1957 Mercury Convertible Cruiser - Commercial

[SweetJaneofGoth]

@lilprincessred Like my grandpap says - "Hark! a toupee wearing Mustang driving jackass. The reason they are called ponycars is because the assholes who drive them are one trick ponies. All the fucking mustang proved was that people wanted a smaller car. MacNamara knew that all along so fuck you!". Like I don't know anything about cars except I rather get fucked in a bed.

[Benzfever]

What a f&^%$ boring way to present a car.

[Daboggeyman2]

In 1957 the Mercury had models that featured a single head light design and the dual head light design because of laws in a few state that outlawed cars with dual head lights

[cubantoro]

..."It has the same straightness of lines, the feeling of bigness and mass without bulk." Boy! They should have filmed this car using Cinemascope. They should have parked a '58 Oldsmobile next to it to make the Mercury look less bulky.

[EdVidz]

57-58 was a HUGE styling era, enormously competitive, I remember it well. The old lady down at the book/magazine store used to suggest that I buy a few of the magazines after reading them. Hint hint.

Anyway, you've got quite a good knowledge of this stuff and I appreciate the info.

[HOLYWOODANGEL]

wow

[EdVidz]

This looks like a 1958 since it has dual headlights, the 1957 had single headlights - as did the Fords.

[scottericlee]

@EdVidz Nope. It's a '57. The '58 has shorter headlight bezels and the fin inserts are different. Besides, the '57 was the only one to pace the Indy. It is VERY well documented. Seeing as there is only one "Official Pace Car".

Dig it: conceptcarz[dot]com/view/photo­/127467,11885,0,0/photo.aspx

[bs5990]

@peterdaniel66 Uh take a look at Jaguar grilles of the past 15 years, then say that same quote. I own a 58 Edsel, and I love it. asshole.

@canine2 , thanks for your support of the defunct Edsel Division.

[lasuvidaboy]

It's a great looking car even though I never cared for the rear continental kits and extended bumper. 1949-'70 Mercs were generally very good looking cars! 

[FURY1958]

This is the Turnpike cruiser, am I right?

[lilprincessred]

@doppleremt911 This is a 57. That year you could get single or quad headlight. Also 57 was the year they paced the indy 500.

[AshburnStadium]

I find it difficult to believe that this is a 1957 rather than a 1958. Quad headlights weren't legalized until the 1958 model year.

[lilprincessred]

@AshburnStadium 57 Mercurys came either single or quad headlights depending on where they were being sold since Tennessee and S Dakota still hadn't legalized quad headlights. 57 Desoto's also did this. 57 Lincoln, Dodge, Plymouth used a smaller running light next to headlight so that the same pod could be used on the 58 models when they went to quads the next year.

[RabidKoala]

The spokesman appears to be Jack Reith, one of the "whiz kids" who shepherded Ford after Henry relinquished control. Of the group, he was the only one who cared about cars - the rest were bean counters lead by Robert McNamara, the biggest bean counter of them all.

Reith was heavily involved with the Edsel, was removed from his job at Mercury, spent enough time in a job at the corporate level to get his retirement then worked at Crosley in Cincinnati. He died from a self inflicted gunshot wound.

[rever65]

this is a 57. you had the choice of either single headlights or optional duals. not sure if the T.C had duals standard or not. as a side note, Lincoln/Mercury used to be the sponsor on The Ed Sullivan Show, until Ed's brakes gave out on his Lincoln and he was nearly killed!

[canine2]

Don't get me wrong...I love ALL old cars, but it's weird how the '58 Edsel caught such heat for being strange looking, when the late '50's were LOADED with other freakish looking vehicles, like this Merc. Other styling oddities were the : '57 Nash Rambler, '59 Impala, '61 Plymouth Belvedere, '58 Buick, '61 DeSoto, early Plymouth Valiant, '57 Lincoln Premier, '58 Lincoln, and, frankly, most Cadillacs. All were as weird as the Edsel, AND JUST AS LOVABLE!! They're all great!

[NESherv]

@canine2 Two words: 1960 Buick.

[peterdaniel66]

@canine2 Yes, but all the other cars didn't have a huge gaping vagina on its front grill

[RobDog65]

Funny thing... this car was considered overstyled and oversized back in its day, and wasn't a sales success.

Nowadays we'd consider it a piece of rolling sculpture, a sheet metal masterpiece. Which is exactly what it is.

[DamnStraightM35A2]

government regulation.......

[57MercGuy]

I have one of these. My grandfather rebuilt it from a rust-bucket. It's a '57 Merc Turnpike Cruiser Pacecar with matching numbers.

[vividwatch47]

Indiananpolis 500 Pacecar, that is! The 1957 Mercury did not sell well, though the convertible was popular with N.A.S.C.A.R. drivers.

[auaiao9]

That's one long car.