Meteor (automobile)

The initial 1949 Meteor was introduced on June 25, 1948, at the same time the Ford Deluxe and Custom series were introduced across North America, and shared the new postwar full-sized Ford bodies, chassis, and powertrains but with unique trim. It used a Mercury grille and was powered by a 100 bhp (75 kW), 239 CID flathead V8 similar to that used in 1946–1953 U.S. Ford passenger cars. Meteor, as well as the Canadian Ford, kept the flathead V8 engine through 1954. The new OHV V8 which US Fords offered beginning in 1954 was not introduced in Canada until the 1955 model year. The following year, Ford of Canada introduced a six-cylinder engine for Canadian Ford cars. Meteor models continued to use the Ford body with unique items such as grilles, taillights, and moldings. The 1952–1954 Meteors used Mercury instrument panels and dashboards. In mid-1954, some Niagara and Rideau models began using Ford instrument panels and dashes. These cars were named Niagara Special and Rideau Special and were priced around C$67 less than regular Niagaras or Rideaus.

1954 Meteor Niagara

In 1954, Meteor changed to its own series names. The entry-level car was called just Meteor, replacing Ford's Mainline series. The mid-level Ford Customline became the Meteor Niagara, while the top trim level Ford Crestline became the Meteor Rideau. A rebadged, Canadian-built version of the Ford Ranchero was added in 1957, and continued to be produced until 1959 as the "Meteor Ranchero."[1] The Montcalm series was added in mid-1959 as a counterpart to Ford's new Galaxie models.

Meteor was discontinued as a brand name after 1961 for a number of reasons. The Meteor name was selected for a new vehicle introduced in the Mercury line, the intermediate sized Mercury Meteor, beginning in 1962, and the entire Mercury line had already been dropped down in price (moving closer to the niche previously served by the Meteor brand in Canada) due to slow Mercury sales and the discontinuation of the Edsel brand.

Due to dealer pressure, however, Ford released a lower-priced "Mercury 400" in 1963 that stood in the price bracket formerly occupied by the Meteor. When the intermediate Mercury Meteor was dropped after 1963, Ford of Canada relaunched Meteor as a standalone make in 1964, and dropped Mercury's Monterey series in Canada. The 1964 Meteor looked nearly identical to the 1964 Mercury, save for its Ford dashboard and interior, and was available in a base and Custom series. Sedans, hardtops, and a convertible were offered. It appears that most, if not all, 1964 Meteor closed models were of the "Breezeway" style, featuring a blocky C-pillar with retractable rear window, while Mercurys offered sleeker "Marauder" models.

For 1965, the full range of model names that had existed in 1961 returned: Rideau, Rideau 500, and Montcalm. The cars used Ford Galaxie bodies but had Mercury-styled front and rear styling. The Montego was added as a top-range model for 1967, but when that name was selected for use by Mercury in the U.S. beginning in 1968, it was renamed LeMoyne. A sport-themed Montcalm S-33 model was available from 1966-68. These cars were all basically Ford Galaxies with Mercury styling, they even used Ford's full size wheel covers.

Although Meteor was still considered as a separate marque through 1976, after 1968, the cars also carried Mercury badging and were advertised as the "Mercury Meteor". LeMoyne and Montcalm S-33 models continued through 1970.

After 1976, the Rideau 500 and Montcalm names, as well as the unique trim items, were dropped. The Meteor name was then used on a lower-priced variant of the Mercury Marquis, called the Mercury Marquis Meteor, built until 1981.

• 
  1959 Meteor Niagara 300 four-door sedan
• 
  1960 Meteor Rideau 500 four-door sedan. Save for grille insert, trim and taillights, this car is virtually identical to the Ford Fairlane 500 of the same year.
• 
  1968 Meteor Rideau 500 two-door hardtop
• 
  1975–1976 Mercury Meteor Rideau 500 four-door pillared hardtop

• Monarch Meteor, by R. Perry Zavitz

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meteor vehicles.