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Two-Year Model: 1963 Mercury Meteor S-33

The Meteor was a Mercury nameplate borrowed for three years from Ford of Canada. In 1961, it was a full-size product offering before switching to a mid-size platform in 1962-63. For the latter, it was sold in parallel to the similar Ford Fairlane. The Meteor S-33 was a two-year 2-door hardtop that emphasized style though not performance (the biggest engine was 260 cubic inch V8). This two-owner car is a meticulous example of an auto you’ll seldom see as only a little more than 10,000 copies were built. Offered from Bothell, Washington, this Merc is available here on eBay for $8,100. As you might expect, the reserve has yet to be cracked.

The Meteor S-33 was a short-lived product at Mercury. In 1964, the Comet was promoted to intermediate status, thus the Meteor’s run was done. In the new Comet, the S-33’s equivalent would then become the S-22. Mercury built 5,900 copies of the stylish auto in 1962, with even less demand in 1963 at 4,865 units. It’s a shame because cars like this were nicely trimmed but without the excesses. There were glimpses of tailfins remaining with the taillights, but otherwise, the car looked like a cross between the Fairlane and its Mercury big brother, the Monterey.

We’re told this Merc is a true, unrestored survivor. Its two owners babied the automobile for 60 years and managed to only put 33,000 miles on this beauty in that period. The contrasting two-tone paint looks spectacular, and we’re told its original. Everything is tidy both inside and out. The interior looks like it has hardly been used (in order words it looks like the claimed 33,000 miles).

The biggest engine available in the Meteor in 1963 was a 260 V8 and this auto sports one along with a Ford-O-Matic automatic transmission (2-speed?). We’re told the car drives straight and true and everything works as it should, including the gauges, lights, radio, and all sorts of other things. It’s been years since I’ve seen one of these machines, so this could be the investment-grade classic the seller professes. But at what take-home price?

Comments

  1. Avatar Will Fox

    As nice as the green `62 Galaxie 2dr. featured a few days back!! The two would make a nice pair for any garage!! But I bet the reserve on this jewel is north of $20K. HOW far north determines how easy it sells.

    Like 9
  2. Avatar "Edsel" Al leonard Member

    Me thinks $25k will buy it…….not for me!!!!

    Like 6
  3. Avatar Warby Parker

    I was 6 years old in ’63.

    Like 2
    • Avatar JOHN

      I was 17 years old in 1963.

      Like 1
      • Avatar Richard Showers

        I was 20 years old in August 1963 and had been in the USAF for over 2 years.

        Like 1
      • Avatar al

        I was 17 years old in 1963 and had a 1956 Chevy Bel-Air convertible and remember these cars well

        Like 1
    • Avatar Brad460 Member

      I was minus 6 years old in 1963

      Like 1
      • Avatar al

        I have children older than you

        Like 0
  4. Avatar Grog

    Ya know, I may never be able to afford a vehicle that I’m passionate about but, the information provided educates me and entertains me.
    Keep up the good work!

    Like 31
  5. Avatar art

    Very sharp Mercury that was really babied. Extremely clean and original from the photos.
    I noticed the seller avoided taking a clear photo of the rear end to avoid showing the bumper pushed in on the left. They should have attempted to loosen and realign it or perhaps straighten the left bumper bracket.
    I guess the new owner can tackle it.
    I cannot recall seeing a Meteor this clean and it’s an S33.

    Like 11
    • Avatar Comet390

      The seller is not avoiding anything here as you suggest. The rear bumper is fine and it is the angle of the photo giving you that illusion.

      Like 8
    • Avatar Mark Dani

      The bumper is not bent or misaligned. The person selling it is not attempting to hide anything. It is laser straight.

      Like 9
  6. Avatar johnmloghry

    Yes sir I was but a lad of about 16 years of age when I saw one of these here machines parked in front of local store in the small country village Where I abode in North Central California. Quite naturally out of curiosity I stopped to give it the once over. Looking inside I noticed it to be an automatic and for a young buck only 4 speed cars would do, so I quickly put it on my not interested list. But now all these years later I find myself intrigued by the appearance of this car. It looks to be quite well maintained, and has a strange sort of magnetic attraction to it. Well, good luck to all involved.

