As a quick refresher, we were handed a folio full of old glossy press photos and hand-typed press releases for “new” 1957 model cars. It’s totally nuts and we’re sharing them with everyone This gem is about the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser.
This was the introductory year for the car and it is forever remembered as one of the kitschiest, most gadget-equipped models of the ’50s. It sported all manner of neat stuff like a retracting rear window, air ducts mounted up by the windshield that used the “ram air” effect to ventilate the passenger compartment, a sweet starter button (because this thing screams racy!), and all manner of power equipment.
We dig the burly looks of the car and the fact it was equipped with a 368-cube Y-block V8. The motor had a 9.7:1 compression ratio and generated 290 hp and delivered plenty of low end torque. The shipping weight ranged from 3,750 pounds for the two-door hardtop coupe all the way up to 4,103 pounds for the convertible. Look at this car and realize that a new Challenger weighs more!
Production for 1957 totaled 16,861 for all three variants of the Turnpike Cruiser.
Dig it and the original press release below. It’s funny that Mercury called its own car “unusual”!
