The Montclair was a mid- or top-range Mercury on two occasions (1955 to 1960, 1964 to 1968). It was introduced on a new platform in 1955, and 2-door hardtops like this one were more than two-thirds of Montclair sales in its first year. Back in the day, this ’55 Merc was probably a thing of beauty and has been in the same family since new. No doubt everyone with an emotional connection to it has passed on, so it’s now on the market, flat tires and all. Located in Freeport, New York, this vintage project is available here on eBay for $7,400 OBO.
Rumor has it the name of the car came from Montclair, New Jersey, which was near a Mercury assembly plant in Mahwah (that would have really been a funny name). The first generation ran for two years, just like the new cars over at the Ford division of FOMOCO. These machines were powered by a variant of the Thunderbird’s 292 cubic inch V8 that produced 195 hp. While more than 71,000 of these 2-door hardtops hit the streets in 1955, when was the last time you saw one?
This white-over-blue Mercury was last registered in 1987, which means it’s been dormant for nearly 40 years. At 42,000 miles (or 47, 000 as both figures are used), the car was parked by its original owner for reasons unknown. Did the 292 Y-block have a problem, or perhaps the automatic transmission? The car is said to be complete and original, making a restoration a more likely proposition.
We’re told the floors, trunk, and frame are all solid, but what about the exterior sheet metal? The interior may clean up well enough with proper detailing. The big Merc even has rear fender skirts, a popular thing on big cars back in those days. This vehicle is too nice to be a donor, so are you willing to pull a Full Monty on it?
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