{{Use American English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox automobile | name = Mercury Medalist | image = File:1956 Mercury Medalist (14295708548).jpg | caption = 1956 Mercury Medalist 2-Door Sedan with optional "Flo-tone" paint combination of Niagara Blue over Classic White | manufacturer = [[Mercury (automobile)|Mercury]] ([[Ford Motor Company|Ford]]) | production = | related = [[Mercury Custom]]<br>[[Mercury Monterey]]<br>[[Mercury Montclair]] | model_years = 1956<br>1958 | assembly = Main plant<br>[[Wayne, Michigan]]<ref name="flory 50s" /><br>(Branch assembly)<br>[[St. Louis, Missouri]]<br>[[Pico Rivera, California]]<br>[[Metuchen, New Jersey]] | body_style = 2-door sedan (1956 & 1958) <br>2-door hardtop Sport Coupe (1956) <br>4-door sedan (1956 & 1958) <br> 4-door hardtop (1956) | class = [[Full-size]] | layout = [[FR layout]] | engine = {{convert|312|cuin|L|1|abbr=on}} [[Ford Y-block engine#312|Ford Y-block V8]] (1956 & 1958) <br> {{convert|430|cuin|L|1|abbr=on}} [[Ford MEL engine#430|Ford MEL V8]] (1958) | transmission =3-speed [[manual transmission|manual]]<ref name="flory 50s" /><br />3-speed [[Cruise-O-Matic|Merc-O-Matic]] [[automatic transmission|automatic]]<br>[[Overdrive (mechanics)|Touch-O-Matic overdrive]] | length = {{convert|206.3|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} (1956)<br>{{convert|213.2|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} (1958) | width = {{convert|76.4|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} (1956)<br>{{convert|81.1|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} (1958) | height = {{convert|60.6|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} (1956)<br>{{convert|56.1|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} (1958) | wheelbase = {{convert|119|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} (1956)<br>{{convert|122|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} (1958) | weight = {{convert|3530|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} (1956)<br>{{convert|3875|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}} (1958) }}
The '''Mercury Medalist''' is an automobile which was produced by [[Mercury (automobile)|Mercury]] for the 1956 model year and was similar to the [[Ford Customline#Second generation (1955–1956)|Ford Customline]] in market segment.<ref name=Gunnell>John Gunnell, Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975, Revised 4th Edition, pages 515 and 516</ref>
The Medalist was introduced as a two-door sedan only in September 1955 as Mercury's low-price model.<ref name=Gunnell/> It was positioned below the [[Mercury Custom|Custom]], [[Mercury Monterey|Monterey]] and [[Mercury Montclair|Montclair]] models and replaced the entry-level status the Custom previously held.<ref name=Gunnell/> A four-door sedan, a two door hardtop and a four-door hardtop were added midyear at which time the Medalist was given full series status.<ref name=Gunnell/> It was offered only with a 312 cubic inch V8 engine.<ref name=Gunnell/><ref name="flory 50s">{{cite book|last=Flory Jr.|first=J. "Kelly"|title=American Cars, 1946-1959 Every Model Every Year|year=2008|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|isbn=978-0-7864-3229-5}}</ref> The standard items included textured vinyl upholstery, rubber floor mats, and chrome front and rear window surround mouldings, and a rear quarter panel body side stainless steel trim. Optional items included a heater and windshield defroster, "Travel-Tuner" signal seeking [[AM radio]], padded instrument panel, seat belts, power adjustable front seat, power windows, power steering, power brakes, white wall tires mounted on {{convert|15|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} steel wheels and auxiliary road lamps.<ref name="flory 50s" /> All Mercury's for 1955 offered a canted hood over the headlights previously introduced on the [[Mercury XM-800]] concept car from 1954. [[File:56 Mercury Medalist (9132809791) (cropped).jpg|left|thumb|1956 Mercury Medalist 2-door sedan rear ]] For 1956, Mercury introduced two types of two-tone paint combinations, offering the traditional approach of a roof color over a different body color, and "Flo-tone" where the roof and lower body were painted in one color and the upper body painted in another color. There were a total of thirty-one two-tone combinations and twenty-eight "Flo-tone" combinations.<ref name="flory 50s" /> The listed retail price was US$2,254 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|2254|1956}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars {{inflation-fn|US}}) for the 2-Door Sedan and 20,582 were assembled.<ref name="flory 50s" />
The Medalist was discontinued along with the Custom for the 1957 model year with the Monterey now the base model in that year's Mercury range.<ref name=curbsideclassic>[https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1956-mercury-medalist-%E2%80%93-the-big-m/ J P Cavanaugh, January 28, 2019, Curbside Classic: 1956 Mercury Medalist – The Big M, www.curbsideclassic.com] Retrieved 20 March 2022</ref>
The Medalist returned in 1958 once again as the entry-level Mercury as either a 2-door or 4-door sedan and no hardtop roofline was offered. Sixteen standard colors were offered, along with cloth and vinyl upholstery, full carpeting, an electric clock, and chrome window surrounding on the front and rear windows. Two engine choices and a choice of either a 3-speed manual or Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission with available Touch-O-Matic overdrive were available as extra cost options. Other optional equipment listed heater and defroster, air conditioning, AM-radio, tinted glass, 4-way power adjustable front seat, power windows, power steering, power brakes, and a padded instrument panel. Production records show a total of 18,732 2-door and 4-door sedans were manufactured with an average listed price of US$2,582 (${{formatnum:{{Inflation|US|2582|1958}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars {{inflation-fn|US}}), and was the last year the Medalist nameplate was used.<ref name="flory 50s" />
==References== <references/>
==External links== {{commons category|Mercury Medalist|position=left}}
* [http://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Mercury/1956%20Mercury/1956%20Mercury%20Prestige%20Brochure/index1.html 1956 Mercury Prestige Brochure, www.oldcarbrochures.com] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20220320035337/https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/3gQAAOSwTfde1nJ2/s-l1600.jpg 1956 Mercury Medalist Brochure (side two of two), i.ebayimg.com, via web.archive.org]
{{Mercury Vehicles}} {{Mercury historic timeline}}
[[Category:Mercury vehicles|Medalist]] [[Category:Cars introduced in 1956]] [[Category:Cars discontinued in 1958]]