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.

Mercury Voyager
1957 Mercury Voyager 2-door wagon, rear
Overview
ManufacturerMercury (Ford)
Model years1957-1958
Body and chassis
ClassFull-size
Body style
LayoutFR layout
Platform1957 Mercury
Chassisbody-on-frame
RelatedMercury Monterey
Mercury Montclair
Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
Mercury Commuter
Mercury Colony Park
Powertrain
Engine312 cu in (5.1 L) Ford Y-block V8
368 cu in (6.0 L) Lincoln Y-Block V8
383 cu in (6.3 L) MEL V8
430 cu in (7.0 L) MEL V8
Transmission3-speed Merc-o-Matic automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase122 in (3,099 mm)
Length212.3 in (5,392 mm) (1957)
214.2 in (5,441 mm) (1958)
Width79.1 in (2,009 mm)
Height58.3 in (1,481 mm)
This article is about the Mercury station wagon sold from 1957 to 1958. For the minivan, see Plymouth Voyager and Chrysler Voyager. For the Mercury station wagon sold from 1966 to 1967, see Mercury Comet.

For the 1959 model year, Ford consolidated the station wagon nameplates of its non-Lincoln divisions, with the Voyager withdrawn alongside the Ford Del Rio, Edsel Roundup, and Edsel Bermuda.

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.[1] Serving as the mid-range Mercury station wagon, the Voyager was trimmed between the Mercury Monterey and Mercury Montclair sedans.

Chassis

As with the Commuter, Colony Park, and Mercury sedans of the time, the 1957-1958 Mercury Voyager was constructed using a body-on-frame chassis.[2] Sharing its chassis with the rest of the Mercury range, the Voyager is built on a 122-inch wheelbase.[2][3]

During its production, the Voyager was offered exclusively with V8 engines. For 1957, the standard engine was a 312 cubic-inch "Safety-Surge" V8, producing 255 hp, with a 368 cubic-inch "Turnpike Cruiser" V8 producing 290 hp as an option.[2] For 1958, Mercury revised its engine offerings, introducing the MEL-series V8. A 383 cubic-inch "Marauder" V8 producing 330 hp, was standard for the Voyager, with a 430 cubic-inch "Super Marauder" V8 was an option, producing 400 hp.[4] The Super Marauder V8 was notable for becoming the first American mass-produced engine to reach an output of 400 hp.

For all four V8 engines, a 3-speed "Merc-O-Matic" automatic transmission was used. In a break from Ford and Edsel, Mercury used dashboard-mounted push-button controls for the automatic transmission.

Body design

During its production, the Voyager was offered in two body configurations: two-door and four-door. Produced solely as a pillarless hardtop, a forward-facing third-row seat was offered on four-door Voyagers, expanding seating capacity from six to nine.[5][6] In a design that would be modified on later Ford/Mercury station wagons, the rear window lowers into the tailgate, which folds flat against the load floor.[1]

For 1958, the exterior underwent a minor revision. Along with the standardization of quad headlamps, more conservative front styling was added.[7] While the revision was centered around an effort to better integrate the grille and front bumper, the "pie-wedge" taillamps were replaced by a "rocket-style" design, along with additional chrome trim on the C-pillar.[6]

  • 1958 Mercury Voyager (street rod)
  • 1958 Mercury Voyager (street rod)
  • 1958 Mercury Voyager, rear
  • 1958 Mercury Voyager dashboard
gollark: I'm not on a dvorak board.
gollark: My ` key has ¬ on shift.
gollark: On mine you described #.
gollark: Well, maybe on *your* keyboard.
gollark: It's called a backtick. Look it up.

References
  1. Ristic-Petrovic, Dusan. "1957 Mercury Wagons Brochure". www.oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  2. Ristic-Petrovic, Dusan. "1957 Mercury Wagons Brochure". www.oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  3. "How Mercury Cars Work". HowStuffWorks. 2007-06-06. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  4. "Directory Index: Mercury/1958 Mercury/1958_Mercury_Wagons_Brochure". www.oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  5. Ristic-Petrovic, Dusan. "1957 Mercury Wagons Brochure". www.oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  6. "Directory Index: Mercury/1958 Mercury/1958_Mercury_Wagons_Brochure". www.oldcarbrochures.com. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  7. "How Mercury Cars Work". HowStuffWorks. 2007-06-06. Retrieved 2018-09-23.

"For Sale: 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser Voyager". Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2007-08-11.

"Classic Cars". Retrieved 2007-08-11.


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