Just when you think you have Canadian-specific Fords figured out, one runs into exceptions that break all the prior established rules. It is easy to spot a rookie owner when they refer to their 1956 Meteor as a Mercury Meteor, with Meteor being the make, not the model name such as Montcalm or Rideau. This was true until the mid-suddenly seventies when Ford of Canada tossed out this historical naming scheme; now Mercury was the make, Meteor the model and Montcalm the trim. Confused yet?
The mid-seventies were the tail end of the era of special Canadian Fords as the name plates were used but the cars themselves were less different or special. The last one in name was likely the Mercury Marquis Meteor of 1981 but that was merely a low priced variant. The (minor) unique trim that marked these big Mercurys ended after 1976 making this 1975 model very near the real end.
The badge is a little hard to read but says “Superior Ford, Taber, Alberta” making this particular car a local one as Taber is a town about 55kms (34 miles) away.
I have seen this Meteor before in this exact spot and shape for years now. I suspect it could belong to an older owner who is unable to keep up on the maintenance and it has slipped into its current condition. It appears to me the vinyl roof has been disappeared sometime along the way. Body-wise the rust is not too bad which is probably credited to the relatively mild climate of its southern Alberta location (often described as a desert that gets snow).
The front windows were blocked off to keep away the sun or prying eyes so we will settle for the rear. Unfortunately the headliner was tough shape but rest looked usable and it appeared that someone could revive it if they wanted to.
Here is a quick shot of the Canadian specific Montcalm badge. The steel wheel has lost its factory hubcap but has a very old white wall tire still holding air. Not sure I would trust it on a long, high speed journey.
The Meteor badge at the rear. All the chrome was intact and in good shape.
I was not able find this exact car in the brochures but here is a 1975 Mercury Meteor Rideau 500 two door. The Rideau 500 was a lower trim level compared to the Montcalm, roughly comparable to a Galaxy 500 whereas the Montcalm was LTD-comparable.
There was this brochure photo of a 1975 Mercury Meteor Montcalm Station Wagon. These wagons had 121″ wheelbase, three inches less than the two door coupe or four door sedan, the same as in the US, as the wagons shared the Ford wheelbase. In reality these station wagons were quite rare.
Here is another two door (this one a Montcalm) with the elusive four door in the background. Engines choices for 1975 were either a 351ci V8 2bbl 162hp, 400ci V8 2bbl 170hp or 460ci V8 4bbl 220hp.
It is probably worth contrasting the Canadian Meteor variants against more baroque 1975 Mercury Grand Marquis which was also sold in Canada at a higher price point. The Meteor looked like a base Ford LTD with a different grill which is essentially what it was.
Parked very close to the front of the Mercury is a Ford Thunderbird or Mercury Cougar. Which one do you think?
The grill reveals it as a Mercury Cougar. The condition matches the Meteor with blocked windows, missing hubcaps and an air of neglect.
While I suspect this is a car with long term, perhaps inactive, ownership hopefully it finds a caring new owner at some point to bring it back on the road. It might be an uphill battle as these big, mid Seventies Ford and Mercury full size cars have not captured the attention and wallets of many collectors. But it has the unique Canadian badges and just a touch of different trim to set it apart as something slightly special.
Related CC reading:
Canada Day Classics: Canadian Ford Branding History
Car Show Classic: 1974 Mercury Meteor Rideau 500 – A Real Canadian Survivor
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