    God Bless America

    Like 13
  7. Avatar Bob C.

    Yes Russ, it is the Fordomatic 2 speed, which was available from 1959 to 63 in Falcons, Fairlanes, Comets and yes, Meteors. Also, a lot of full size Fords with sixes and smaller V8s used this transmission during these years.

    Like 8
    • Avatar Yblocker

      I had a 59 Fairlane with a 292 and 2sp auto, good little transmission.

      Like 6
    • Avatar Terrry

      In those days you had the FordoMatic 2-speed and for the bigger cars and more powerful engines the 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic

      Like 3
      • Avatar al

        As I said fordomatic first in 1951 by 1956 it was a 3speed but started in 2nd gear unless you shifted to low in 1958 cruiseomatic came out it had 2 drives setting dr1 and dr2 one started in 2 the other started in 1st had nothing to do with engine size

        Like 0
    • Avatar al

      the first Ford automatic came out in 1951

      Like 0
      • Avatar Yblocker

        The early Fordomatic was cast iron with a bolt on bell housing, the later 2sp Fordomatic was a one piece aluminum case, like a C6.

        Like 2
  8. Avatar mike

    Love the Mercury styling.

    Like 8
  9. Avatar tiger66

    $20k would be too much for this. Even Hagerty concours condition is only $18.7k with excellent $14.3k and good $9600. Not much demand for them new and even less now, but they are unique and cool. Used to see one at a local car show on occasion. The little 260 sounded great as it drove off. Probably had glasspacks.

    Like 4
    • Avatar Dave D

      Well bidding is up to $17,500.00 with 4 days to go (reserve mot met). I do believe that this will bring mid $20 – $30K. Beautiful ride.

      Like 5
  10. Avatar Terrry

    Bidding is up to $9600. I remember going with my dad around that time, he was shopping for a new car, and he looked at one of these (yellow) and settled on a red ’62 Comet.

    Like 4
  11. Avatar Big C

    Buy this car, and never see yourself coming and going at any car show. Including big Ford shows. What a beauty, and, It’s 3000 miles away, again.

    Like 6
  12. Avatar Plain 'Ole Chuck

    My first car was a 62 Meteor. Loved that car… had the 221 v-8 automatic. I changed it over to a three-speed stick with a hurst shifter put some nice wheels on it and drove it like I stole it ! lol Couldn’t hurt that car.

    Like 6
    • Avatar DAVID G

      My second car was a 1962 Fairlane 500 4dr (compact) with a 221 automatic, the first year for the now-legendary Ford small-block v8.
      Couldn’t kill the engine but the electrical system ended up killing the whole car in the late 70s. CALL THE FIRE DEPT…oops too late, argh!

      Like 1
  13. Avatar BigBlocksRock

    Bidding up to $17,500 now.

    Like 3
  14. Avatar KLH

    My First Car.. Listed for sale in the local Penny Saver…Bought from the original owner, in 1972. Listed as, 1962 Mercury Meteor 2Dr., 6 cylinder, Auto.. Mint Condition.. $200..Turquoise

    Like 4
  15. Avatar Steve

    $17,600 and the reserve still hasn’t been met.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Terrry

      I think seller is shooting for $20k

      Like 1
  16. Avatar HC Member

    A friend bought a 65 Mercury Caliente a few years back. I begged him to keep it and not sell it but he did. This 63 Mercury Meteor is sure a beauty and the 260 is a great engine. She was definitely, loved her whole life. I’m thinking in this condition, she may fetch North of the $17-18k that I feel it’s worth.

    Like 4
  17. Avatar Daniel John Bayne

    I thought I had the 63 Canadian Metor? It came with a 352 V8. It must have been….?

    Like 1
    • Avatar Yblocker

      The Canadian Meteor was a full size car, they never put a 352 in an intermediate.

