 1963 Mercury S-55 Marauder hardtop coupe |
As Mercury's cousins to the Ford Galaxie 500XL, the 1963-1964 Mercury S-55 and Marauder were large luxurious cars. The Marauders usually sported bucket seats, and were offered with a wide assortment of V-8s.
The "slantback" two-door hardtop
debuted as a mid-year model in 1963 as part of the Monterey Custom
series, and was also available in sportier S-55 form -- a bucket-seat subseries
begun in 1962, packing a heavy-duty suspension and a 300-bhp 390 V-8 as
standard. S-55s also came as a notchback hardtop and convertible.
No
S-55 version was offered for 1964, but you could get Marauder fastback styling
in all of Mercury's big-car series -- Monterey, Montclair, and Park Lane -- with
either two or four doors. Engine options were extended that year -- Mercury's
25th anniversary -- to include the mighty 410/425-bhp 427, compared to a
385/405-bhp 406 in 1963.
Interestingly
enough, there hasn't been a whole lot of collector movement in big-Merc performance
models of the early '60s, even the convertibles, which are hardly numerous.
Pluses
of the 1963-1964 Mercury S-55 & Marauder:
- Lots of room
- Ample, even awesome performance
- Brawny looks
- Strong
runners
Minuses
of the 1963-1964 Mercury S-55 & Marauder:
- Drinks a lot of gas
- Scarce body parts
- Moderately
rust-prone
Production
of the 1963 Mercury:
- S-55 2-door formal hardtop: 3,863
- S-55 convertible: 1,379
- S-55 Marauder fastback hardtop: 2,319
- Marauder fastback hardtop: 7,298
Production
of the 1964 Monterey Marauder:
- 2-door hardtop: 8,760
- 4-door hardtop: 4,143
Production
of the 1964 Montclair Marauder:
- 2-door hardtop: 6,459
- 4-door hardtop: 8,655
Production
of the 1964 Park Lane Marauder:
- 2-door hardtop: 1,052
- 4-door
hardtop: 4,505
Specifications
of the 1963-1964 Mercury S-55 & Marauder:
Wheelbase,
inches: 120.0
Length,
inches: 215.0 (1963), 215.5 (1964)
Weight,
pounds: 3,887-4,056
Price,
new: $3,083-$3,413 (U.S.)
Engines
for the 1963-1964 Mercury S-55 & Marauder:Type Size Horsepower Years ohv V-8 390 250/300/330 1963-1964 ohv V-8 406 385/405 1963 ohv V-8 427 410/425 1964
