 1959 Mercury Park Lane convertible |
The 1959-1960 Mercury Park Lane was as big as a "Big M" ever got, the last remnant of Dearborn's overly ambitious mid-'50s expansion plan that also produced jumbo Lincolns and the ill-timed Edsel. The platform was still unique to Mercury, as in 1957-1958 (though once also planned for '59 Edsels), but all-new, with husky styling, more massive proportions, and huge compound-curve windshields.
The Park
Lane
had all this, plus wider, new-design frames with longer wheelbases and lower
floorpans for vast interior space (abetted up front by a more compact dash).
The
new-for-'58
Park Lane
completely took over for the glitzy Turnpike Cruiser as the top-line series,
though all hardtops were now called Cruiser. Park Lanes again rode Merc's
longest wheelbase and carried the huge Lincoln 430 V-8 as standard.
A
four-barrel carb was featured for '59, but the '60 came with a two-barrel, a
faint gesture toward "economy" brought on by the '58 recession.
Styling was quieter both inside and out for 1960.
A
still-depressed medium-price market makes these pricey Park Lanes among the
rarest 1959-1960 Mercurys, though like so many contemporaries they've since
become coveted as big, bright, and brazen.
Not included here, but also worthy
of collector consideration, are the wood-look Colony Park wagons, trimmed to
Park Lane standards and the last of the pillarless big-Merc wagons first seen
for '57.
Pluses
of the 1959-1960 Mercury
Park Lane:
- Period size and style
- Huge interiors
- Smooth performance
- Still somewhat overlooked and thus cheaper than some rivals
Minuses
of the 1959-1960 Mercury
Park Lane:
- Moderately rust-prone
- Thirsty
- Not
many preserved, so both cars and some parts now quite scarce
Production
of the 1959 Mercury
Park Lane:
- Cruiser hardtop sedan: 7,206
- Cruiser hardtop coupe: 4,060
- Convertible: 1,257
Production
of the 1960 Mercury
Park Lane:
- Cruiser hardtop sedan: 5,788
- Cruiser hardtop coupe: 2,974
- Convertible: 1,525
Specifications
of the 1959-1960 Mercury Park
Lane:
Wheelbase,
inches: 125.0
Length,
inches: 222.8 (1959), 219.2 (1960)
Weight,
pounds: 4,310-4,500
Price,
new: $3,955-$4,205 (U.S.)
Engines
for the 1959-1960 Mercury
Park Lane:Type Size Horsepower Years ohv
V-8 430 345 1959 ohv
V-8 430 310 1960
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