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1963 Mercury Monterey

The Jet Age styling of the 1950s was replaced by the Rocket Age styling of the 1960s. The use of copious embellishments and fins of the 1950s were replaced by slab sides, sharp creases, and greater levels of minimalism. The early 1960s represented the 'Total Performance' era for Ford, with Ford and Mercury vehicles focusing on performance. For Mercury, this was evident by the introduction of the Ford Galaxie-based Marauder during mid-1963. It had elegant styling, full-length beltline, vestigial fins, a raked fastback roof, and a steeply sloped rear window. Engine options included two 390 CID V8s rated at 250 - 300 horsepower, and two 427 CID V8s offering 410 or 425 horsepower (with the 4-barrel carburetor or dual-quad carburetor, respectively).

1963 Mercury Monterey photo
S-55 Hardtop Coupe
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Mercury Monterey
The Mercury Monterey was produced from 1952 to 1974, replacing the Mercury Eight, and served many different duties during its production lifespan, including flagship, mid-range, and entry-level offerings in numerous body styles including a coupe, sedan, hardtop, and station wagon.

Along the way, the Mercury Monterey received numerous changes, including in 1961, when it was completely revamped with the chassis, bodies, and interiors being similar to the Fords, with trim and nameplate differences to distinguish the brands. The Park Lane and Montclair were dropped and the Meteor was added at the bottom of the range, with the Monterey continuing to be the top of the line Mercury. Standard equipment included a 292 cubic-inch Ford Y-block, with optional 352 and 390 CID versions of the V8 available.

For 1962, the Meteor name moved to a new intermediate line, and the Monterey 6 was added to fill the gap, powered by the Mileage Maker 223 cubic-inch straight-six with 135 horsepower, and offered for a single year.
1963 Mercury Monterey
Changes for 1963 included the return of the 'Breezeway' window that had first been used on the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser and 1958 through 1960 Lincoln Continental. The six-cylinder, and 292 and 352 CID V8s were no longer offered, and the 390 V8 became the standard engine with 250 horsepower and a two-barrel carburetor with a 300-horsepower four-barrel version optional.

1963 Mercury Monterey photo
S-55 Hardtop Coupe
View info and history
The fastback Marauder was introduced mid-year, wearing a similar version of Ford's Sport hardtop 'fastback' roofline applied to a Mercury body. The 'S-55' performance package included a big-block 300 horsepower 390 cubic-inch V8 and a sporty interior that was similar to the Ford Galaxie 500 XL.

Body styles on the Monterey included a sedan, two-and four-door hardtop with seating for six, and a two-door sedan. 18,177 examples of the four-door sedan, 4,640 of the two-door sedan, 2,879 of the hardtop coupe, and 1,692 of the hardtop sedan were produced. The six taillights used on the 1961 models returned, and side body moldings traversed from the tailfins to the headlights. Additional chrome trim was applied to the roof quarter panels, and the vertical bar grille housed four chrome-rimmed headlights.

The two-door sedan had a factory base price of $2,835 and the sedan listed for $2,890. The hardtop coupe cost $2,930 and the hardtop sedan at $3,000. The base 390 cubic-inch V8 engine with overhead valves had five main bearings, a Ford two-barrel carburetor, and delivered 250 horsepower at 4,400 RPM. A three-speed manual transmission was standard, and Multi-Drive automatic was optional. The S-55 option came with either a four-speed manual or Multi-drive automatic.

1963 Mercury Monterey photo
Custom Hardtop Coupe
optional engines included the 390 CID V8 with either 300 or 330 horsepower depending on configuration and the 406 CID V8 with either 385 or 405 horsepower. The 406 CID V8 came only with a four-speed manual. A 427 cubic-inch V8 with 410 and 425 horsepower was also available, again solely with manual transmissions.

Most of the full-size Mercurys were equipped with automatic transmissions, power brakes, power steering, tinted glass, and a radio. Power windows were a rare option, and approximately twenty percent came with an air conditioning system.

Mercury Monterey Custom Series
The Custom trim level added full-length moldings, front fender nameplates, and three rectangular chrome pieces on the rear fender. Standard equipment included an electric clock, two-speed windshield wipers, backup lights, and a courtesy light group. Along with the same body styles available on the base trim level, the Custom added a Marauder fastback coupe priced at $3,080, a convertible ($3,330), and a six- and nine-passenger Colony Park Station Wagon. The sedan was again the most popular, with 39,542 examples produced. The two-door hardtop was the second most popular, with 10,693 examples produced. 7,298 were Marauder Fastbacks and 3,783 were convertibles. The combined station wagon sales reached nearly 14,000 units.

Mercury Monterey S-55
The top-of-the-line Monterey was the S-55, available with either an automatic or four-speed manual transmission (at no additional cost). Body styles included the Marauder Fastback, priced at $3,650, the hardtop coupe listing for $3,650, the Hardtop Sedan at $3,715, and the convertible at $3,900. Production reflected the higher prices and just 2,317 examples of the Marauder Fastback Coupe were built, and 1,379 were convertibles. Just 3,863 of the hardtop coupe and 1,203 of the hardtop sedan were sold. Distinguishable features included S-55 insignia, special wheel covers, vinyl upholstery, and front bucket seats with the center console.

1963 Mercury Monterey photo
Custom Hardtop Coupe
Minor changes appeared on the 1964 Monterey, including updates to the taillights and the grille, and the 406 was replaced by the 427 CID V8. The Marauder fastback hardtop continued to be offered in all three Mercury series.

A complete redesign was applied to all 1965 full-size Mercurys with a more slab-sided appearance inspired by the Continental. Another major redesign occurred in 1969 before Mercury discontinued the Monterey for 1975, consolidating its full-size range down to the Marque.


by Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2020

Related Reading : Mercury Monterey History

An automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company, Mercury was founded in 1939 with the purpose to market entry-level-luxury vehicles that were slotted in between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles. All Mercury models are today based on Ford platforms. The Mercury name is derived from messenger of the gods of Roman mythology. In the beginning years, Mercury was known for....
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