Mercury Montclair third generation 4-door sedan. Zombie hunter

The Mercury model line underwent a ground-up redesign for 1959, as the Montclair expanded to a 126-inch wheelbase. Following the cancellation of the Edsel Ranger and Edsel Citation (which shared bodies with Mercury), the division used a body and chassis exclusive to the division (for the first time since 1940).

The Phaeton and Turnpike Cruiser trims were discontinued, along with the convertible, with the Montclair model line pared down to a four-door pillared sedan, along with two-door and four-door hardtops. Across the Mercury line, hardtops were styled as a Cruiser semi-fastback, including a larger compound-curve rear window (replacing the retractable design of the Turnpike Cruiser).

The Super Marauder V8 was discontinued, with the 383 V8 (retuned to 322 HP) becoming the only engine. In another change, automatic transmissions became standard on the Montclair; while the pushbutton “Keyboard Control” was retired (in favor of a conventional column-mounted shifter), the Multi-Drive dual-range transmission remained an option. One of the largest cars ever produced by the Mercury division, the 1959 Montclair was criticized by owners for lack of interior room (relative to its size), poor fuel economy, and its windshield design.

Made in USA

Year of production: 1960

Engine: 8 cylinders; 7044 cc

Power: 310 HP

Max speed: 196 km/h

Fuel consumption: 24 l/100 km

Weight: 1946 kg

Route 66 (Petersburg)

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