Canadian built Mercury 114X vs the US Version?

[Skeezixx]

The 114X was built In Canada on a 114" wheelbase (unlike the US version which had a 118" WB). It has a totally different grill, fender and rear trim with Ford Fenders and parking lights. This one came equipped from the factory with alloy heads and intake manifold. I think the dash is a little different too but not sure since I have no US example to compare to. Is anyone else aware of any other differences?

If you own a Canadian Mercury 114X or have information about them please chime in and post a pic.

[Bruce Lancaster]

USA Fords and Mercs were built on the same frame, with the Mercury front crossmember moved forward by the wheelbase difference, motor mounts and such extended to cope, front end sheetmetal extended to match wheel location. Big difference here is just that you have crossmember and front wheels in Ford location and fenders made to match that set of dimensions.

[Newc]

Hi; Newc again: My '48 coupe has an original blue dash area and the plastic 'grill' is a tan/grey color. I have the same door panels and interior features. No turn signals and the wiring harnesses are a hybrid of Ford and Merc. Also my '48 has 16" wheels and a '47 style ign. Steering wheel is white, car is an always black exterior. These X's stand out in a crowd. Newc

[Mart]

Nicely proportioned car.

Mart.

[ford38v8]

To clarify, the 114 was basically a Ford with Mercury trim. It was a Canadian Ford offering to fill a void in the Canadian lineup caused by Canada's import restrictions. It was Mercury in name only.

[rotorwrench]

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Ford of Canada always tried to give their Mercury dealers a line up that was near same as Ford dealers.

That model looks a lot like a 42 Ford. The trim they came up with was always unique to the Canadian models. The later Mercury Meteor was also a Merc on a Ford chassis. Looked like a mini Merc.

[Fe26]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

To clarify, the 114 was basically a Ford with Mercury trim. It was a Canadian Ford offering to fill a void in the Canadian lineup caused by Canada's import restrictions. It was Mercury in name only.

That makes perfect sense to me, then they were exported to other Commonwealth countries.

So Ford Canada gypped us colonials out of 4 inches...bastards one and all.

[Barlea]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

To clarify, the 114 was basically a Ford with Mercury trim. It was a Canadian Ford offering to fill a void in the Canadian lineup caused by Canada's import restrictions. It was Mercury in name only.

There was no void in the Canadian lineup caused by Canada's import restrictions, Ford Canada simultaneously produced Fords, Merc 114s, Mercury 118s, and Monarchs (118 wb) as well as full lines of Ford and Mercury trucks. "a Mercury in name only" means what? ..B.

[johnny]

The 114 had nothing to do with import restrictions. In canada one could buy a Ford or go to the other dealer down the street and buy a 114 mercury or a118 mercury .Both the Ford and the 114 could be ordered with either the small 3 1/16 motor or the larger 3 3/316. If there were two different Ford dealers Ford of Can. thought two could sell more than one could and the customer had a greater choise .

[ford38v8]

Johnny & Barlea, The void in the lineup was the lack of a Lincoln. None were built in Canada, and weren't competitive with the post war import duty. There were indeed more selections available, as Ford of Canada countered the lack of a Lincoln by spreading out the selection of Fords & Mercurys. The Monarch and the 114 both began in 1946, the Meteor began in 1949, while the 114 ended in 1948. Sorry if my earlier post was confusing, the sight of these beauties is always confusing enough for us here in the States without wondering why they were different.

[Tudortomnz]

Originally Posted by Fe26

That makes perfect sense to me, then they were exported to other Commonwealth countries.

So Ford Canada gypped us colonials out of 4 inches...bastards one and all.

As far as I know, the Mercurys sold in Australia & those assembled in other Commonwealth countries were not the 114X, but on the longer chassis.
Ive seen a few late '40's Merc's here in NZ, but no '114X's'.
But I intend to check up about whether any were exported.

[51 MERC-CT]

Even at a slightly different angle you can see the difference.

[Barlea]

Originally Posted by ford38v8

Johnny & Barlea, The void in the lineup was the lack of a Lincoln. None were built in Canada, and weren't competitive with the post war import duty. There were indeed more selections available, as Ford of Canada countered the lack of a Lincoln by spreading out the selection of Fords & Mercurys. The Monarch and the 114 both began in 1946, the Meteor began in 1949, while the 114 ended in 1948. Sorry if my earlier post was confusing, the sight of these beauties is always confusing enough for us here in the States without wondering why they were different.

I'm still confused, I guess. Hard to believe that all those Lincoln-Mercury dealers had no Lincolns, and to fill the void they had to sell their Lincoln customer a Merc 114? Packards, Hudsons and Chrysler Imperials were all imported so why would the Lincolns not be competitive? ..B.

[ford38v8]

Barlea, I'm at the edge of my book learnin' here. To my recollection, that stuff was in one of the Allan Nevins or David Lewis books.

[Bruce Lancaster]

I read that it was based on Ford's thin dealer network in Canada...the Meteor gave Ford dealers a slightly higher priced model, and the 114 gave merc dealers a lower rung so they could cover the country better. Having both Ford and Merc pickups was part of the same thinking...with widely spaced dealers they needed a full range of models at both Ford and Merc dealerships. And of course they were not imports...Ford Canada was a full fledged factory building its own engines, not just an assembly plant only like most foreign Ford plants.

[Barlea]

That's true, although actually the Meteor came out in '49 and gave Lincoln-Mercury a lower priced model to replace the Mercury 114, and the Ford-Monarch dealer in the next town still had the Monarch to offer in the medium price range. ..B.