Mercury, thou art a line-up of vaguely disguised Fords… How you pretend to be upper middle class, yet are still so pedestrian. You are a sham… and now you’re no more. The Mercury division of the Ford Motor Company held so much promise during the 50s, promising affordable luxury and giving the Ford buyer a pathway to Lincoln. There was a brief time in which Mercury had their own body, shared only with the more expensive Edsel. It was unique, stylish, and soon to be discontinued in a quest to streamline the entire company. Meet the last Mercury that didn’t share a body panel, windshield, instrument panel, or practically anything else with a Ford, or for that matter, a Lincoln. This is a 1960 Mercury Park Lane, and it was for sale on eBay…

This particular car is a real breathtaker, if you’re into Dreadnought Battle Cruisers. The Mercury Park Lane was the largest of the Mercury models between 1958 and 1960. This 1960 model had a wheelbase of 126 inches with an overall length that was 219.2 inches. The 1960 Park Lane standard features were a 430 cubic inch 310 horsepower V8 with 460 foot pounds of torque, Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission, power steering and brakes, fender skirts, wide rocker panel moldings, 5 chrome accent bars ahead of the rear wheel openings, rear backup lights, padded dash and windshield washers.

This Park Lane features a rare (for 1960) Air Conditioner, and a few desirable options. According to the listing:

Offered here is a lovely, largely original 1960 Mercury Park Lane Cruiser, four-door hardtop. This model and body style are quite rare to begin with, but try to find one with power windows, seats and factory installed air conditioning! In many years of admiring this model, it’s only the second air conditioned car I’ve seen. The car is finished in a metallic, pinkish-brown color that suits the body well. The original interior inside is the same color. At some point along the way some restoration was done to the car, but it came to me with an Ohio title stating acutal miles at just under 26,000. I have done quite a bit of mechanical work to the car since it had been sitting for a number of years, and I sorted out the accessories, including the sometimes troublesome vacuum heat/ac servo unit. It runs well, drives well, and stops well; and all the accessories work, except the factory air. All the windows work, the power seat works, the lights, gauges, etc, all work. The car looks great and would make a very nice local cruise-in/driver car just as it is. Because it is so unusual, it gets more attention than some more expensive cars. It is also very fast, as it is equipped with the 430 V-8 and dual range transmission. You can enjoy this car just as it is or take it to the next level. This is the last year of the original Park Lane model line.

It has no major needs, but if I were keeping this car, I would repair a front seal leak in the transmission, a small oil leak from the front timing cover, and a small left exhaust manifold leak. It also needs a right side rocker panel moulding. I have driven the car several hundred miles since I’ve owned it and found it very dependable with all the sorting I’ve done. n addition I have some nos chrome pieces that go with the car: hood bar with emblem, outside, remote bullet mirror, tail light assembly and some small stuff.

By the time you read this, the auction will have closed, and since there is no reserve, it will be on its way to a new owner. So what do you think of this very unique Mercury? Take a look at the listing here:[sc:ebay itemid=”140900222625″ linktext=”1960 Mercury Park Lane Cruiser” ]