To give Canadian Lincoln-Mercury dealerships a car line slotted below the Mercury (to compete against Pontiac), the Meteor was a Ford body with its own grille, taillamps, and marginal upgrades to exterior and interior trim.

[1] From 1977 to 1981, the Meteor name lived on in Canada as the base-trim version of the Marquis (as a counterpart to the final-generation Ford Custom 500).

In the mid-1950s, Ford executives were convinced by Ernest Breech that in order to compete with General Motors the automaker had to meet each sales segment with a unique product.

Alongside the creation of the Edsel, the plan affected Mercury by giving the brand a distinct chassis and body for 1957 (model differentiation not seen since 1940).

Historically, Mercury was typically considered a "lower-medium-priced" car brand (competing against Pontiac and Dodge).

To build a better business case for Mercury, the division again was developed as a longer-wheelbase version of the Ford bodyshell and chassis, largely differentiated by trim elements.

[2] Originally developed as the 1961 Edsel Ranger, the Meteor was slotted below the Monterey within the Mercury line; the higher-priced Montclair and Park Lane nameplates were retired.

[2] Optional and "convenience features" continued to grow from past years, and items that were extra cost included air conditioning, passenger compartment heater, electric clock, interior courtesy light group, exterior backup lights, windshield defroster, padded instrument panel, power assist brakes, four-way adjustable power front seat, power steering, pre-selected pushbutton AM radio, tinted glass, two-speed windshield wipers, windshield washer, and two-tone exterior paint choices.

The Meteor 800 was offered in all four body styles and was given additional chrome trim; the rear fascia used six round taillamps (shared with the Monterey).

[2] While the Meteor was not offered as a station wagon, the Mercury Commuter was trimmed as its equivalent, with the wood-trim Colony Park serving as the counterpart of the Monterey.

[2] For 1963, alongside minor trim revisions, the Meteor received the addition of a four-door station wagon and a two-door hardtop coupe.