Four years into the Fabulous Fifties decade, the once utilitarian station wagon was gaining popularity thanks in part to record numbers of babies born after World War II, the explosive growth of suburbs and the middle class, and the ever-improving highway and interstate systems. Being able to practically haul all of those kids, pets, camping gear, groceries, lawn and garden supplies, and you name it, fell on the enclosed station wagon and increased sales reflected this trend. Many wagons were available in two-door and four-door varieties and could seat six or eight passengers, depending on how many rows of seats were installed. Station wagons were also being offered in various trim levels, from bare-bones to downright luxurious and comfortable. In 1954, Ford was the undisputed station wagon king offering three trim levels and selling 141,582 units. For their more upscale cousin, Mercury, only one top-level trim offering was available and 11,656 Monterey station wagons (advertised as “designed for beauty…planned for duty”) found new garages. Here’s one that survived and was restored 30 years ago. It’s looking for a new home, is currently residing in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is for sale here on Facebook Marketplace for $17,500. Another at-a boy to T.J. for spotting this cool old Merc long roof and sending it our way.
The seller, who gives us his first name of Tom, is rather skimpy about this 71-year-old Mercury’s background and history. All the ad says is that it was restored 30 years and had some updates in 2025 including “reconditioned carburetor and radiator, and new brakes, starter, plugs, shocks, coolant hoses, thermostat, battery and tires” (but without period-correct whitewalls unfortunately). The 30-year-old restoration appears to be still holding up and the Arctic White paint looks presentable and contrasts nicely with the faux wood trim paneling (Ford Motor Company’s last “real” wood-bodied wagons were built in 1951). I’m not spotting any rust or body damage and the Merc’s chrome, glass, trim, and lenses all look good. This old Mercury long roof has a cool vibe and presence to it, for sure.
The Merc’s interior is beautiful and in the exact colors as the Monterey wagon featured in the ’54 Mercury sales brochure. It’s a pleasing shade of green (Parklane Green) and white and there’s minimal wear on the ribbed vinyl seats and door panels. The center row has a 60/40 split seat for easier access to the third row seat and both the center and rear seats fold down for “carrying bulky loads.”
I’ve always thought Mercurys from the 50’s had the coolest instrument panels. With its fair share of levers and toggle switches, it appears the stylists were heavily influenced by jets and cockpits; a popular styling trend of the day. For example, the “styled exclusively for Mercury” controls just beyond the steering wheel are for the Merc-O-Therm Heater (granted, it’s not in the safest location, but it still looks jet-age awesome). According to their sales brochure, “complete temperature control is afforded by four controls regulating heating, ventilation, and defrosting. A two-speed electric blower maintains perfect comfort levels.” Who knew that interior climate control could be so entertaining and engaging.
Mercury’s big news for 1954 was their new V-161 Y-Block engine. Displacement was 256 cubic inches and this four-barrel carb, overhead-valve V8 developed 161 horsepower (36 more than the previous Merc V8). I spot a clutch pedal, so this Merc is mated to the standard 3-speed manual transmission instead of the optional Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission. No mileage is listed and Tom doesn’t tell us how this Woodie runs and drives. I’ve never seen one of these at a show and it’s anybody’s guess how many ’54 Mercury Monterey Station Wagons have survived after 70+ years. Based on the photos, it looks like a solid wagon that is reasonably priced. I envy the next caregiver.
Should be pulling a canned ham trailer
Mike, one was actually doing that
in the movie 🎥 Them! with James Harness and James Whitmore. Those giant ants opened that canned ham trailer and killed that poor girl’s parents
before the film even got started.
And that, folks was the only time
I’ve ever seen one. And yeah, I think it was the same color too. And with nearly every one of these having been sent to that great highway in the sky, survivors are almost non existent. Maybe someday I’ll see
one at a car show or maybe at my
store 🏪 and that’s when I’ll do my best Steve Irwin impersonation “Oh blimey!…Look
at that!”. And my kids AND my
customers would think that I’ve flipped my lid or went crazy in old
age. Nice to see one again though.
Hey,I just watched that movie a few days ago.
I saw that movie last weekend, lots of Ford products in it. Ron, I wouldn’t fret about the safety of the heater controls (Merc-O-Therm Heater granted, it’s not in the safest location) with no seat belts to hold a guy in the first place, if your flying though the air in an accident the heater controls, dashboard, steering wheel and windsheild are not in the safest location but that was the 50’s and 60’s – ha ha – Ron good write up.
