1955 Mercury Monterey
The 1955 Mercury Monterey is another great example of the chrome-laden era of the ’50s. Wider and lower than the previous year, it sported a lot of 3-dimensional trim. It’s the reason people bought Mercurys instead of its Ford cousins – for all the cool little decorative touches.
The Monterey lost its status as Mercury’s top model in 1955, replaced that year by the Montclair, which took over the convertible and Sun Valley body styles. Despite that, the Monterey remained Mercury’s best seller.
But for what it lost in status, it more than gained in performance. It got the 292 cu in (4.8 L) Y-block engine from the Thunderbird, producing 188 hp with the standard transmission or 198 hp with the Merc-O-Matic transmission.
To this day, the Monterey has remained a favorite of both collectors and customizers alike.
