The first Mercury Monterey was a special 2-door coupe body on the 1950 Mercury Eight model. For 1952 Mercury had positioned a whole new model range for the Monterey at the top of its cars with both a convertible and a 4-door sedan added. The first engine was a 4-litre Flathead V8 which was replaced in 1954 with the new Ford Y-block engine. New bodies for 1955 and 1956 were shared with top end Fords and lower end Lincolns, but the Monterey was demoted in rhe Mercury lineup beneath the new Montclair. A 4.8-litre Ford Thunderbird Y-block engine was offered and later the 5,115cc (312) Y-block V8. For 1957 and 58 Mercury tried to reposition itself higher, to be above the forthcomung Edsel, and Mercury was afforded its own bodies on an even longer wheelbase. That idea backfired and Mercury had to retract, introducing a new Medalist model beneath the Monterey as an entry level car. The fourth generation Monterey was launched 1959 and 1960 on a huge 126-inch wheelbase with larger engines and in 1961 the fifth generation made use of Ford Galaxie bodies on 120inch.