Mercury S-55
The Mercury S-55 is a full-size car marketed by the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company for the 1962 and 1963 model years, and again in 1966 and 1967.
Developed as a performance-oriented version of the mid-level Mercury Monterey, the S-55 was the largest vehicle of the Mercury "S" range introduced in 1962; its Ford equivalent was the Ford Galaxie 500XL and competed in the full-size luxury sport coupe market segment against the Chrysler 300H.
The automobile marketplace shifted away from full-size sedans in the late 1960s, and performance-oriented vehicles such as the S-55 fell out of favor, with personal luxury coupes and muscle cars taking their place. After the 1967 model year, the S-55 was discontinued; its role was essentially taken by the 1969 Mercury Marauder, which was produced until 1970.
Mercury S (Special) Series
Ford Motor Company introduced performance-oriented trim packages for its Ford and Mercury divisions for the 1963 model year. Mercury featured the S line of sub-models. While the smaller S-22 Comet and S-33 Meteor consisted primarily of exterior trim, badging, bucket seats, and floor-mounted shifters, the full-size S-55 offered the upgraded interior features along with a higher-performance powertrain.First generation (1962–1963)
The 1962 Mercury S-55 was introduced alongside the Mercury Monterey. As with the Ford Galaxie 500XL, the S-55 was available in two-door hardtop and convertible body styles. As a performance-oriented variant, the S-55 had bucket seats, a center console, a floor-mounted shifter, and special wheel covers.The S-55 was powered by the two largest V8s available in the Monterey, a engine rated at, or a version that was rated at. The triple-carbureted version of the 406 was a special-order engine that achieved over in quarter-mile dragstrip tests by Road & Track. The hardtop was listed at US$3,488 and 2,772 were sold.
For 1963, the S-55 model line was expanded to include four-door hardtops. The previous notchback roofline was discontinued and replaced with the "Breezeway" design. This featured a reverse-slant retractable rear window. The "Marauder", a semi-fastback hardtop version, was continued. As in other Ford vehicles, the 406 V8 was replaced for 1963 by a engine rated at. A special-order version producing was intended for racing use.
Mercury discontinued the S-series line after 1963. Performance-oriented versions were available in 1964 with the 390 and 427 V8 engines and a Marauder fastback roofline. Bucket seats and console interior trim were extra-cost options known as the "Sports Package" for the luxury-oriented "Park Lane" two-door and four-door Marauder models.
Second generation (1966–1967)
For the 1966 model year, the S-55 made its return as a stand-alone model. As in 1962, the model lineup consisted solely of two-door hardtops and convertibles. Again based on the Monterey, the S-55 featured a bucket-seat interior with a floor-mounted shifter and a higher-performance powertrain. Styling accents include unique body side-striping, deluxe wheel covers and the distinctive S-55 emblem on rear quarter panel and 428 V-8 emblem on the front fender sides. As with the previous generation the retail price and number of hardtops made was similar at US$3,292 with 2,916 sold.In place of the 390 and 427 V8 engines, the 1966 S-55 was powered by a single engine. A 345 hp
For 1967, poor sales of the S-55 demoted the model to become the "S-55 Sports Package". The Mercury full-size line saw a major exterior update, changing its flat-fendered sides to a more rounded shape. During the model year, the S-55 Sports Package would be dropped; the division would concentrate its two-door efforts on the smaller Mercury Cougar and more luxurious Mercury Marquis. In various forms, the Cougar and Marquis would become the two most successful nameplates ever sold by the Mercury brand.