1956 Mercury Montclair Convertible
At just 56.3 inches tall (down from an already-low 58.6 inches in 1955), the 1956 Mercury Montclair was among the lowest full-size American cars available. The convertible sat at the top of Mercury’s lineup, and with only 7,762 built, it was a comparatively rare sight.
Mercury’s design team gave the Montclair a narrow color-contrast panel below the window line, typically coordinated with the roof color and framed in chrome, along with chrome rocker panel moldings and a round medallion at the tip of the front fender trim. Dual exhausts were standard on all Montclair models.
Under the hood, the 312 ci Y-Block V-8 replaced the previous 292 ci unit for 1956. The top-option version, running a 9.0:1 compression ratio with a single four-barrel carburetor, produced 225 hp. A three-speed Merc-O-Matic automatic was available alongside a three-speed manual, and nearly 90 percent of all 1956 Mercurys were sold with the automatic.
Ford’s Lifeguard safety program brought several features to the ’56 Montclair, including a deep-dish steering wheel, safety door locks, and a break-away rearview mirror, with optional seat belts and a padded dashboard.
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