1962 Mercury Monterey in Sultana White over Desert Frost.
A motto for life is, “Excelsior!” Onward and upward. In 2014 I had my ’58 Cadillac and ’62 Imperial, but I was always on the lookout for more interesting finds. Finding old cars that I’d want to own–that are for sale in the local area–is actually a rare occurrence. Even if I’m not “in the market”, I scan Craigslist just to see what’s out there. That’s when I saw this ad for a ’62 Mercury. I didn’t act on it, and the ad disappeared…but then reappeared a month or two later. Could this be a sign? Is the seller desperate? Hmmmmm.
I once owned a ’62 Comet S-22 in this same color. It was time to move up to a Monterey.
Actually, the ’62 Mercury Monterey has always been an interesting car to me. Like the ’62 Cadillac and Imperial, its design seems more in-tune with the late ’50s than the early ’60s.
In fact, it’s kind of hard to picture the “swoopy” Monterey sharing the same showroom with the “boxy” Lincoln Continental. And here’s an interesting fact for you: The Monterey’s 215 1/2″ overall length was actually 2 1/2″ longer than the Lincoln! So if you wanted the largest car that Ford Motor Company made, the Monterey was the way to go.
So I made an appointment to see this Mercury, which was located just a few miles north of me. I have to say, it was beautiful! A well-preserved 60,000 mile original: original paint, virtually no rust, good interior, never molested in any way. The problem was, it didn’t run. Apparently there was a fuel leak, which got into the distributor. Sparks inside ignited the fuel, causing a fire. The seller assured me the car ran fine before that. I think the asking price was $2800.
I said to the seller, “Well, I have $2000 in cash with me, but I suppose you wouldn’t be interested in that.” To my surprise, he accepted my offer!
Original documentation came with the car. William H. Geer made some interesting choices: the base Monterey 4-door hardtop in Desert Frost, with the big 390 V-8 (largest engine available, with 4 bbl. carburetor and dual exhausts, 300 horsepower); power steering and brakes; power windows and seats; and Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic transmission. His trade-in was a 1958 Lincoln Premiere 4-door hardtop. Could it be that Mr. Geer didn’t like the ’62 Lincoln for some reason, so he bought a new Mercury and optioned it out with as much power and luxury as possible?
A 1958 Lincoln Premiere 4-door hardtop. William Geer’s trade-in would have looked something like this. (Image from ClassicCars.com)
I had the Mercury towed to a repair shop to see if they could get the car running. They did. Driving the car home everything seemed very nice, except–if I was, say, coasting along at 30 MPH, the engine would miss. If I stepped on the gas, the miss would go away. The engine idled perfectly. No one could figure out what the problem was. So I took it to another place, and they determined that the timing chain was stretched, throwing off the timing. They put in a new timing chain and gears, and everything was fine after that.
The paint on this car was original and in fantastic shape. The problem was, this color choice was so…blah!
Color choices, from the 1962 brochure.
I would have picked Black Cherry or Turquoise if I were going single-color. These other shades (Desert Frost, Sheffield Gray, Teaberry) are really better suited for use as two-tone accent colors.
Mercury was still channeling the ’50s–this is what it looks like in Teaberry, a kind of melon pink.
So I decided on a compromise–I would make the car a correct two-tone: painting the roof Sultana White and keeping the existing Desert Frost body. Sultana White is not pure white, but slightly cream. On Fords it was called Corinthian White (same formula). Maaco did the job, and it came out beautifully! I think the white contrast helps bring out the beauty of this unique tan color, which has just a little bit of sparkle in it. Its tone varies depending on the lighting.
Much better, no?
If the original buyer’s intention was to possess a car with levels of luxury comparable to cars in “The Fine Car Field”, I think the effort was largely successful.
First, we have power everything. Second, under the hood is the biggest engine available, the 390 cubic inch “Marauder” V-8 with 300 HP. As a contrast, my ’58 Cadillac’s engine was also 300 HP, but with only 365 cubic inches. But that 365 was propelling a car which weighed about 1,000 lbs. more than this Mercury! So based on its horsepower-to-weight ratio, Mercury’s performance should vastly exceed Cadillac’s!
This is the most powerful old car I have driven, mainly because it had so much torque! There’s a long, fairly steep grade on U.S. Route 46 heading west that can be a bit of a struggle for some cars. This Mercury sailed up that hill as if it wasn’t there at all! I was climbing so smoothly and gracefully that it was like owning my own private plane! The engine had a very satisfying low-pitched burble through its dual exhausts that gave it just a touch of that hot rod flavor.
