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Mercury Voyager
The Mercury Voyager is a station wagon that was sold by the Mercury division of Ford for the 1957 and 1958 model years. For the 1957 model year, Mercury created a model range of station wagons distinct from sedans, following Ford (and later Edsel). The Voyager served as the mid-range offering, slotted above the base-trim Mercury Commuter, with the woodgrained Colony Park serving as the top-range offering. For the 1959 model year, Ford consolidated the station wagon nameplates of its non-Lincoln divisions, with the Voyager combined into the "Country Cruiser" series while the Ford Del Rio, Edsel Roundup, and Edsel Bermuda were discontinued. Design overview Following the 1956 introduction of the hardtop station wagon by Rambler, in 1957, Mercury became the first American manufacturer to produce its entire station wagon line in a hardtop bodystyle. Serving as the mid-range Mercury station wagon, the Voyager was trimmed between the Mercury Monterey and Mercury Montclair sedan ...
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Mercury (automobile)
Mercury is a defunct division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company. Created in 1938 by Edsel Ford, Mercury served as the medium-price brand of Ford for nearly its entire existence, bridging the price gap between the Ford and Lincoln Motor Company, Lincoln model lines. Competing against Buick and Oldsmobile from General Motors for decades, the brand also competed against Chrysler, Chrysler's namesake brand (following the closure of DeSoto (automobile), DeSoto). From 1945 until its closure, Mercury formed half of the Lincoln-Mercury Division of Ford, which served as a combined sales network (distinct from Ford) for its two premium automotive brands. Lincoln-Mercury also served as the sales network for Continental (1956–1960), Edsel (1958–1960) and Merkur (1985–1989). Through the use of platform sharing and manufacturing commonality, Mercury vehicles shared components and engineering with Ford or Lincoln (or both concurrently) ...
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Ford MEL Engine
Ford developed the MEL ("Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln") engine series as the replacement for the Lincoln Y-block V8 engine for use in large passenger car applications. These engines were produced in Lima, Ohio at Ford's Lima Engine plant. They were in turn replaced by the 385 series engines. All MEL engines had wedge-shaped combustion chambers formed between a flat head surface and an angle milled block deck (10 degrees off square with the bore axis), with the piston top determining the compression ratio and combustion chamber shape, similar to the Chevrolet Big-Block 348 combustion chamber, also introduced in 1958, and the later 409 and 427. Unlike the Chevrolet, which had staggered valves and scalloped or M shaped valve covers, the MEL valves were inline with shaft mounted rocker arms like the FE model Ford engines which were introduced at the same time. As with the previous generation V8s, an open runner intake manifold was used, requiring the use of a stamped steel lifter valley c ...
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1950s Cars
1950s American automobile culture has had an enduring influence on the culture of the United States, as reflected in popular music, major trends from the 1950s and mainstream acceptance of the " hot rod" culture. The American manufacturing economy switched from producing war-related items to consumer goods at the end of World War II, and by the end of the 1950s, one in six working Americans were employed either directly or indirectly in the automotive industry. The United States became the world's largest manufacturer of automobiles, and Henry Ford's goal of 30 years earlier—that any man with a good job should be able to afford an automobile—was achieved. A new generation of service businesses focusing on customers with their automobiles came into being during the decade, including drive-through or drive-in restaurants and greatly increasing numbers of drive-in theaters (cinemas). The decade began with 25 million registered automobiles on the road, most of which predated ...
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TorqueFlite
TorqueFlite (also seen as Torqueflite) is the trademarked name of Chrysler Corporation's automatic transmissions, starting with the three-speed unit introduced late in the 1956 model year as a successor to Chrysler's two-speed PowerFlite. In the 1990s, the TorqueFlite name was dropped in favor of alphanumeric designations, although the latest Chrysler eight-speed automatic transmission has revived the name. History Torqueflites use torque converters and Simpson gearsets, two identical planetary gearsets sharing a common sun gear. Chrysler Corporation licensed this gearset from Simpson in 1955. The first Torqueflites provided three speeds forward plus reverse. Gear ratios were 2.45:1 in first, 1.45 in second, and 1.00 in third. The transmission was controlled by a series of pushbuttons located on the vehicle's dashboard. The buttons were generally at the extreme driver's side end of the dash, i.e., the left in left-hand drive vehicles, and the right in right-hand drive ones. How ...
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Cruise-O-Matic
Ford-O-Matic was the first automatic transmission widely used by Ford Motor Company. It was designed by the Warner Gear division of Borg Warner Corporation and introduced in 1951 model year cars, and was called the Merc-O-Matic when installed in Mercury branded cars and Turbo-Drive when installed in Lincoln branded cars. In contrast to Detroit Gear Division's three band automatic originally designed for Studebaker which became superseded by this unit, a variation of Warner Gear's three-speed unit named Ford-O-Matic continued to evolve later into Cruise-O-Matic named transmissions in 1958 and finally the FMX named transmissions in 1968. This line continued in production until 1980, when the AOD was introduced. Like Ford, variations of this same Borg Warner design were used by other automobile manufacturers as well, such as AMC, International Harvester, Studebaker, Volvo and Jaguar, each of them having the necessary unique adaptations required for the individual applications. ...
