This is the rear logo on a beautifully restored 1956 Mercury Monterey. The Mercury Division was started in the late 1930's by Ford Motor Company, in order to provide its customers with a more upscale car line. Named after the Roman god Mercury, the company adopted the side profile of Mercury as their logo. This logo continued through the 1940's and 1950's, to be replaced by a stylized "M" in the 1960's.