This was also the first car I’ve had that was really good at peeling out. I would select D1 on the Multi-Drive, hit the gas, and it would burn rubber so easily! My friend and I went out, doing burnouts just for the hell of it. I’m aware that you really shouldn’t treat an old car that way, but you know, LIFE–you’ve gotta live life! And I didn’t do the peel outs very often.
From the 1961 brochure.
Although Mercury’s body and mechanicals were based on Ford cars, there were many small extra-quality touches that made Mercury automobiles more refined and luxurious than comparable Fords. This ’62 Monterey had a very “Cadillac” feel around town, being very quiet, smooth riding, and well-insulated. Mercury’s exclusive “Cushion-Link” suspension allowed the front and rear wheels to “give” slightly when going over bumps. This, it is claimed, resulted in less harshness and noise–“The best ride in the low-priced field!”
Mercury’s steering wheel and futuristic dashboard were extra-deluxe. The dash design is based on Ford, but with lots of added chrome along with a pale gold finish and Mercury lightning bolt. Most of the time, this fragile gold finish is worn or damaged–but on my car it was in perfect condition!
You sit low in this Mercury, because the body is based on the ’60 Ford, which was Ford’s knee-jerk reaction to the ultra low-slung ’59 Chevrolet. Pearlescent tan and gold accents surround you.
Luxury-trimmed door panels with a jet motif.
Continuing the Space Age theme, there were these little chromium “bombs” on the front fenders.
Voluptuous curves and tubular fins . . .
. . . which end in these fantastic taillights that everybody loves.
A big bin–30.7 cubic feet of trunk space. Bigger than Ford.
What a monster! Used to scare me as a kid. “Finest coachwork in Mercury history” says the brochure.
“So if this Mercury is so great, why would you sell it?” I hear you cry.
Because I found this:
In 2018, while scanning Craigslist, I found this 52,000 mile ’59 Chevrolet for sale in Bloomfield NJ. A ’62 Mercury is nice and all, but a ’59 Chevy is iconic–a sort of ne plus ultra of barbaric ’50s space age design. I like the color better too. It’s a Six with Powerglide, so there will be no peel outs. But the engine is remarkably smooth and quiet, and its “Jet Smooth Ride” is excellent–I would say better overall than Mercury’s, even with the Big M’s fancy Cushion-Links.
So where will I go from here? I don’t know. Every day is a new day, and new and unexpected opportunities are always presenting themselves. There are several other favorite cars “on my list” that I wouldn’t mind owning.
Buying and selling cars is often a difficult and tedious process. And things are so expensive now–buying classics for just a few thousand dollars is harder to do. So for now I’m keeping what I have. On nice days when I’m not in a rush, driving one of these “time capsules” makes every trip so much more exciting and special than it would otherwise be. These relics of the past seem to brighten everyone’s day.
I once had a chance to buy a 62 Mercury, and it had been anywhere close to the condition of your car, l probably would have done it. But it was nowhere near as nice as described and I found a 68 Chrysler Newport instead.
These have always intrigued me, both because of the many interesting details and the way it is so close to the Ford, but with a different personality. And yes, the 390 is a delight to drive!
I wonder if the “Cushion Link” rear suspension wasn’t a 1961-only design. My 61 Thunderbird had a similar articulated front leaf spring mount that allows movement, but it was replaced with a standard front mount in 1962. I suspect that the 61 design led to instability because the rear axle moved around too much.
I’ve owned several Mercurys, but the 62 never appealed to me. After loving parents friends sleek 60 Montclair, 61 and especially 62 look IMO awkward. The 73revision began putting the GRAND in Mercury leading to GRAND Marquis. Definitely a shift in GEER 😉. At least the 62 was bigger than the fabled Kennedy Lincolns which to me were a disappointment after the huge 58-60 Lincolns. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had 78 GRAND MARQUIS and TOWN COUPE, 89 TOWN CAR Signature Series, , 2007 GRAND MARQUIS and current 2007 TOWN CAR Signature Limited. If you can find a good Mercury or Town Car ,buy it. Unfortunately FMC now is focused on BLOATED SUVS at BLOATED prices. Thanks for a great post.
I don’t know how that photo got in .it’s not me. Strange things keep getting stranger every day. 🤔
In the words of The Doors ‘Strange days have found us’
Years before I started car spotting. In fact, a number of years before I was born. I thought badge-engineering was a big trend of the 1970’s?. This Mercury reminds me a great deal, of the Ford police car that used to represent Mayberry. Not as much brand distinction, seeming as I thought back then.
