With a name inspired by Monterey Bay, the Mercury Monterey was introduced in 1952 as an improved version of the Mercury Custom.
The 1952 Mercury Monterey (72C) was first introduced as a luxurious two-door coupe, that later evolved into something more. Named after the Monterey Bay on the Central Coast, the Mercury Monterey was part of the Mercury Eight series to compete with other hardtops in the era.
Popular in the Hot Rod scene, the Monterey still holds its ground today. The Monterey serves to be the upscale version of its predecessor, the Mercury Eight, and remains popular amongst the crowd, resulting in the price they go for today.
Here’s more about the 1952 Mercury Monterey, and how much it costs.
Brief History Of The Mercury Monterey
Mercury was founded in 1939 with the original purpose of filling in the void for an entry-level, yet luxurious car. All production Mercury models are a product of other Ford components, and the long-roofed coupe is no exception.
The Mercury Monterey has a technical name of the Model 72 and was in production from 1952 to 1954. During the span of its production, it served multiple purposes: entry, mid, and high tiers. Mercury featured the Monterey with a 255 cubic-inch flathead V8, and while it didn’t make a lot of power, it obviously made all the right noises. The Flathead V8 from Ford wasn’t pioneering technology, but it became insanely popular upon mass production and the affordable price tag.
The Monterey platform ran from 1952 to 1974, posing in all shapes and sizes. Formerly, Mercury had been known as the “little Lincoln” due to its similar characteristics, which weren’t sitting right with them. In 1952, the Monterey got a styling refresh from the company, resulting in a convertible, four-door, and station wagon version of the car. While this didn’t exactly appeal to the purists, it did attract a wider crowd of people to the platform.
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