This is my 1964 Mercury Meteor 4-door hard top in Skyline Blue color. She has a 352-cid V8, Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission, no power steering, no power brakes, no Breezeway window, AM radio, clock, seat belts in the front seat only and the largest trunk I’ve seen. This car is fun to drive and was the last year of the tail fins on the rear fenders.
The stories I hear about families that had one are great.
People today don’t remember why cars like this were built. When highways were first made from coast to coast it was so people in America could travel the country. Cars like this opened the door for the family to ride in style and comfort. As well as fit the families luggage, fishing poles, golf clubs, etc. in the oversize trunk.
My grandparents’ friend bought this car because, like him, the car was made in Canada. He put a lot of money into this car to bring it back to this shape.
My grandparents passed away years ago and their friend died when he was 82. He had told his son that if he ever decided to sell the car to let me know. However, the grandson wanted the car.
Nonetheless, a few weeks later I received an email asking if I still wanted the Meteor. I said yes (as it turns out, they were tired of people stopping them and asking if the car was for sale).
Since that day, I’ve taking it to car shows everywhere, used it in a 4th of July parade with the DAV in Ypsilanti and the local veterans in Lake George, Michigan.
I know cars like mine don’t win awards at shows because it’s a family car, not a hot rod or muscle car. Yet cars like this have a long history with the American roadways of yesterday. So the next time you see us or another family car at a car show, please stop by and hear the stories about these open road-trip cars.
I again will be at the Motor Muster at Greenfield Village at the Henry Ford museum on Father’s Day weekend, and I show the car in honor of its previous owner and our long-time and beloved family friend Ron Hancock of Troy, Michigan.
— Ray Tuck, Ypsilanti MI
