Just found this stunner on eBay. Wonderful color combination. Beautiful original condition. I said to myself, “I can’t just let this disappear–I must preserve it on Curbside Classic!”
Garage kept in New Mexico, so it was protected from hot sun and rain. So no fading, no rust, no interior cracking.
Everything gleams! This is about as close as you can get to seeing what a typical ’57 Mercury was like when it was new.
Look at all that finely crafted detail! In size, style, power, smoothness; this is so much more than a Ford!
Two-toned seat upholstery with star-like pattern that has never been torn, scuffed, or stained; alabaster white deluxe steering wheel glows like polished ivory. One nit–the vinyl dashboard padding on these cars is almost impossible to preserve. It always looks a little rumpled.
There wasn’t a close-up dashboard shot, so I got this photo and the one below it from Google Images. The dash is an interesting exercise in sci-fi World of Tomorrow-inspired elaboration, with many odd design features. It reminds me of a 1950s vacuum cleaner, but with additional controls. On our featured car, that Mercury emblem would be replaced with a “Power Booster” gauge to show whether the disconnecting engine fan was ON or OFF.
On the left is the Big M’s Merc-O-Matic “Keyboard Control”. Another “advanced feature” that’s probably more of a hassle to use than moving a simple lever. But we’re in the Push-Button Age now–we’ve done away with old-fashioned shift levers!
Here is the “Safety-Surge” V-8 engine, nicely detailed. The hose on the air cleaner is part of the “Thermo-Matic” carburetor which controls incoming air temperature using a thermostatic valve.
Trunk looks pristine.
Detail shots:
A sparkling road locomotive designed to eat up the highway–makes you feel like King of the Road. Quad headlights were optional–they made the car look even more other-worldly.
New projectile side theme: Not fins but elongated “Vee’s” shooting back with big Art-Deco letters M E R C U R Y down the sides. “One of Mercury’s most distinguished styling notes.”
Canted “V-angle” taillights: “Functional, decorative. Massive red beacons finish off the rear in distinctive good taste. Tail-light visibility–from both side and rear–is increased!”
Cruising the stratosphere in a Dream-Car Mercury.
What a shock these long, low, flat, futuristic monsters must have been when first introduced. They were billed as the “first production dream car you can own!” Each week in the fall of 1956, another two-page spread in Life magazine would come out: “BIG M ANNOUNCEMENT No. 1; BIG M ANNOUNCEMENT No. 2 (I don’t know how many announcements there were). The assumption was that potential buyers were breathlessly waiting for the next big announcement, whether it was Floating Ride with Air Cushion Suspension, the Dream Car Keyboard, Quadra-beam headlights, or the fabulous Turnpike Cruiser, “The most advanced car you can buy at any price!”
Motor Trend magazine described its pair of 1957 Mercurys as “two of the smoothest and quietest riding cars we ever tested.”
So there it is–a true, unlikely survivor from another time. Mercury made tens of thousands of these cars–why would this particular example survive to the incredible year of 2024 in such mint condition when 99% of its fellows (which all started out as nice as this one) have all gone to the scrap heap and no longer exist? It’s like trying to answer the question of why one person won the lottery and another didn’t.
It was always ironic to see “futuristic” cars like the ’57 Mercury all smashed up in a junk pile. It was like the “future” was now old and discarded. (Photo by Murilee Martin.)
Real “dream cars of the future”.
Thanks to the Internet, old cars from the ’50s & ’60s are all over eBay, YouTube, Craigslist. There are websites like Curbside Classic with endless articles and comments about old cars. Finding parts is so much easier now than it was back when all we had were magazines like Hemmings. If you only spent time online, you would get the impression that there is tremendous interest in classic cars.
Is there? I’m glad that I have lived in a time when these fascinating cars were still on the road; still visible in the “carscape”. I can still own and drive one (or more) of them. They mean something to me. As time goes on I have a sense that the whole concept of classic cars will become irrelevant to most people. Will younger people who didn’t grow up with them become interested? And how small a minority will that be? In future years, will it even be possible (and legal) to actually drive something like a ’57 Mercury down the road?
Cruising down the highway in a “Futuramic” 1950 Oldsmobile.
I’ll let you in on a little secret. If you want to experience virtual time travel, get behind the wheel of a vintage car, and find a country road that hasn’t changed much over the decades. As you guide that big steering wheel and look out over the scenery, it will give you the effect that it’s still 1962 or whatever magic year you choose. A friend of mine recently drove a 1958 Edsel from New Jersey to Pennsylvania using only the back roads, and he tells me the experience was very much like that.
1957 Mercury: The car dreams are made of.
Further reading:
Curbside Classic: 1957 Mercury Montclair – Reaching For The Stars Only To Hit A Moon
“Merc-o-Matic”, “Thermo-Matic”, “Quadra-Beam”. Such wonderful terms that are 95% evocative and 5% meaningful, but who cares? When the designers were all in on the emotion, and the emotion was all about aspiration to something that no one had actually yet experienced (the future), the sky was the limit.
So many good points in this article. I definitely agree with your “little secret”. In general, I think that the same can be said about driving any vintage car in what would be its intended environment. Takes you right back.
As to the subject car…I really like the big gold “M” on the lower grill (we need more details like this on modern cars, IMO); and I have to say that those Florida license plates are perfectly color-coordinated to this mid-century masterpiece. Lovely.
Thanks Stephen, great post.
