kirk
12-30-2011, 06:28 PM
For years now I have stated that Mercury never built a production Marauder convertible, only the three concept Marauder convertibles.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/1962MercuryMarauder.jpg
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/1964BarrisMarauder.jpg
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/2002Marauder.jpg
Today I'm prepared to backtrack on that statement, at least a little bit.
I still say that Mercury technically never built a production Marauder convertible. But I do believe that Mercury was putting Marauder script on the trunk lids of some 1963 Monterey convertibles from the factory.
Why have I had this change of view?
First, the Monterey and Marauder trunk script are interchangeable so it's extremely easy to make the swap. And who wouldn't want their Monterey to be a Marauder instead? (Think about all those discussions on this site about Cobra, SVT, and Marauder emblems. How many people will think those are stock 40 years from now?) However, the script on the front fenders is also interchangeable, so I have to ask myself, why isn't this being changed with the trunk script? All the 1963 “convertible Marauders” I've seen (10+) have had the Marauder trunk emblem only. You'd think if it were individuals changing them there would be a few who changed the front emblems along with the trunk.
Next, this week I found this picture of a 1963 Mercury Marauder convertible on a Ford site.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/1963MarauderS-55conv.jpg
I know this is not a production car because the scuff plate says “Mercury”. The production cars used a “Ford” scuff plate starting in the 1963 model year. This is likely a prototype for one of those ideas that didn't quite make it into production. There is no literature for a Marauder convertible and this press release talks exclusively about fastbacks, no Marauder convertible.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/letter1.jpg
The above being said, Mercury was pushing the Marauder name harder in 1963 than in any year before or since. Every engine in the full size Mercury line was called Marauder or Super Marauder. The Marauder car was introduced, and the Marauder name was big at the race tracks. The Monterey S-55 glove box said “S-fifty five” while the Marauder S-55 glove box said “Marauder”. It's not unreasonable to think they may have put “Mercury Marauder” script on the trunk lids of a few hundred Monterey convertibles.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/Montereytrunk.jpg
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/Maraudertrunk.jpg
Did this trunk script make the car a Marauder?
I don't think so. (Ya that's just my opinion)
The car is identified as a Monterey everywhere else, the fenders, the literature, and the decoders. There is absolutely no distinction between a 1963 “Marauder” convertible and a Monterey convertible other than that one emblem. I've seen plenty of them both ways.
So now what? How bout we call it a 1963 Mercury Monterey Marauder S-55 convertible?
I wouldn't call it that but I wouldn't argue with anyone who did (anymore), but I would point out that in 1964 Mercury did call their three full size line fastbacks Monterey Marauder, Montclair Marauder, and Park Lane Marauder. They put that on the cars, in the decoders, in all of their literature, and none of that literature included a Marauder convertible. The 1963 literature didn't include it either.
Did they make a 1963 Mercury Marauder convertible? Not in my opinion. But I do believe that many 1963 Monterey convertibles got Marauder trunk emblems on the assembly line.
So why can't you call that car a Marauder? I'm not saying you can't (who am I to stop you anyway?), I'm just saying you may not be technically correct if you do.
On the other hand, if you want a production Mercury Marauder convertible the 1963 is as close as you're going to get.
I still see no evidence that they did this in 1964 or 5. I've only seen one '64 “Marauder” convertible, and I don't believe it (can anyone say Cobra or SVT?). Never seen a '65.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/1962MercuryMarauder.jpg
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/1964BarrisMarauder.jpg
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/2002Marauder.jpg
Today I'm prepared to backtrack on that statement, at least a little bit.
I still say that Mercury technically never built a production Marauder convertible. But I do believe that Mercury was putting Marauder script on the trunk lids of some 1963 Monterey convertibles from the factory.
Why have I had this change of view?
First, the Monterey and Marauder trunk script are interchangeable so it's extremely easy to make the swap. And who wouldn't want their Monterey to be a Marauder instead? (Think about all those discussions on this site about Cobra, SVT, and Marauder emblems. How many people will think those are stock 40 years from now?) However, the script on the front fenders is also interchangeable, so I have to ask myself, why isn't this being changed with the trunk script? All the 1963 “convertible Marauders” I've seen (10+) have had the Marauder trunk emblem only. You'd think if it were individuals changing them there would be a few who changed the front emblems along with the trunk.
Next, this week I found this picture of a 1963 Mercury Marauder convertible on a Ford site.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/1963MarauderS-55conv.jpg
I know this is not a production car because the scuff plate says “Mercury”. The production cars used a “Ford” scuff plate starting in the 1963 model year. This is likely a prototype for one of those ideas that didn't quite make it into production. There is no literature for a Marauder convertible and this press release talks exclusively about fastbacks, no Marauder convertible.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/letter1.jpg
The above being said, Mercury was pushing the Marauder name harder in 1963 than in any year before or since. Every engine in the full size Mercury line was called Marauder or Super Marauder. The Marauder car was introduced, and the Marauder name was big at the race tracks. The Monterey S-55 glove box said “S-fifty five” while the Marauder S-55 glove box said “Marauder”. It's not unreasonable to think they may have put “Mercury Marauder” script on the trunk lids of a few hundred Monterey convertibles.
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/Montereytrunk.jpg
http://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii12/Kirk_D/1963%20Marauder%20conv/Maraudertrunk.jpg
Did this trunk script make the car a Marauder?
I don't think so. (Ya that's just my opinion)
The car is identified as a Monterey everywhere else, the fenders, the literature, and the decoders. There is absolutely no distinction between a 1963 “Marauder” convertible and a Monterey convertible other than that one emblem. I've seen plenty of them both ways.
So now what? How bout we call it a 1963 Mercury Monterey Marauder S-55 convertible?
I wouldn't call it that but I wouldn't argue with anyone who did (anymore), but I would point out that in 1964 Mercury did call their three full size line fastbacks Monterey Marauder, Montclair Marauder, and Park Lane Marauder. They put that on the cars, in the decoders, in all of their literature, and none of that literature included a Marauder convertible. The 1963 literature didn't include it either.
Did they make a 1963 Mercury Marauder convertible? Not in my opinion. But I do believe that many 1963 Monterey convertibles got Marauder trunk emblems on the assembly line.
So why can't you call that car a Marauder? I'm not saying you can't (who am I to stop you anyway?), I'm just saying you may not be technically correct if you do.
On the other hand, if you want a production Mercury Marauder convertible the 1963 is as close as you're going to get.
I still see no evidence that they did this in 1964 or 5. I've only seen one '64 “Marauder” convertible, and I don't believe it (can anyone say Cobra or SVT?). Never seen a '65.