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Lincoln Y-block V8 Engine
The Lincoln Y-block V8 engine was Ford's earliest OHV V8 engine, introduced by Lincoln in the 1952 model year. Like the later and better-known but even more short-lived Ford Y-block engine, its block's deep skirts gave the block the appearance of the letter Y from the front. The Y-block's development was in response to the sales success of the competing Oldsmobile "Rocket" and Cadillac OHV V8 engines, introduced in the 1949 model year, the Buick "Nailhead" engine introduced in the 1953 model year, and the OHV V8 Chrysler Hemi engine in 1951. Also, Ford needed larger and more powerful truck engines. The basic engine design was produced through 1963. It was replaced by the newer MEL engine for car applications in 1958, and was replaced in heavy-duty truck applications by the FT (330/361/391) engines starting in 1964. 279 A version of the Lincoln Y-block was produced for heavy-duty truck applications for the 1952 through 1955 model years. The engine had a bore of and a stroke of ...
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Rambler Six And V8
The Rambler Six and the Rambler V8 are intermediate sized automobiles that were built and marketed by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1956 to 1960. Launched on 15 December 1955, the 1956 model year Rambler Six ushered a "new era in motoring has begun" according to George W. Romney, President of AMC. In 1956, the Rambler was sold through both Nash and Hudson networks of dealerships. This resulted from the merger of the two companies to form AMC in 1954. The new Rambler line created and defined a new market segment, the "compact car" as the automobile classification was called at that time. A V8 engine powered model, the Rambler V8, was added in 1957. Background The new for 1956 Rambler was arguably "the most important car American Motors ever built" in that it not only created and defined a new market segment, emphasized the virtues of compact design, but also enabled the automaker to prosper in the post-World War II marketplace that shifted from a seller's to a buyer ...
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Edsel Bermuda
The Edsel Bermuda is a station wagon that was produced and sold by Edsel in 1958. Like the Edsel Villager and Edsel Roundup station wagons, the Bermuda was built on a wheelbase shared with Ford's station wagons, as well as core body stampings. Overview The Bermuda represented the highest trim level available within the Edsel brand for a station wagon, and was only available during Edsel's introductory year of 1958. In addition to deluxe interior appointments, the Bermuda also was outfitted with simulated wood panels and frames, a hallmark of premium station wagon models produced by Ford and Mercury. The Bermuda came in six and nine-passenger configurations. To separate the Bermuda from Ford models, the Bermuda received Edsel's front fascia and vertical grille assembly as well as unique boomerang-shaped taillights. The shape of the taillights posed a problem when used as turn indicators – the left hand taillight appeared as an arrow pointing right and ''vice versa'' from a d ...
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Edsel Roundup
The Edsel Roundup is a station wagon that was produced and sold by Edsel in 1958. Like the Villager and Bermuda station wagons, the Roundup was built on a wheelbase shared with Ford's station wagons, as well as core body stampings. It had an approach angle of 21° and an overall length of 205.42 in. The Roundup represented the base trim level available within the Edsel brand for a station wagon, and was only available during Edsel's introductory year of 1958. The Roundup was available only as a six-passenger two-door station wagon. The Roundup came with black rubber flooring, armrests, front and rear ashtrays, dome and courtesy lights, and a white vinyl headliner. A split-back front seat was standard to allow access to the back seat. In place of roll-down rear windows, the Roundup used sliding windows. To further separate the Roundup from the Ford Ranch Wagon on which it was based, the Roundup received Edsel's front fascia and grille assembly, as well as unique boomerang-sha ...
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Ford Del Rio
The Ford Del Rio is a full-size, six-passenger station wagon that was produced by Ford in the United States for model years 1957 and 1958. The model was also marketed under the name Del Rio Ranch Wagon. Description The impetus for the creation of the Del Rio was Ford's desire to remain in the two-door sport wagon market started by the Chevrolet Nomad and Pontiac Safari and the decision to discontinue the company's original attempt at a sport wagon, the premium Parklane, which failed to entice buyers during 1956, its only year in production. Four-way power seats were available. While the Nomad was Chevrolet's most expensive model, offering a premium vehicle with a show car-inspired body style, the Del Rio was strictly based on an existing product, the utilitarian two-door Ranch Wagon, Ford's least expensive station wagon, as part of the Custom 300 series. Beginning with the basic body, buyers of the Del Rio were offered a unique two-tone paint scheme (optional), better quality ...
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Woodie (car Body Style)
A woodie (or a woodie wagon) is a wood-bodied automobile, that became a popular type of station wagon where the bodywork is constructed of wood or is styled to resemble wood elements. The appearance of polished wood gave a resemblance to fine wooden furniture and on many occasions the wood theme continued to the dashboard and inner door panels including the rear tailgate. Originally, wood framework augmented the car's structure. Over time manufacturers supplanted wood construction with a variety of materials and methods evoking wood construction—including infill metal panels, metal framework, or simulated wood-grain sheet vinyl bordered with three-dimensional, simulated framework. Wood construction was evoked abstractly on the Nissan Pao (1989–1991) and Ford Flex (2009–2019) with a series of horizontal grooves and strakes. History 1930s and 1940s As a variant of body-on-frame construction, the woodie as a utility vehicle or station wagon originated from the early pract ...
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Cruise-o-Matic
Ford-O-Matic was the first automatic transmission widely used by Ford Motor Company. It was designed by the Warner Gear division of Borg Warner Corporation and introduced in 1951 model year cars, and was called the Merc-O-Matic when installed in Mercury branded cars and Turbo-Drive when installed in Lincoln branded cars. In contrast to Detroit Gear Division's three band automatic originally designed for Studebaker which became superseded by this unit, a variation of Warner Gear's three-speed unit named Ford-O-Matic continued to evolve later into Cruise-O-Matic named transmissions in 1958 and finally the FMX named transmissions in 1968. This line continued in production until 1980, when the AOD was introduced. Like Ford, variations of this same Borg Warner design were used by other automobile manufacturers as well, such as AMC, International Harvester, Studebaker, Volvo and Jaguar, each of them having the necessary unique adaptations required for the individual applications. ...
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