I misspelled it–it’s actually “Quadri-Beam” (with an i). WordPress doesn’t recognize either version.
Don’t forget the “Master Guide Power Steering” and “Swift, Sure, Power Brakes”, to go with the “Safety Surge V-8” and “Floating Power”. I loved these meaningless names the marketing department had for every feature.
When I was a kid we would spend weekends on my grandmother’s farm. She didn’t drive, so we were taken to church Sunday mornings by a neighbor, Mr Kane. Mr Kane owned a succession of Mercury cars,all very plain colors like gray or light brown trading in his car every 2 years because the unpaved rural roads in “backwoods” Pennsylvania took quite a toll on cars. The 1st Mercury that I remember him owning was a 57 or 58 4 door sedan. Being practical, all his cars would be sedans.
If ever there was a customer a car seemed to be built for it was Mr Kane…a tall, muscular, farmer. The “Big M” was perfectly suited to the Big Mr K.
Wow! Looking at that car brings back memories of 1968 when I walked into a back alley garage to discover an almost equally rising 1937 Buick Special that became my first car. All for the munificent sum of $400.00. And the owner (a retired school teacher) was still there to watch dad drive it off.
One of the rarely mentioned things about cars of the mid/late 1950’s is that the low end models invariably were better looking than their higher end counterparts, mainly due to the lack of gew-gaws, overloaded trim, etc. Somewhere I’ve always had the feeling that the designers did the cheap models, then somebody (sales?) starting tacking on the chrome.
That ’57 is actually a fairly pretty design for the time. No, not as cohesive as Chrysler’s new cars, but an interesting collection of design elements the is only somewhat overdone. The last stand of the single headlamps, which were almost always more attractive than duals (Imperial being the biggest exception).
Don’t forget the “Master Guide Power Steering” and “Swift, Sure, Power Brakes”, to go with the “Safety Surge V-8” and “Floating Power”. I loved these meaningless names the marketing department had for every feature.
My father in-law’s car back in Jackson, MI. He bought one fresh out of the army!
Beautiful car!
File was too big.
This car must have the most elaborate idiot lights ever. I at first wondered why “oil” or “generator” needed knobs on the dash.
Or why a declutching fan needs an indicator on the instrument panel… IIRC this is the first car ever with a declutching fan, but this still strikes me as money FoMoCo should have spent elsewhere.
Beautiful car but I am looking for a 1959 to 1975 Cadillac Fleetwod or sedan De Ville in decent shape. Black or dark blue is a plus. No projects cars.
I much prefer the single headlights on the 1957 Mercurys. They give the front end a less complicated look, and the single chrome bezels are cool looking.
Apparently the padded dash components are not being reproduced, as everyone I see is an original bean bag. The quality of the instrument panels on these cars pails in comparison to the Oldsmobile, for example. However, the car shown is a very nice looking car in much better condition than the majority of Mercurys of this era.
As far as `57 Mercurys go, this one by far has to be the most complete, original example in the country!! Absolutely gorgeous. How it remained so original (if story is true…) is a fascinating story unto itself I’m sure. I honestly can’t find fault in anything on this car. Not sure how much is being asked, but this `57 must be in the $40K range. And rightly so! try finding another one this showroom fresh. You won’t be able to.
So pretty ! .
The front seat appears to have been recovered, who cares ? .
I agree, driving oldies is the best part and takes me back in time .
-Nate
Stephen specifically pointed out that the upholstery was original, as does the ad.
What a babe! Fun post! Thanks, Stephen
Original cars like this one are gems and a wonderful resource for restorers. The ’57 Mercs really were differentiated from “lowly” Fords, much more so than later. Futuristic for sure, but they pale in comparison to Exner’s ’57 masterpieces, especially at the rear, this shot is of my late ’58,
Styling seems somewhat conventional by late 1950s domestic standards. And then you look at those bumpers. Yikes!
Thanks, Steve. I always liked the 1957 Mercury.
Our ‘family car” , from “62-65” was one of these. My sister learned to drive in it, in “63”. (was pink/black tutone)
Was purchased of “LJ Forcht LM”, used car lot.
Rust was really getting it “hot/heavy” the last year we had it.
Western PA winters were “formidable” back then..lol
I’m not generally a fan of the 1957-58 Mercurys, but I’d make an exception for this stunning example in 2-tone turquoise!
I will echo 210delray – the 57 Mercury would not normally be on my must-have list, but this one stuns. I love the colors, the body style (these look best as a 4 door hardtop) and especially the pristine original condition!
I am a little let down by the dash design, that seems awfully plain for this car’s new and improved price class for that year. I guess they spent all the money outside.
That dash was all “space ship”, like compared to the neighbors cars!
Many years ago, I had a 1957 Turnpike Cruiser rag top, with the big y-block 368 cu.in. motor. What a car! Wish I still had it. What a gas-guzzler. But gas was 20 cents a gallon back then.
To a 7-year old, the Turnpike Cruiser said “space age” as well as any car, especially with those twin “engine intake” air scoops with tiny antennae in them over the windshield
Maybe the article says original upholstery but I’m currently restoring one and it does have original upholstery, bad shape but 3 tones and types of materials in 3 colors even though the car was originally white and gold. The dash pad is a mess as they didn’t use the right type of vinyl.
Check with https://originalauto.com/ for original covers. I got NOS seat covers for my ’57 Montclair for a reasonable price and at the time they had a great selection of Merc interiors.