Mercury · 1957–1958
Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
The Mercury Turnpike Cruiser is a series of automobiles that were produced by the Mercury division of Ford for the 1957 and 1958 model years. Named to commemorate the creation of the Interstate Highway System, the Turnpike Cruiser was marketed as the flagship Mercury model line, slotted above the Montclair when Mercury was positioned upmarket to luxury status when Edsel was introduced in 1958. The Turnpike Cruiser was produced as a luxury two-door and a four-door hardtop sedan. During the 1957 model year, a convertible, called the Convertible Cruiser, was offered on a limited basis, which served as a pace car for the Indianapolis 500 auto race. Mercury fitted the Turnpike Cruiser with a wide variety of advanced features for the time of its production, including a retractable rear window marketed as the "Breezeway", compound-curve windshield, mechanical pushbutton transmission controls and a trip computer. In total, 23,268 examples of the Turnpike Cruiser were produced over two years. Mercury discontinued the Turnpike Cruiser for the 1958 model year, phasing its content into the Park Lane product line.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Successor: Mercury Park Lane
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Model overview
The Turnpike Cruiser derives its name from the 1956 Mercury XM-Turnpike Cruiser concept car, a two-door hardtop which largely served as a preview of the 1957 Mercury model line. For 1957, the Turnpike Cruiser was offered as the top level Mercury model line, with a similar approach to luxury shared with the updated four passenger second generation Ford Thunderbird. The list price was US$3,758 for the coupe, $43,079 in 2025 dollars , and US$4,103 for the convertible, $47,034 in 2025 dollars . Outside of Ford, the Turnpike Cruiser was marketed against the Buick Roadmaster and Oldsmobile 98. The Turnpike Cruiser had a body-on-frame chassis, while the Thunderbird had unibody construction. For 1958, the Turnpike Cruiser was phased into the Montclair line, and the premium top level role was given to the newly introduced Park Lane. Chassis. The Turnpike Cruiser shared its 122-inch wheelbase, rear-wheel drive, body-on frame chassis with the Monterey and Montclair. Front suspension was independent ball-joint with coil springs, the rear a live axle with leaf springs. Brakes were 11-inch drummed all round. Edsel adopted a 124-inch wheelbase version of the chassis was for its 1958 model year Corsair and Citation premium model lines. Powertrain. For 1957, the Turnpike Cruiser was fitted with a 368 cubic-inch, 290 hp V8. Sharing its name with the car, the engine was offered as an option across the rest of the Mercury line. For 1958, two all-new "Marauder" engines were introduced: a 383 cubic-inch, 330 hp V8 was standard (and shared with the Montclair and Colony Park); and a 430 cubic-inch, 360 hp (shared with the Park Lane). An optional triple-two barrel carburetor "Super Marauder" version of the 430 V8 produced 400 hp. Exclusive to Mercury, the Super Marauder was the first factory-pr
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Mercury Turnpike Cruiser
- Manufacturer
- Mercury (Ford)
- aka
- Mercury Convertible Cruiser
- Model years
- 1957–1958
- Assembly
- Main plant, Wayne, Michigan, (Branch assembly), St. Louis, Missouri, Pico Rivera, California, Metuchen, New Jersey
- Successor
- Mercury Park Lane
- Class
- Full-size car
- Body style
- 2-door hardtop , 4-door hardtop sedan, 2-door convertible
- Layout
- FR layout
- Engine
- 368 cuin Y-Block V8, 383 cuin Marauder V8 , 430 cuin Marauder V8, 430 cuin Super Marauder V8
- Transmission
- 3-speed Merc-O-Matic automatic
- Wheelbase
- 122 in
- Length
- 211 in
- Width
- 79.1 in
- Height
- 56.5 in
- Kerb weight
- 4015 lb
- Related
- Mercury Montclair, Mercury Monterey, Mercury Colony Park
- sp
- us
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q646848CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Turnpike_CruiserCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1353957168 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mercury_turnpike_cruiser.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 de · Photo: Buttonfreak at de.wikipedia · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.