Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely exceptional
and great daily driving and completely rust free and mostly all
original California example of this 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser 2
Door Hardtop with its original 368/290HP V8 engine and with
beautiful and striking paintwork with original full length bodyside
stainless trim with rear quarter panel gold anodized trim on
tailfin and with a gorgeous condition and mostly all original and
unrestored interior. The car is fully loaded with factory options
including the:368/290HP V8 engine,Power windows including the
legendary 'Breeze Way' power retractable rear window,Town amp;
Country push button AM radio option,Dual exhausts,Dual mirrors,Oval
Deep Dish steering wheel,Push button transmission,Combination
electric clock and trip odometer,'Monitor Control Panel' instrument
panel,Seat-O-Matic Power Memory seat,Chrome window surround
moldings,Power steering,Power brakes,Horn ring,Rear fender
skirts,Heater amp; defroster,Tinted glass,Padded instrument
panel,'Multi-Luber' automastic lubrication system,Full wheel covers
and whitewall tires!The Mercury Turnpike Cruiser would be both the
top-of-the-line Mercury as well as one of the most gadget laden
cars ever produced in the 1950's whilst also boasting the larger
and huge new 368 CID 290HP V8 engine which was first seen in the
1956 Lincoln line. Mercury's automatic transmission known as the
'Merc-O-Matic' now featured a 'Keyboard Control' pushbutton feature
similar to what Chrysler was using at the time but which also
featured a pushbutton to start the engine and a push/pull control
to set the parking brake and for locking the transmission in gear.
This was definitely unlike any Mercury ever produced to date. The
Turnpike Cruiser Hardtop used a unique windshield that wrapped
upward to give better vision with the upper area capped at each end
with supplementary roof-level air intakes with faux antennas
projecting from the center and each operated by it's own interior
control. It had a unique oval steering wheel flattened at the top
for an even better view of the road! The twin roof level air
intakes were part of the 'Breeze Way' ventilation system that
included a power operated rear window section which lowered into
the rear deck compartment and which some considered better than
actual air conditioning! The Seat-O-Matic power system allowed an
almost infinite combination of some 49 different seating positions
and the Turnpike Cruiser's clock was actually a combination clock
and 'Average Speed Computer' that reported the average speed at any
point on a trip. The padded dash with rubber housings for the
tachometer and clock surrounds was a safety feature and the first
of its kind. In addition to all the other power options as
standard, it is clear to see why the '57 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
was dubbed the 'King of Gadgets' and Mercury was to market the car
as "The most advanced car you can buy at any price!"A Mercury
Turnpike Cruiser Convertible was selected as the official pace car
for the 1957 running of the Indianapolis 500 mile race which marked
only the second time in Mercury's short history to be selected for
this honor. These Mercury Turnpike Cruisers were the
top-of-the-line offerings for 1957-58 and in 1957 were widely
promoted as a separate series only to be reduced to a Montclair
sub-series for 1958 before the high cost of buying one, and maybe
some aversion to it's flamboyant looks and gadgets galore, but more
importantly the unfortunate recession of the late fifties which
took its toll on many mid-market models of the era such as the
Turnpike Cruiser and Edsel, which led to the model being dropped
from the Mercury line up after only two years of production. In
later years, the high performance of the Turnpike Cruiser would
help popularize the cars use in demolition derbys, one of the
reasons along with its limited production numbers why you wont see
many of them out there today. It wasnt even considered a true
collectors car until recently, when people started to appreciate
its uniqueness (and rarity)! The four-door model with the
Continental kit measures an astonishing 18-1/3 feet in length. The
Mercury Turnpike Cruiser is a now revered as a true American
classic and treasure of automotive history.This particular example
is exceptionally rare and unusual as a true mostly all original
survivor with no signs or history of any accidents or rust ever!
The floor boards, trunk and all the typical rust-prone areas are
solid and rust-free. The car has a beautiful and very professional
repaint and has a beautiful complimenting tri tone correct original
material interior with all its original factory instrumentation
intact including the original 'AM' Town amp; Country radio, all of
which is in quite exceptional and original specification condition
throughout.The 368/290HP V8 engine is extremely strong and powerful
and sounds absolutely magnificent and this particular car also
drives absolutely magnificently - a truly remarkable daily driver
that will give any modern day car a run for it's money! The
transmission shifts smoothly through the gears and the car is an
absolute pleasure to drive!This is an extraordinarily rare
opportunity to own a great daily driving and mostly all original,
only restored where required over the years, and completely rust
free 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser 2 Door Hardtop Coupe in a very
striking color combination and beautiful matching interior! A true
all American classic car for the Mercury enthusiast or simply any
classic car enthusiast to enjoy today!
