For one family to own a classic car for more than six decades is not unprecedented. However, it also isn’t particularly common. That is the story behind this 1956 Mercury Montclair. The family patriarch purchased the car in July of 1956. He maintained and drove the vehicle until his passing. It was inherited by his son, who continued the tradition until he also passed away. It is now being offered for sale to settle his estate. This is the chance for someone to own a rust-free survivor. The Mercury is located in Fort Myers, Florida, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $9,900, but the reserve hasn’t been met.

The Montclair is finished in Glamour Tan and Classic White, and it does present beautifully. As you can see from this shot, the lower extremities of the body are clean and rust-free. The seller provides a couple of photos of the vehicle’s underside, and it looks to be just as solid as the rest of the car. Helping the Mercury to remain rust-free is the fact that the car was undercoated when new. It also appears as though there may have been an oil leak at some point in the past, because it looks like there is some old oil under there. This probably isn’t such a bad thing, because it will have helped the Montclair to remain rust-free.

This side of the Mercury is just as impressive, with no signs of any issues. The seller indicates that the vehicle has never been restored, and has only received some minor paint touch-ups during its lifetime. He is a longtime family friend, so he does have an intimate knowledge of the Mercury’s history. It has always been garage-kept and has remained under a cover in the garage when not in use. The paint is holding a beautiful shine, with no signs of any apparent dings or dents. The glass appears to be in good order, while there are no signs of any problems with the trim or chrome.

The 1956 model year saw the introduction of the 312ci V8 to the Montclair range, which was available in several different specifications. I believe that this one produces 215hp, and is backed by a 3-speed Merc-O-Matic transmission. The Mercury doesn’t appear to feature power steering, but it is equipped with power brakes. The 312 brought a welcome boost to vehicle performance, and the fact that this was a six-seat family car capable of covering the ¼ mile in 17.8 seconds is quite impressive in a 1956 context. During the final two years before the owner’s passing, the vehicle had remained unused. The seller was charged with the task of reviving the Mercury, and it appears that this was a reasonably straightforward task. The fuel system was flushed and cleaned, and the carburetor was sent out to a specialist for a rebuild. The Montclair also received new tires, a new battery, a fuel pump, along with points, and a condenser. It is now in sound mechanical health and is said to run and drive perfectly.

The first thing the jumped out at me when I saw the photos of the Montclair’s interior was the cover on the front seat. I initially found this to be a huge disappointment, because it detracts from what is otherwise an impressive interior. However, looking at the cover carefully, I can see what appears to be the impression of the original upholstery showing through. This has made me wonder whether this is just a fancy slipcover and whether the original upholstery might be in good order beneath it. We can always cross our fingers. The carpet appears to be a relatively recent addition, but the rest of the trim looks to be original. One interesting point with the entire car has been the seller’s approach to reviving it. He has explicitly concentrated on returning it to a roadworthy state but has done nothing to it from a cosmetic standpoint. It would seem that he wants to leave the joy of making this garage find shine to its next lucky owner. With that in mind, there are a few dirty marks on the upholstery. I don’t think that it would take a lot of work to clean these off. Apart from a radio/cassette player mounted under the dash, it appears that there have been no aftermarket additions. The Montclair does come equipped with a Town & Country factory AM radio.

This 1956 Mercury Montclair would appear to be a solid and mostly original survivor. It also seems that it is ready to be driven and enjoyed immediately. It is possible to find relatively tidy examples for around $24,000, but immaculate examples can sell for considerably more. It appears that the seller believes that this particular car might fall into the upper echelon of potential values. I can only guess where the reserve has been set, but I think that I might have some idea. A search of the internet revealed this car for sale on another site. It has been listed with a price of $36,000 OBO. If this is a car that you are seriously interested in, then it might be worth submitting a bid or two on eBay. You never know, but the reserve might be lower than the classified listing price. If you are the successful bidder, then it could be a win for you on two fronts. You could find yourself owning a classic car, and you might also score yourself a bit of a discount. It’s certainly worth thinking about.