Mercury Cougar and more luxurious Mercury Marquis. In various forms, the Cougar and Marquis would become the two most successful nameplates ever sold by the Mercury brand.

S-55 Data Sheet / Statistics

Year [1]	Car Line and Series Name	Body Style	Body Style Code	Price	Production Numbers	Engine Choices
1962	Monterey S-55	2-door Hardtop	65C	$3,488	2,772	390-CID V-8 (4V) (300 or 330
1962	Monterey S-55	2-door Convertible	76B	$3,738	1,315	horsepower); 406 V-8 (4V or 3-2V)
1963	Monterey S-55	2-door Hardtop with Breezeway Design	65C	$3,650	3,863	390-CID V-8 (4V)(300 or
1963	Monterey S-55	2-door Marauder Hardtop	63C	$3,650	2,317	330 horsepower); 406-CID
1963	Monterey S-55	4-door Hardtop with Breezeway Design	75C	$3,715	1,203	V-8 (4V or 3-2V);
1963	Monterey S-55	2-door Convertible	76B	$3,900	1,379	427 CID V-8 (4V)(2-4V)
1966	S-55	2-door Hardtop (Fastback)	63G	$3,292	2,916	428-CID V-8 (4V)(345HP)
1966	S-55	2-door Convertible	76G	$3,614	669	428(4V) 345 HP
1967	S-55	2-door Hardtop (Fastback)	63G	$3,511	570	428-CID V-8 (4V)
1967	S-55	2-door Convertible	76G	$3,837	145	428-CID V-8 (4V)

References

1. Kowalke, Ron (1997). Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946–1975 . Krause. ISBN   9780873410960 . Retrieved January 17, 2026.
2. "1962 S-55 Mercury Monterey Motor Trend Road Test (October 1962)". mercurystuff.com. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
3. 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.
4. "1967 Mercury brochure". oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2019-09-19.

• Ford Motor Company (June 15, 1965). "Mercury 1966 move ahead with Mercury in the Lincoln Continental tradition" - Complete Model Line Description Brochure (1st ed.). Dearborn, MI. pp. 1–33.