      Like 1
  18. Avatar Bob

    My granddad had a 1963 Meteor he bought new. He was a true Mercury man. A true straight drive w/manual OD ma. When the engine conked on Granddad’s 1954 Merc, his son bought the Meteor for him. He never got used to no clutch, so at every stop and some habitual shifting points, a clunk of his left foot hitting the floorboard would be heard.
    Old habits are hard to break.

    Like 2
  19. Avatar Bunky

    Great find! I owned a ‘62 Meteor for a short time years ago, but it was a 4 door with the little 221 V-8. Currently own a ‘63 1/2 Comet S-22 with the 260 and an automatic.
    Minor point; Comet did not “move up into the intermediate spot” in ‘64. It maintained the same wheelbase as it always had. Comets had about a 5” longer wheelbase than the Falcon. My understanding is that the Meteor was simply canceled due to poor sales.

    Like 4
  20. Avatar BigDaddyBonz

    Love it. Nice car and like previously mentioned, not likely to see another any time soon. Much like the Fairlane underneath but a different front suspension set up. Smoother ride.

    Like 2
  21. Avatar Christopher Gentry

    My first car was a 65 Fairlane with a 289 and yes a 2 speed ford o matic. So I guess you could still get em in 65

    Like 2
    • Avatar Daniel McBride

      The original Ford-O-Matic, while capable of three forward speeds, started out in second and shifted to third, with first only being used when selecting L on the gear shift column. However, if floored from a standing start, it would immediately shift from second to low then shift back to second and then third as the vehicle accelerated.The Ford-O-Matic (branded Merc-O-Matic in Mercury vehicles) was manufactured from 1951 until it was replaced by the C4 in 1964. I had a 1965 Mercury Monterey with a 390 V-8,
      which also shifted using this pattern.

      Like 1
      • Avatar al

        yes that’s true if you floored it also when traveling in 3 Rd gear you could floor it and it would shift down sometime called passing gear or shift down was a good transmission

        Like 0
  22. Avatar Carbob Member

    My first car was a 1963 Mercury Comet S22 two door with the 260 and a four speed. Great car. Wish I had one now. I like this Meteor but it’s too expensive in my opinion.

    Like 3
  23. Avatar Steve RM

    I thought it was a nice enough car. Nothing I was really interested in and then I got to the interior photos. Now I really like it because of that interior. Nice colors, excellent condition, and the bucket seats and console really look good. I could definitely see myself behind that steering wheel.

    Like 2
  24. Avatar GitterDunn

    What a great looking car! That roofline sure does remind me of the ’61-’63 Thunderbird hardtop.

    Like 3
  25. Avatar John M Stecz

    The bidding will reach 25,000.00 maybe more. Rare and good looking car but best of all unmolested !

    Like 2
  26. Avatar V12MECH

    At $17k, $25k would not surprise, pictures look impressive. It is so nice, even for just 25, you would drive it very carefully in traffic today.

    Like 2
  27. Avatar HC Member

    Bidding is up to $17,500 on this very clean Mercury Meteor, and not surprised. Early to miss 60s automatic transmissions can get confusing. I have a full size 65 Mercury and the shop manual says, C4 and Cruise O matic used on Ford cars or Merc O matic used on Mercury cars. It says the two latter are the same type transmissions. Mine hasn’t needed rebuilding yet thankfully. But if it were it looks like it would be a Merc O matic.

    Like 2
  28. Avatar Christopher Gentry

    Threw a rod flooring it in my 65 Fairlane with the ford o matic dragging a new at the time 85 Camaro. Was taking it too till POW! , clatter clatter 🤣 I was 15

    Like 0
    • Avatar Daniel McBride

      My 65 Merc 390 was a screamer

      Like 0
  29. Avatar Richard Kusch

    I wasn’t born until 1965. I have an all original 1962 Meteor S33 with 54,000 miles on it. Love the car and it gets lots of likes.

    Like 0

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