1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser Survivor Flaunts Continental Kit, Numbers-Matching V8

Like most full-size automobiles from the era, the Turnpike Cruise showcased a massive amount of chrome, stylish rear fins, and attractive two-tone paint jobs. But Mercury took things up a notch with unique features like a compound-curve windshield, vents mounted at the outer edges of the roof, and a retractable rear window.

On top of that, the Turnpike Cruiser was one of the first automobiles to boast memory seats and a trip computer. And it was available with a continental tire kit. Yes, I know most cars don't look good with the spare tire mounted atop the rear bumper, but it's one of my favorite features on classic cars. And I think the Turnpike Cruiser looks cool with the extended rear bumper, especially in two-door form.

The last time we talked about the Turnpike Cruiser, we were looking at a two-tone, four-door, unrestored survivor that came out of storage after many years. Now it's time to check out a two-door version. It may not sport a two-tone finish, but it looks just as classy thanks to an all-black paint job with anodized gold trim.

Also an unrestored survivor, this Turnpike Cruiser is also a runner. It's been with the same owner since 1988 and it looks almost flawless inside and out. And the 368-cubic-inch (6.0-liter) V8 engine (290 horsepower) seems to run just as smooth as it did back in 1957.

Introduced that year as a flagship model slotted above the Montclair, the Turnpike Cruiser was discontinued after 1958. In the car's final year on the market, the 368 was replaced by the Marauder V8, offered in both 383- and 430-cubic-inch (6.3- and 7.0-liter) sizes. The range-topping version came with 400 horsepower on tap.

Only 23,268 cars were produced in two years, including 1,265 convertibles and four pace cars.