In 1955 Mercury introduced a new name for its top of the line, premium models. They were dubbed the Montclair but historians don't really know for sure where the name came from. While the most popular theory is that it was named after an upscale community in New Jersey, would a Detroit based firm choose a community there for a car assembled in Lorain, Ohio?
Whatever the case, the Montclair line featured all of the top appointments for Mercuries at the time. The cars were loaded with chrome and originally could be had in two-tone paint. There were also a number of safety features that would be introduced over the life of the original version of the car. A deep dish steering wheel helped protect drivers from the column in case of a crash. Also, optional seat belts and a standard padded dash, a break-away rear view mirror, and safety door locks helped ensure the safety of those in the car.
By 1957 the car was dropped down a peg in the luxury line with the introduction of the Turnpike Cruiser. The following year it reclaimed its status as the top Mercury as the Turnpike Cruiser became a trim of the Montclair line.
In 1961 Mercury dropped the Montclair for the more popular Monterey and Meteor models. But the name resurfaced again in 1964 as a trim for the full sized Mercury. It remained through the 1968 year.
The model shown is a first year Montclair from 1955. It is the top of the line Sun Valley trim which featured a Plexiglass "bubble" over the front half of the roof line. Mercury thought this helped make the car look futuristic but buyers didn't like having the sun beat down on them whenever they drove and the idea soon went away.
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