Of late, we’ve been starting to see a few automakers resurrect “car” nameplates for crossover-type vehicles. Remember what happened with the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross? And now Acura says it’s coming out with a new RSX crossover – repurposing the name of its former sporty hatchback. Smart? Maybe. It does play into nostalgia, which as we know is a huge driving force behind vehicle purchases (whether for late-model or classic cars).
Mercury did the same thing several decades ago. It took the Monterey name – used on its full-size car line from 1952 through 1974 – and stuck it on a minivan from 2004 to 2007. I don’t know about you, but I’ll take the earlier version.
The Pick of the Day is a 1964 Mercury Monterey convertible listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in San Jose, California.
The 1964 Monterey was said to draw inspiration – or at least share design language with – the Ford Thunderbird and Lincoln Continental models of the era. From 1961 through 1964, the Monterey was essentially the Mercury equivalent of a Ford Galaxie.
In advertising, Mercury promoted the car’s comfortable ride as well as some of its wins at competitive racing events. One promotion said, “Mercury: The look, the feel, the ride of a great road car … and a championship record to back it up.”
Finished in red with a white retractable top, this Monterey looks right at home on a lakeside cruise. The seller says “Needs some finishing touches on the bumpers and body. The internal components don’t need any attention.” The paint is believed original, and according to the trim tag, the color is “J” – otherwise known as Carnival Red.
Under the hood, power comes from a 390ci “Super Marauder” FE V8 (with a two-barrel carburetor) linked to a Merc-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission. The odometer reads 69,922 miles, and the seller says, “Looks to be original, but selling true-mileage-unknown.” The good news is there is some known service history, which includes:
- Coolant flush
- Fuel pump replacement
- Fuel tank cleaning
- Ignition coil and distributor assembly replacement
- Ignition repairs
- Oil and filter change
- Spark plug cleaning
The seller says. “You can start driving it today!”
The 1964 Monterey has aged gracefully, and its distinctive style still looks good after over 60 years. It will likely continue carry more collector appeal than its 2000s-era minivan counterpart, at least.
The asking price is $13,500.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com