14" Mercury Wire Wheel Covers

[mercman from oz]

Can anyone tell me the years for these three 14" Mercury Wire Wheel Covers.

The top one has a Spinner, so that would be the earliest one of the three, and I would put this one down as 1965 - 1967.

That leaves the one on the left that has the same Black Plastic Centre with Circles as the one with the Spinner. Was this one also 1967?

I have seen both styles on Factory Pictures on the 1967 Mercury Cougar.

The one on the right has the Mercury Head, which I would put as 1968-1969.

I realise that the same Wire Wheel Covers were also available on the Mercury Comet.

I am a Hubcap Collector and want to display these, but first, I will write on the back of them what years they are for.

Thanks for your help. Mercman <><

[m-mman]

The 3 bar spinner was eliminated by 1968 as being dangerous (to pedestrians?) so the one with them would be 67. 

 

Between 65-68 the base wire cover was used on full size Fords & Mercs in the 15" size and the Mustangs-Cougars in the 14" size. The base wheel cover is all the same, FoCoMo mixed and matched the spinner, non-spinner and centers with Ford, Mustang & Merc emblems.

With changes in production because the wire covers were going out of style and were being replaced with styled steel wheels as the top offering and dealers swapping them around to increase sales appeal I am not sure there really is an exact application during this time. 

 

This is the 15" on my 66 Mercury Parklane convertible

[mercman from oz]

m-mman, Thanks for the reply. Were these black Centres unique to Mercury, or could they be Ford also? By the way, I have a 1967 Mercury Park Lane Convertible.

[m-mman]

I just looked at my literature (brochures, accessory folders, C&U book) and it shows the spinner in 66, no spinner in 68, but some pictures in the 67 show spinners and some do not.

 

The 67 pictures show the black spot center (except for one with a goofy Merc head that I know is a drawing) The 68 pages are all red Merc head centers.

However the pictures in the 66 C&U book shows the black spot on the Comet wire cover and the Merc head on the 15" cover.

I have never seen the black spot center on a Ford. In fact I typically figured they were the aftermarket replacement. 

 

Interestingly in both the 66 & 67 books they say that the wire cover was not available for the Commuter or Colony Park wagons(?) but was available on the Comet wagons . . . <sheesh> 

 

I dont have much Cougar specific literature, but I could not find a Cougar shown in the full line pieces wearing wire covers.

In 68 wire covers only appear on the red Montego convertible. 

Edited July 22, 2020 by m-mman (see edit history)

[mercman from oz]

Hi Tom, Thanks for the information on Mercury Wire Hubcaps.

I also found the Sales Brochures to be confusing.

Your 1966 Mercury Park Lane looks great.

My friend did own this red 1966 Mercury Park Lane Convertible until recently.

It looks disgusting with black tyres.

When this car was near new, it and another one was imported into Australia. 

Unfortunately, the other one was stolen, then set on fire, so it is no-more.

[mercman from oz]

When my friend purchased his 66 Mercury, the Instruments were not placed directly in front of the driver.

He removed the Instrument Panel, turned the instruments upside down, then replaced the whole Dashboard.

This is how it looked in tehg end.

[mercman from oz]

My friends 66 Mercury Park Lane was a great car. Check out this interior shot - beautiful.

[m-mman]

2 hours ago, mercman from oz said:

It looks disgusting with black tyres

 

The black wall tires are not as strange as painting the wheels red and having the color show through the wire spokes. <yikes!>

 

I am always amazed at the effort it takes to change a car into RHD . . . . 

Edited July 22, 2020 by m-mman (see edit history)