Bob, thanks for the compliment, it was a fun car to research and write about. Yeah, I’m guessing concerns about a driver taking their eyes off the road or hand off the steering wheel to “safely” maneuver heater and defroster jet-like toggle levers (inconveniently located directly behind the steering wheel) probably weren’t raised at any morning meetings in the old styling department. Yep, that was the 50s and 60s…
Those ants did a lot more damage than Yogi and Boo Boo would have.
I was 16, driving, woman in one of these (sedan) was in the middle of an urban street and flagged me down. She had stopped fast, kid, maybe 2 years old, no seatbelts, let alone car seat, in front seat had crashed into dash and had a clear imprint of one of those knobs in his forehead. She demanded I park my car and drive her and the kid, in her car, to a Dr’s office, stopping on the way at an elementary school to pick up her other kid. Made no sense, then, or now. She sent me in to get the kid, but of course they would not release the kid to me, a stranger. So she went in while I babysat the injured kid in the car who had stopped crying. So she thanked me, and told me where the bus stop was to get back to my car. Eventually knobs on dashboards were recessed or replaced by surface switches, and seat belts and car seats were required, and 911 was instituted. The “good old days” had their drawbacks.
In 1966, my little brother (who is only 76 now) bought one of these that was dark green with Idaho licence plates for $25.00, and he drove it all over the place with a near-dead battery, constantly getting “jump” starts from other motorists. Finally, a cop who helped him get it started thought he looked a little bit “underage” to be driving with a licence and not a permit. My brother blanched when asked to show his licence, registration, and insurance card. He had no licence, and he knew nothing about an insurance card. The problems teen-agers get into! Needless to say, the car was towed, my brother collected a raft of traffic-tickets, and was driven home by the cop to a rather angry father. I also remember, when our parents had left for the weekend and he was 13, he decided to throw a drunken beer-party for his friends. Neighbours eventually heard the commotion and called the police. My brother’s company somehow got wind of it and scattered into the woods to parts unknown. My brother, who’d had way too much to drink, got sick all over the house, which was already trashed inside. Our parents returned and made him clean and restore eveything while he was dreadfully hung-over. I was a sedate young adult at the time, who’d never had any of these sorts of “adventures” as an adolescent. But our father intuitively understood my brother and not me so much. My brother grew up into one of the most responsible and careful adults you would find. He says to this day, “It was either that, or spend my life in-and-out of prisons and jails — and that somehow just didn’t seem.like a very prudent prospect.” But the poor kid is stone-deaf, from Woodstock and all of the other rock-concerts he attended in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the latest stuff on the radio was pure offensive noise (my perspective — half a generation older). But he is one of the most reliable people I know, for about the last 50 years. If he were to see this car, I wonder if he’d remember… If I had the money, I’d buy it and have it shipped to him as a gag!
Harrison, that’s quite a story from your past! I am one year older than your brother at 77, but paid twice as much money, $50 for my first car, a 53 Ford tudor sedan in 1967, so I was 19 then and on my own at college living in a dorm. That’s the car that I drove from OH to CA, taking a semester off in 1969, then back to PA. I was stopped by the state police on the PA Turnpike for going too slow, or at least that was the excuse.
Harrison, were you still living at home during your brother’s indiscretion? If you were and he had not restored order, as ordered, I think you would have?
No, Dave, I was not at home. My brother got kicked out of high school, and our father sent him to a military academy. After that, he joined the Air Force and had a career there, where he did amazing things, including becoming President Reagan’s personal interpreter for seven different southeast Asian languages, as well as acting as interpreter between leaders of those same Asian leaders. All of this he learned in a matter of months — a talent we never knew that he had! So he found a channel for all of that excess adolescent energy! He and my father became very close,and totally understood each other. I was far more “tame” (as it were), and my father never could relate to me.
When I was in high school I had a green 54 just like this one, had three rows of seats, three speed manual trans with overdrive via a pull lever under the dash. The rear seats all folded down so you had a completely flat floor. We usually ran with the middle row folded down and the third row up, left lots of room in the middle. Was a bear to drive with no power steering.
No, Dave, I was not at home. My brother subsequently got kicked out of high school, and our father sent him to a military academy. After that, he joined the Air Force and had a career there, where he did amazing things, including becoming President Reagan’s personal interpreter for seven different southeast Asian languages, as well as acting as interpreter between leaders of those same Asian Countries. All of this he learned in a matter of months — a talent we never knew that he had. So he found a channel for all of that excess adolescent energy! He and my father became very close and totally understood each other. I was far more “tame” (as it were), and my father never could relate to me, and did not want to.