A STUDY IN BODY SCULPTING - 1957 MERCURY

ALTERNATIVELY DESCRIBED AS A DREAM CAR AND SOMETHING FROM OUTER SPACE, THIS ORIGINAL CONDITION, 39,000 MILE '57 MERC IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF FIFTIES DESIGN EXTREMES. THE FIRST VIEW OF THE FRONT SHOWS OFF THE MASSIVE CHROME SPLIT BUMPER PODS AND THE TOOTHY GRILLE. ( A GRILL FEATURE YOU STILL RECOGNIZE ON TODAY'S MERC ). ABOVE THE GRILL THE DUAL HEADLIGHTS ARE CROWNED WITH HEAVY "EYEBROWS". STILL ON A POST-WAR TREND YOU WILL SEE THE GUNSIGHT HOOD ORNAMENT. AS THE VIDEO MOVES INTO THE INTERIOR, NOTICE QUICKLY THE PUSH BUTTON SELECTORS AT THE EXTREME LEFT OF THE DASHBOARD. THE HEAVILY PADDED DASH MIMICS THE OVERALL DESIGN OF THE CAR. SUPPLE UPHOSTERY IN THE CAR INVITES A SENSE OF A COMFORTABLE RIDE. THE CRUX OF THIS EXTERIOR DESIGN CAN BE FOUND AT THE REAR QUARTER PANEL. IT'S A WORK OF ART. SEE HOW THE REAR ROOF LINE STOPS AT THE REAR FENDER WITH VERTICAL LINED CHROME AND LOOK STRAIGHT DOWN FROM THAT TO THE OUTSTANDING GUADY ANODIZED SLANTED FIN SCULPTURE. NOW, CONTINUE STRAIGHT DOWN FROM THAT SCULPTURE TO THE LOWER REAR QUARTER PANEL AND THE FENDER SKIRT. NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL A DESIGN ELEMENT. BUT WAIT, ALL OF THIS LEADS INTO THE REAR FACIA OF THE CAR. SLANTED WEDGE SHAPED TAIL LIGHTS AND A BOISTEROUS REAR BUMPER THAT IMITATES THE FRONT BUMPER. SEE THE FAKE VENT PORTS ALONG THE REAR ROOF LINE. THIS CAR DESIGN EFFECTS PEOPLE DIFFERENT WAYS BUT BACK IN 1957, IT MUST HAVE TURNED SOMEONE ON, BECAUSE THE '57 MERC WAS CHOSEN TO BE THE PACE CAR AT THE INDY 500 RACE THAT YEAR. THERE WERE 4 ORIGINAL PACE CARS AT THE RACE AND THEN MERCURY ISSUED SOME REPLICAS. THIS MERC IS POWERED BY A 368 CID V-8 CRANKING OUT 290 HORSES. THE PUSH BUTTONS ON THE DASH CONTROLLED THE MER-O-MATIC AUTOMATIC TRANNY. AN OPTION STARTING THIS YEAR WAS THE CANTED REAR WINDOW THAT COULD BE CRANKED OPEN AND THIS WAS CALLED "BREEZEWAY" VENTILATION. THE TOP OF THE LINE TURNPIKE CRUISERS SOLD FOR $3758 AND ONLY 7,291 WERE SOLD. THE CRUISER HARDTOP SEDAN SOLD ONLY 8,205 UNITS. CONVERTIBLE CRUISERS SOLD FOR $4,103 BUT ONLY A LITTLE OVER 1,200 WERE SOLD. THE MONTCLAIR FEATURED HERE IS THE MID-RANGE MODEL, AND THE MONTEREY WAS THE LOW END MODEL. THE COMMUTER WAGON LINE FEATURED 6 MODELS AND A SIX SEATER COST $2,973. LOOKING AT THIS CAR DESIGN YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT YOU DON'T SEE THEM LIKE THIS ANY MORE. CAR DESIGN IN THE FIFTIES WAS LIKE THAT.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Car
• show
• 009

[MacraStraba]

Holy crap. You know you have a beauty queen of classic cars when even the friggin' rear mirrors are works of art!

[55lincoln]

@MacraStraba I viewed this video again just to check out those mirrors and you're right, nothing was neglected in styling this car. I think the interior of this Merc is the cat's meow. hahaha. Classic example of a fifties U.S. car.

[URLy2Rise]

Bee-yootiful car! Dazzling, sleek, streamlined, comfortable, airy. I don't see how the Monarch could be the 'the Canadian version of the 1957 Montclair", as someone here has called it. My family had a '57 Mercury Montclair, bought in Canada, and we were definitely living in Canada. I think I recall that Monarchs were sold at the same dealerships.

[55lincoln]

@URLy2Rise Yes, this is a beautiful car. Back then, many thought this design bazaar. I never did and appreciate it even more. Detroit experiemented with shaping sheet metal in different ways and this example I think is almost a work of art. Thanks for viewing Canadian friend.

[fordude60]

My brother had a '57 Mercury 4-door hardtop around 1965, not sure which series. It was green and white. I have always liked these cars. My brother considered it a generally ugly car, but I never agreed with that.

[55lincoln]

Actually, many design cues of this '57 came from Mercury's show cars in the mid-fifties. I think it's a beautiful way to form sheet metal. Thanks for watching.

[premiumsolorider]

hahaha thx deos that hae stock motor

[55lincoln]

No wonder it did a low 13 with a cobra 427 in it. Way to go!

[premiumsolorider]

i have a 57 merc monclair with cobra 427 in it did a low 13 down the strip yellow and white

[monarch1957]

Yes I guess americans saw them in the U>S. back when they were new and wondered what the were. I have a video of it on You tube.