Power Back Window: 1966 Mercury Park Lane Breezeway

In 1966, Mercury made no bones about their intention of wanting to be viewed as an “affordable” Lincoln Continental. Mercury’s advertising and sales brochure stated, “The ’66 Mercury – moving ahead with new style, vigor, and luxury- in the Lincoln Continental tradition.” And the Mercury marketing team even bragged about the riding experience in the longer ’66 Mercury by saying, “Its ride is the finest and quietest this side of the Lincoln Continental.” And here’s one of those Lincoln wannabes in the premium Park Lane trim level – with the Breezeway rear window – that appears to be a nice driver-survivor. I’m going out on a limb on the survivor moniker (the white interior especially looks like a well-preserved original specimen), because the seller’s description and history of the car is rather scant. Another big thank you to Gunter Kramer for spotting this stylish big 1966 Mercury Park Lane Breezeway and sending it our way.

As is the case with some craigslist ads, the description and photos of the Mercury aren’t, shall we say, “complete.” There are no photos of the undercarriage for example. I know they’re not the easiest photos to take, but the condition of the frame and undercarriage are critical factors in the decision making process. The seller says that the car has been garage kept and it looks like it. Based on the photos, the Mercury’s “Lincolnesque” exterior looks good. The black paint is presentable and shiny, the chrome looks decent, I’m not spotting any rust or dents, and the glass, trim, and Park Lane badging is all there. The funky power-operated “Breezeway Ventilation” rear window is said to be in good working order.

The interior photos of this ’66 Park Lane is what intrigues me. The seller says zippo about it, but it looks to be original, based on the ’66 Mercury sales brochure and photos found online. The white pleated and buttoned vinyl seats are in great condition for their age. I spot some stretching in the driver’s seat bottom, but the passenger seat and back seat show very little wear.

I’m doubting that’s the original burgundy carpet, but everything else looks like it could be original. The Park Lane’s cabin was luxurious for the day and came in seven colors and in a variety of vinyl and vinyl and cloth combinations. Faux woodgrain trim can be spotted on the door panels and the smartly-styled mid-60’s instrument panel. The photo above shows the slanted Breezeway rear window. The center glass was power operated and would slide down to give you “a continuous gentle flow of fresh air” according to the sales brochure. The Breezeway back window was first used on the 1957 and 1958 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, then made a return with the 1964 Mercury. It was offered for several years but with air conditioning becoming more affordable and common, the Breezeway was dropped after the 1968 model year. For 1966, only 8,696 Mercury Breezeways were built making this kind of a rare car.

Mercurys in 1966 were given a larger engine, the new Marauder 410-cubic inch, 330-horsepoweer V-8. It’s paired with a Marc-O-Matic transmission. The seller says the odometer has rolled over and lists the mileage as 250,000 (which could be a typo), and that the engine “runs incredibly strong and has been routinely serviced with records.” The seller shares that an aftermarket choke has been added to help with cold starts. It is being advertised here on craigslist in the Boulder, Colorado area for a reasonable asking price of $10,000. So, what do you think of this sharp-looking Lincoln wannabe?