1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
Mercury Turnpike Cruiser; Part 1 Kris Kringle Car Show Franklin, TN
Just the name says it all. It was the late 1950s and America was just beginning to really discover the open road and Detroit was building cars the flew down the road. The general population was intrigued with space ships and luxury cruise ships. All was good in the World and we were set to take off. What better name for a top of the line road King than Turnpike Cruiser? Mercury was the step up from the everymans’s Ford. Never was it said more clearly than with the 57 and 58 Turnpike Cruisers. Here are a couple of similar examples. The first was photographed at the 2011 Kris Kringle Car Show in Franklin, TN and the other was photographed at the 2009 Good Guys Show in Des Moines, IA.
Hope you enjoy these as much as did!
Mercury Turnpike Cruiser; Part 2 Des Moines Good Guys Show
As we mentioned above America of the 50s and 60s was fascinated with anything that flew or went into space. It was the beginning of the space age and everyone wanted to be apart of it. It seemed like every car wanted to be a space ship. Arguably, one car from Mercury may have been the best example. It was the 1957/1958 Turnpike Cruiser.
Sometimes show cars led the way to what future models may look like other times manufactures would design the production car and then build the show car to extreme and measure the public’s reaction. It also proved customers with a hint of what was to come. The 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser was an original. The show car it most resembled, the experimental XM-Turnpike Cruiser of 1956, came after the basic production design had been developed.
The 1957 and 1958 Mercury Turnpike Cruisers were a halo models for the Mercury Division. At introduction of the 1957 line up the Turnpike Cruiser series offered two and a four door hardtop body styles.
They might best be described as the Jetsons meet Detroit. They are remembered 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 the upper corners of the front windshield, “seat-o-matic” automatically adjusting seat, and an average speed “computer”.
For 1957, the Turnpike Cruiser was the premium model range for Mercury being differentiated from other Mercury models by the 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 290Â horsepower.
Later in the model year an open car named Convertible Cruiser was added to this series. It was created to be used only as the official pace car of the 1957 Indianapolis 500. 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.
In 1958 the Turnpike Cruiser received only minor trim changes and the convertible was no longer offered. Standard engine became the 383-c.i.d. “Marauder” engine, with the 430-c.i.d., 360Â horsepower version available as an option. A triple-carburetor “Super Marauder” 400Â horsepower 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.
The photos here were taken of this 1957 Turnpike Cruiser at the 2009 Good Guys Show in Des Moines, Iowa. Unfortunately, the rain would not hold off for the photos and the cars excellent paint got to show off its ability to bead water.
This is a well restored example of a car many of you may have never seen. In fact many may have never even heard of a Turnpike Cruiser before.
The Big “M”
These air vents were the big design element for this car.
“Hood Ornament” for the rear deck.
These dual rear antennas were very big back in the day.
Close up of the outside of the vent.
This is what that vent looks like on the inside.
These wheels ARE NOT originals but look great for a Good Guys Show.
Popularity: 22%
Many historic automotive enthusiasts like to say that the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser along with the Edsel was proof that America rejected these cars for over the top styling excesses that proves they were failures. When you look at these cars, especially this black Turnpike Merc, ugly or over the top just does not apply!
This car is magnificent, and if I were in the market for a medium price set of wheels, this is the one I would have been placing my money on! When you look at what was out there at the time, nothing comes close to the Cruiser. That beautiful projectile down the side quarters to the tailamps was simply beautiful. The covering over the rear window, the projectiles out of the roof in front, that amazing windshield, the rear window that lowered behind the rear seat for ventiliation, and those beautiful fender skirts with thin outline molding – the car was just beautiful. In this color black, the car is stunning!
I know that people will get into arguments over their favorite car from this period, but if people think this car had styling excesses, how about the “forward look” Mopar products, and how about the tailfinned excesses of the GM products.
This beautiful restored Merc proves all of these years later, that these cars were unappreciated in their time; ahead of their time, and will be given their proper place as valuable classics. The Edsel is in the same category, that what was underappreciated in its time, comes back and proves they shine among those cars from the period.
Yes, I would have purchased a Mercury Turnpike Crusier just as pictured for my ride, and I know that it would have been enjoyed and admired!
This was a magnificent automobile. My uncle owned the Lincoln-Mercury dealership in Jonesboro, AR at the time, and he sold my dad a new car about every year or two. We had suicide door Mercs, a 53 2-door Lincoln Capri with the OHV V-8, a 55 and 56 Mercury Monterey and finally after a trip to Jonesboro, we ended up with a lt. blue with black top Turnpike Cruiser. It was a great car except the air conditioner (factory) would freeze up. We’d have to go about ten miles with the windows and back window down to let the AC thaw out. My uncle sold the LM dealership and we kept the TC for about three years before trading it for a 61 Chrysler Newport. An old black lady in the community bought it and it was around town for years. In about 69 when I was 19, I stopped by her home and asked her favor, “could I drive the car.” Eight or nine years of minimal maintenance was telling on the car when I drove it … it was pretty rough … squeaks and pops in the suspension – never had shocks replaced… some tears in the upholstery. I thanked her but I do wish my dad had done as he threatened – put the car on blocks and keep it. But as the seven-ten year old car fanatic, it was a great car; It was a fun car – it had the first tachometer in a car I ever saw – and also had push-button drive (Most folks associate that kind of transmission control with Chrysler but this TP cruiser had it. The images like the “M” in the front grill, the gold in the design element of the tail light, the airvent and the quad-headlight assembly are all design cues that strike my memories as parts of the care that were really special.
I remember it well. This was my car back in 1957. Of course, the color was somewhat different … all white with gold trim. Red and white interior. 0 to 60 in seven seconds flat … just a car length behind a Dodge back in those days, but with a higher top end. Built for cruising, and we did … didn’t we? All we needed was a few bucks for gas. Seeing the price back then blows me away. To think that we’d be driving Japanese after all these years.
Thanks for the memories.
Jim