The Mercury badge was aimed at buyers aspiring to luxury but looking for affordability. As part of Ford’s Lincoln-Mercury division, Mercury offered a dizzying range of options in the 1950s. The Montclair was considered the top of the line, distinguished by trim level; the Monterey and Custom were very similar cars occupying lower-priced berths. Body styles included the four-door Phaeton sedan – an interesting choice since “phaeton” generally referred to any vehicle without weather protection. Mercury’s Phaeton was a closed car. Roughly 90,000 Mercury Montclairs of various body styles were sold in 1956 alone. Here on eBay is a 1956 Mercury Montclair Phaeton project for sale, with one bid at $1,000, reserve not met. The car is located in Beaverton, Oregon. Thanks to Larry D. for the tip! This design is laden with chrome and features the beginnings of the pillar-less ‘bubble top’ styling that reached a zenith in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

This car is well along toward completion. The matching numbers 312 cu. in. Y block V8 was rebuilt, though we don’t know how long ago. With the Holley four-barrel carburetor the combination produces about 210 bhp. When installed, this will mate up with a Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission, also original to the car. This combination was an upgrade versus 1955, when most models came with a 292 cu. in. V8 rated at about 198 bhp. That said, various options were available in each year to increase horsepower from the same block.

According to the seller, the car comes with most of the parts to finish the job. A tough task would be finding the stainless trim; the owner thinks it’s all with the car. Door latches and window cranks are cleaned and working correctly. The power booster vacuum has been refurbished. The car wears a three-year-old coat of Imron paint, and several of its parts have been painted to match. The front chrome looks decent, though it’s difficult to tell given the photos.

Cars of the 1950s and early 1960s featured really jazzy interiors. This example is somewhat restrained but still more appealing than today’s bland options. The interior is not completely installed, but the seats, panels, and carpets are fresh. Hubcaps are new and the car rides on new Firestones. The wiring harness needs to be installed. These 1950s cars have fallen out of favor but still offer style for the bargain-seeker. This one needs an owner willing to bring her back to the road.