Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
Encyclopedia
The Mercury Turnpike Cruiser was the flagship model of the Mercury
Division of the Ford Motor Company
that was produced from 1957 to 1958. The Turnpike Cruiser was produced in two body styles: a two-door and four-door hardtop were offered. In 1957 a convertible was produced, serving as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 of that year
.
At introduction of the 1957 line up the Turnpike Cruiser series offered two- and four-door hardtop body styles. They are best known for the unique styling cues and wide array of gadgets including a power rear window that could be lowered to improve ventilation, "twin jet" air intakes at upper corners of car's windshield, "seat-o-matic" automatically adjusting seat, and an average speed "computer". A convertible version served as the pace car of the 1957 Indianapolis 500
.
For 1957, the Turnpike Cruiser was the premium model offering from Mercury. In addition to its unique features, the car was further differentiated from other Mercury models by a gold anodized trim strip in the car's rear fin. It came standard with an automatic transmission and a 368-c.i.d. engine producing 290 hp; this engine was optional on other Mercurys. A tachometer was available. Safety features such as an impact absorbing, deep-dish steering wheel and safety door locks were standard, while seat belts and a padded dash were optional. It made up 8.47% of Mercury's sales in 1957.
. On January 7, 1957 it was announced that the Convertible Cruiser would be available as a production model as well. All Convertible cruisers had a continental tire
kit and were painted yellow (Sun Glitter), similar to the original pace cars.
line with only minor trim changes to the car from the previous year, but the convertible version was not offered this year. Standard engine became the 383-c.i.d. "Marauder" V8 engine
, with the 430-c.i.d., 360 hp version available as an option. A triple-carburetor "Super Marauder" 400 hp version was available across the Mercury line.
The Turnpike Cruiser was discontinued for 1959. However from 1963 to 1966 Mercury revived the Turnpike Cruiser's most noted feature, the retractable rear window, on its "Breezeway
" sub-series in the Monterey
, Montclair
and Park Lane
model ranges.
Mercury (automobile)
Mercury was an automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, son of Henry Ford, to market entry-level luxury cars slotted between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles, similar to General Motors' Buick brand, and Chrysler's namesake brand...
Division of the Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
that was produced from 1957 to 1958. The Turnpike Cruiser was produced in two body styles: a two-door and four-door hardtop were offered. In 1957 a convertible was produced, serving as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 of that year
1957 Indianapolis 500
The 1957 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Thursday, May 30, 1957 at Indianapolis. The event was the third round of the 1957 World Drivers' Championship and the first round of the 1957 USAC Championship Car season.- Classification :- Notes :...
.
At introduction of the 1957 line up the Turnpike Cruiser series offered two- and four-door hardtop body styles. They are best known for the unique styling cues and wide array of gadgets including a power rear window that could be lowered to improve ventilation, "twin jet" air intakes at upper corners of car's windshield, "seat-o-matic" automatically adjusting seat, and an average speed "computer". A convertible version served as the pace car of the 1957 Indianapolis 500
1957 Indianapolis 500
The 1957 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Thursday, May 30, 1957 at Indianapolis. The event was the third round of the 1957 World Drivers' Championship and the first round of the 1957 USAC Championship Car season.- Classification :- Notes :...
.
1957
Convertible Cruiser
Later in the model year an open car named Convertible Cruiser was added to this series. From the beginning it was created only to be used as the official pace car of the 1957 Indianapolis 5001957 Indianapolis 500
The 1957 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Thursday, May 30, 1957 at Indianapolis. The event was the third round of the 1957 World Drivers' Championship and the first round of the 1957 USAC Championship Car season.- Classification :- Notes :...
. On January 7, 1957 it was announced that the Convertible Cruiser would be available as a production model as well. All Convertible cruisers had a continental tire
Continental tire
A Continental tire is an upright, external, mounted spare tire behind an automobile's trunk compartment. The term also describes a non-functional bulge that is stamped into the trunk lid or a cosmetic accessory to the rear of the car giving the impression of a spare tire mount.-Development:The...
kit and were painted yellow (Sun Glitter), similar to the original pace cars.
1958
In 1958 the Turnpike Cruiser joined the mid-range Mercury MontclairMercury Montclair
The Mercury Montclair was a full-size automobile produced by the Mercury Division of the Ford Motor Company from 1955 to 1957, the M-E-L Division of Ford Motor Company 1958 to 1959 and by the Lincoln Mercury Division of the Ford Motor Company from 1964 to 1968...
line with only minor trim changes to the car from the previous year, but the convertible version was not offered this year. Standard engine became the 383-c.i.d. "Marauder" V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, with the 430-c.i.d., 360 hp version available as an option. A triple-carburetor "Super Marauder" 400 hp version was available across the Mercury line.
The Turnpike Cruiser was discontinued for 1959. However from 1963 to 1966 Mercury revived the Turnpike Cruiser's most noted feature, the retractable rear window, on its "Breezeway
Breezeway
A breezeway is an architectural feature similar to a hallway that allows the passage of a breeze between structures to accommodate high winds, allow aeration, or provide aesthetic design variation. Often a breezeway is a simple roof connecting two structures ; sometimes it can be much more like a...
" sub-series in the Monterey
Mercury Monterey
The Monterey was introduced in 1950 as a high-end two-door coupe in the same vein as the Ford Crestliner, the Lincoln Lido coupe and the Lincoln Cosmopolitan Capri coupe. The reason was to offer a more luxurious coupe as the FoMoCo still not had any hard top. The Mercury line got a styling redesign...
, Montclair
Mercury Montclair
The Mercury Montclair was a full-size automobile produced by the Mercury Division of the Ford Motor Company from 1955 to 1957, the M-E-L Division of Ford Motor Company 1958 to 1959 and by the Lincoln Mercury Division of the Ford Motor Company from 1964 to 1968...
and Park Lane
Mercury Park Lane
The Mercury Park Lane was a fullsize automobile produced by the Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company from 1958 to 1960 and by the Lincoln-Mercury Division from 1964 to 1968. During this time, the Park Lane resembled the Monterey, but with a higher trim level.The Park Lane was introduced in...
model ranges.