Stephen, I want to congratulate you on living the dream…well, at least my dream when it comes to acquiring old cars. Each time you have something that I think I’d probably hold on to forever you manage to find something even cooler for your fun old car. It seems that if one is able to keep things interesting that way, there’s not a lot of downside of trading one car for another. I also do not get the sense that your decisions are made largely based on monetary value. You’re getting things that you enjoy driving, find significant, and like seeing in your garage. And that’s what should count.
Lots of things in this post catch my attention. The Lincoln period dealership photo is great. It looks like the best Howard Johnson’s ever (cars instead of clam strips and lollypops is probably a good thing). I also can understand Mr. Geer’s trading the Premiere for the Monterey. That 1958 is just over the top, even if one could stomach looking at it every day. Also, the white top that you gave your Monterey really was an improvement, IMO. It’s amazing how something as simple as that can do so much to benefit the appearance. Maaco, you say? It looks like it came out much better than I’d normally associate with Maaco.
All in all, excellent post.
Your enthusiasm is infectious, Stephen, but it’s struggling to take hold here in this case. My immunity to these is just way too high. It’s the saddest big Mercury ever, a very thinly disguised ’61-’62 Ford. All the exact same sheet metal, except at the rear end.
What is it about these vintage Fords and Mercurys that make them look so earth-bound? The excessive width? Their excessive weight? It’s practically melting into the ground. Your ’59 Chevy looks like it ‘s floating compared to this blobby and droopy car. I hope I haven’t offended you, and I do appreciate it for what it is, but it’s just not my thing.
First, I’m in favor of all honest opinions and assessments, expressed with integrity. I can certainly see your point. The brown color doesn’t help. For me, this car has enough fascinating style detail along with other 50s/60s virtues to make it interesting. A genuine artifact of its time.
Just as a 1st. gen. Comet has a very different vibe from a Falcon, I believe there is enough difference between this car and a Ford to justify its existence. What’s worse is Mercurys from the 70s, 80s, & 90s which were hardly different from Fords at all.
Part of this is generational. People who were around before these cars were new see them differently from those (like me) who see them as fascinating artifacts from a magical time long past. It’s like, there are younger adults (20s & 30s) who, to my surprise, see what I consider mundane cars like a 70s Plymouth Duster or Valiant, or even an 80s K-Car–as fascinating and desirable. Such cars, with their period shapes and detailing, seem exotic compared to the blobby SUVs which now dominate the landscape. They also remind them of beloved 80s movies and TV shows.
59 Biscayne over ’62 Monterey every day of the week, although I’d take either over the ’58 Lincoln, what were they thinking? It’s grotesque.
Who knew that Grandpa Walton drove a 62 Mercury?
🤣
One of these was offered for sale at a Carlisle event a few years ago. It was black cherry four-door hardtop with a white roof in very good, original condition.
The ultimate problem with this Mercury is that it isn’t a step up from a Ford. Pontiac, meanwhile, gave buyers a real reason to move up from a Chevrolet. It was the Comet that enabled Lincoln-Mercury dealers to keep the lights on during these years.
Let me take a guess as to why the owner of a ’58 Conti would “trade down” to a Mercury.
As much as we extol the new-for-’61 Continental today, I have to believe that some traditional Lincoln buyers didn’t care for the modern design. Or maybe the rear seat was too small. Contemporary reports sometimes noted that the rear seat was difficult to get into and out of.
For a big-car fellow, perhaps a loaded Mercury seemed like a better choice.
Knowing me I would have bought the Chevrolet and still kept the Mercury. Now what I found interesting is the fire due to a fuel leak into the…distributor. How, since it is a metal line from fuel pump up to the carb in my stock FE engines. Your photo seems to show two rubber sections in the original all metal line. One near the coil and the other wrapping around the distributor cap. The metal line itself doesn’t even look like and original but I can’t see it up close. Anyway that is a sidetrack as fuel leak into distributor seemed so odd.
That’s really my point in my earlier comment. I too would probably have kept the Mercury AND bought the Chevy (although to Paul’s comment, I do like the Chevy somewhat more than the Mercury). But that is likely not as smart as trading the Mercury for the Chevy. I’ll bet it’s a lot more fun to drive just one old car than to have two and worry about not giving each of them enough exercise/attention.
I too wondered about that fire. Fuel into the distributor just seems odd…and scary.
I may be wrong about what the fuel leaked into. It could have leaked into the the coil or some other place. I wasn’t there when it happened. Suffice it to say that there was a fair amount of melting and damage. Luckily the paint on the hood wasn’t affected.
The great tragedy of the old car hobby is that you can keep only so many cars at one time. As it is, I’m pushing it with three!