This! Yes, this 1960 Mercury Monterey is one that I’ve been looking to review for a long time. Why, you ask? It’s the taillights – I remember these very specific rear markers from long ago but couldn’t recall what marque or model wore them. Yeah, I think they are unusual. This old Merc is not in the best of shape, but it is a worthwhile discovery, one that is courtesy of Zappenduster, so let’s give it the once-over. This not-often-encountered two-door sedan is located in Tama, Iowa, and is listed here on Facebook Marketplace for $2,000.
Mercury’s Monterey occupied the entry-level slot in ’60, with the Montclair and Parklane occupying the middle and top ground, respectively. Monterey’s body styles included a two-door sedan, convertible, and hardtop, as well as four-door sedans and hardtops. Our two-door sedan subject is one of 21K copies assembled in ’60, and Mercury, in total, managed an eighth-place finish in the great domestic auto production race with 271K units. Regarding our subject, the seller tells us, “Front floor pans are rusty, and lower rear quarters have some rust; the rest of the body and frame are nice. Comes with original fender skirts as well.” The quarter panels, in particular, definitely look like they’ll need some work. The two standout features of this car’s exterior are the wraparound rear window – very cool – and those taillights, which, for whatever reason, really grab my attention.
If I mentioned a 383 CI V8 engine, you’d probably think I’m talking about a Mopar powerplant or the Chevrolet stroker smallblock that graces a lot of hot rods these days. Nope, I’m talkin’ about an MEL (Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln) 383 V8, which generates 280 gross HP, and in this case, “ran and drove last year, but hasn’t been started since. Will run easily with a little tlc”. If that’s really the case, how about chop, chop, put that little TLC to immediate use and get this baby started. Let’s face it, a runner will sell more easily than a car like this Monterey, where the seller confirms, “(as) mentioned currently not drivable, so bring a trailer.” Anyway, a Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission handles all gear-related activities.
The interior has some, um, issues. There’s a beach towel doing double duty as a seat cover; there’s a light patina of rust that has settled over the steel dashboard; both the door panels and kick panels have definitely seen better days; and the carpet/mat looks quite decomposed (recall that front floor pan matter). There are seatbelts, however, and the back seat still looks OK…As with the exterior, the interior environment is tired and will need a redo.
So, what to think here? It’s an unusual find, certainly not an everyday encounter; it’s a great example of displaying the difference between a Ford and a Mercury from this era, and it’s cheap. Beyond that? Hard to say, but someone, I imagine, will find this Monterey a draw. If you were interested in plunking down two large for this two-door sedan, what would you do with it?
Since this is white and the backend looks like it has jowls, I would get license plates that say “Droopy”…
…or “Droppy”
I agree Jim, interesting taillights.
Yeah the taillights are definitely one offs. I kinda get a Edsel vibe from them, with how unique and wild they looked.
Interesting how the 60 Edsel had a simulated copy of the 59 Pontiac grill/front image and Mercurys like this one had a near copy of the 59 GM 4-door flat roofs rear window. Auto designers are influenced by “the other guy”.
Oof.. that is one ugly ride-that entire roof set up with the windows and that wrap around rear glass etc is just a bonkers design. Makes the 60-61 MoPar plucked chickens look like Ferraris….
A friend of mine ‘s parents owned one of these in the late ’60s that was to become my friend’s first car. Theirs was a 4-door sedan that had been used as an estate
car at their summer place up in
Wisconsin. The car was two toned with white on top, but I can’t seem to recall the color on the lower body. But that styling,
oh that styling, is something you’ll never forget. It was as though Mercury still had one foot
in the ’50s when they designed this one. I’ve wondered for years
why FoMoCo stylists didn’t design an all new body for their
Lincolns and Mercury’s that didn’t
have knee knockin front dog leg?
It may have looked out of place,
but you never forgot it once you
saw it. And that went the same for me too Russ. I finally did buy
the Mercury from my friend after
he inherited his Mom’s old Mercedes 220s cabriolet. Gotta
say he got more dates than other
guys at school because he had a
ragtop even though they did criticize him for driving an imported car back then. And the
Merc? I tuned up the 383, changed the fluids, (although they may not have needed it) took
it down to Clay Dooley tire and had 4 new tires put on it, and then
sold it to a young lady that just got her license for $850 in 1970.
As for this car, the price is about
right. I’d get the mechanics sorted so that it could be driven to a sheet metal shop for some new floors and a trunk pan. After
that, I’d take it to a carpet store and see what kind of carpet they’d have that comes close to
the factory stuff that came with the car. If they didn’t have anything, then some indoor/outdoor stuff would do just fine. A local upholstery shop
could whip the interior into shape
in no time. And yes, the package
tray in the rear would be modified
to accept openings for a decent
stereo system. One thing’s for sure, you might never see another
one like it!
My second favorite Mercury, and the last year Merc utilized their own body that wasn’t shared with Ford. By `61 a Monterey was all that was offered and it ended up starting a long line of Glorified Fords. When I was a kid, I called those taillamps “baggy-eyed”. I was thrilled when I saw my first `60 Mercury wagon and realized it too, used the same ones! This 2dr. post could be a head-turner if restored right. (For once I can afford the price but no pocket to begin work on this unfortunately. I’d love to have this if I could.)
Mercury sure got better looking in the early to mid 1960s. Those rims look as small as a Falcons to me. And no, I didn’t know Mercury had a 383 in 1960. Were they one or 2 years only? Fair price for an entry level project car.
I took my driver’s license test in one just like this except with a brown interior. No power steering or brakes. I failed the first time on parallel parking. It was a great car considering all the abuse my brother instilled on it.
WOW – whatta turd !
Kinda Krusty. As a lover of the automobile eclectic; I would like to see this back on the road. Definitely a project. At least this seller recognizes that. GLWTS.
The taillights really make this car. The front end, not so much. They look even better on a station wagon.
“From the beltline down, exterior styling was all new, the work of Arnott B. “Buzz” Grisinger, now executive stylist in the Mercury studio. An industry veteran, he’d designed the 1941 Barrelback woody at Chrysler, then joined Kaiser-Frazer and Willys Motors before landing at Ford in 1955, where he retired in 1970. Grisinger credited Elwood Engel for the tilted taillight assemblies, noting that Engel had a flair for “canted forms” as in the ’58 Lincoln. However, the greenhouse and its large wraparound backlite were carryovers from 1959. Grisinger did an excellent job concealing the ’60 Mercury’s 1959 origins.”
Source: Mac’s Motor City Garage.com
Yep, Engel had a thing for canted headlights and taillights during late 50s early 60s with Lincolns. This little Mercury reminds me of the same year, larger Lincolns. I can’t believe I never knew about Mercury producing a 383 engine. Always good to learn something new.
What a great cruiser. So customizable!
Those are some serious taillights