The Mercury Medalist was Mercury’s low-price model for the 1956 model year, replacing the Custom as the entry-level car. The name returned for 1958 as the cheapest Mercury once more and then disappeared for good.
Mercury Medalist at a glance
| Model years | 1956 and 1958 |
|---|---|
| 1956 launch | two-door sedan only, September 1955 |
| Position | below the Custom, Monterey and Montclair |
| 1956 engine | 312 cu in V8, the only engine offered |
| 1956 bodies | two- and four-door sedans, two- and four-door hardtops |
| 1956 price | US$2,254 for the two-door sedan |
| 1956 output | 20,582 two-door sedans |
| 1958 bodies | two-door and four-door sedans only |
| 1958 output | 18,732 sedans at an average of US$2,582 |
| Discontinued | after 1958, with the Monterey as the base model |
The article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia page on the Medalist; no free photographs of the model were found, so it uses the record’s existing picture.
History of the Mercury Medalist
The 1956 car
The Medalist was introduced in September 1955 as a two-door sedan only, as Mercury’s low-price model. It was positioned below the Custom, Monterey and Montclair and took over the entry-level role the Custom had held. A four-door sedan, a two-door hardtop and a four-door hardtop were added during the year, at which point the Medalist was given full series status. It was offered only with a 312 cu in V8. Standard equipment included textured vinyl upholstery, rubber floor mats, chrome surrounds for the front and rear windows and stainless steel trim along the rear quarter panel. Options included a heater and windscreen defroster, a “Travel-Tuner” signal-seeking AM radio, a padded instrument panel, seat belts, a power-adjustable front seat, power windows, power steering, power brakes, whitewall tyres on 15-inch steel wheels and auxiliary road lamps.
For 1956 Mercury offered two kinds of two-tone paint: the traditional arrangement of a roof colour over a different body colour, and “Flo-tone”, where the roof and lower body were one colour and the upper body another. There were 31 two-tone combinations and 28 Flo-tone combinations. The two-door sedan listed at US$2,254 and 20,582 were assembled. The Medalist was discontinued along with the Custom for 1957, when the Monterey became the base model of the Mercury range.
The 1958 return
The Medalist came back in 1958 as the entry-level Mercury, offered as a two-door or four-door sedan with no hardtop body. Sixteen standard colours were available, along with cloth and vinyl upholstery, full carpeting, an electric clock and chrome window surrounds at the front and rear. Two engines could be ordered, and buyers could choose a three-speed manual or the Merc-O-Matic automatic with optional Touch-O-Matic overdrive. Extra-cost equipment included a heater and defroster, air conditioning, an AM radio, tinted glass, a four-way power-adjustable front seat, power windows, power steering, power brakes and a padded instrument panel.
Production records show a total of 18,732 two-door and four-door sedans built for 1958 at an average listed price of US$2,582. It was the last year the Medalist nameplate was used, and Mercury’s entry-level role passed to other models as the division settled into its place in the Ford range.
Design and features
- Entry-level Mercury: the cheapest way into a Mercury showroom in 1956 and 1958.
- One engine in 1956: the 312 cu in V8 was the only choice.
- Flo-tone paint: a two-tone scheme with the roof and lower body in one colour and the upper body in another.
- Full series status: four body styles by the end of the 1956 model year.
- Short life: two separate model years, 1956 and 1958.
Mercury Medalist versions
- Medalist two-door sedan (1956): the launch body, 20,582 built.
- Medalist four-door sedan, two-door hardtop and four-door hardtop (1956): added during the year.
- Medalist two-door sedan (1958): the cheaper of the two 1958 bodies.
- Medalist four-door sedan (1958): the second of the 18,732 cars built that year.
The Medalist replaced the Custom at the bottom of the range and sat below the Monterey and the Montclair. More cars are in the Mercury collection.
Video: 1956 Mercury Medalist Custom
Video by MrJoeguitar on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercury Medalist, English Wikipedia: both model years, engines, equipment, prices and output
.jpg){kind=link}