1963 Mercury Monterey

1963 Mercury Monterey Custom Sedan I'm not sure that air conditioning in automobiles had even a 35% take rate by 1963. It was still an option in most luxury cars. Adding the equivalent of a box fan at the front door, (your cowl vent system), and opening the kitchen door out back, (your rear window), must have seemed like a good idea. Packard initially tinkered with the idea of a reverse slant roll down rear window for the Balboa X show car of 1953. Intended as a coupe variant of the Caribbean convertible, the disastrous year of 1954 made the coupe a moot point for Packard. They sold the design rights for a reverse slant roof to Ford. Ford then tinkered with the idea of a reverse slant roll down rear window on various concept cars. One of the earliest examples was the Lincoln Diplomat concept from 1956. But in the one blast of uniqueness that characterized the whole life of Mercury, the finally unique models of 1957 brought the wondrous wind tunnel to its top-of-the-line Turnpike Cruiser models. For consignment, a Camelot era Mercury in the form of a 3 owner 1963 Mercury Monterey Custom sedan. Yes, it's a breezeway car with a roll down rear window, 36,466 original title verified miles and all original condition! Bathed in Castilian gold and the interior fabric with its metal thread to die for, it's a real 60's time capsule. Roll down that rear glass, (just part way otherwise it will buffet!), slip inside and let's go into the way back machine Peabody. Exterior A chromed inward V shaver style front grille has dual wide bezel headlights on either side and it leads the way proudly. A wide curved wrap around bumper is below and now we can talk about the steel, of which I can mention has no rust, plenty of patina as it is original Castilian Gold paint from the factory. The gaps are well minded, the doors have nice chromed window framing and the roofline is truly unique in its own cool way particularly on that B pillar. A long, LONG trunk line sporting a tasteful fin on either side frames another shaver styled back end chrome piece that has 3 Dixie cup shaped tail lights on either edge and a near perfect chromed bumper below. Badging looks just fab and oh that roll down rear glass, no other car that was even remotely successful can tout having that. This, a pre A/C car that boosted Mercury sales in '63. The car rides on 14-inch wheels wrapped in 215/75R14 thin whitewall, (like the ties of the era), tires. Groovy and hip in a West Coast kinda way. Also showing some success in life, as it's a Mercury. Interior Now we're talking' as we swing the doors, it's the money shot with panels that interplay gold stitched tuck and roll vinyl with a warm cream vinyl and thin chrome strips as delineations. Rich looking shiny cranks and the paddle actuator in the front of the armrest complete the package. Take a deep breath and breathe it in, (I mean the 60's are about to flood your senses), as we sit upon probably the coolest retro seat coverings my bottom has experienced! Yes kids we are talking stitched with metal thread in gold tuck and roll vertical and square pattern for the seats and backs in broadcloth. On the tops, a thinner tuck and roll broadcloth in gold make an appearance. Breaking up these gold panels are the warm cream vinyl with just enough width to add interest that you cannot look away from. On the center of these stripes is a gold thin vinyl piece to break it up as well...just genius. And let me tell you this seating is just beautifully preserved, (do I sound like a used car salesman??!), I'm just in love! Ok, on to the dash where I'm on the stick of the Millennium Falcon when I look through the two tone plastic cream and gold steering wheel, very large and in charge. I see a curved speedo within a brushed aluminum field, those low original miles on the odometer, and just below a lineup of round visored chrome bezel gauges. And below that more candy for the eyes with a curved inward ri