The Montclair was a full-size Mercury from 1955 to 1960 and again from 1964 to 1968. During these years, it was usually the mid-range model positioned above the Monterey. The seller’s 1957 Montclair has been with the same owner for more than 35 years and needs to be put back into running condition. With little rust, this big Merc is in a garage in Boca Raton, Florida, and is available here on eBay for $13,900 OBO. Thanks for the cool tip, T.J.!
How automobiles get named is sometimes random. For example, the Montclair might have been named after the fancy town that was near Mercury’s manufacturing plant in Mahwah, New Jersey. Just as the Monterey was named after a beachy place in California. When the redesign of 1957-58 occurred, the Montclair rode on a longer wheelbase than before, making it a larger vehicle than a corresponding Ford. The seller’s version may have been built later in the model year, as it has quad instead of dual headlights, something not approved by the Feds until mid-way through the model year.
This non-running Merc has a 368 cubic inch V8, an option that gained 56 CI but only 35 hp. It was the Turnpike Cruiser engine, named after Mercury’s then top-of-the-line car. When you ordered an automatic transmission like in this vehicle, it was the push-button variety, following a 1956 lead from Chrysler. We’re told this stately hardtop was last driven 20 or more years ago, residing in the garage where you see it ever since.
The big car rolls and stops, so loading it on a trailer should not be a problem. The body and paint are good, with rust only in one spot. And the motor turns, but does not start. A new gas tank in the box goes with the sale to help correct fuel delivery. The interior is only dirty, and the upholstery has been saved thanks to the see-through plastic covers that were popular with Grandma back in the day. This Montclair is one of 30,000 built in this body style.
Wow, I could not look at that car in my garage for 20 years and not want to drive it. Hell, I couldn’t look at it for 20 minutes and not want to drive it!
Was the 1958 the year with the antenna’s poking out from the windsheild ?
That was the Turnpike Cruiser and the 57s did too.
We’ve seen this before, this is not a “Turnpike Cruiser”, just a Montclair with a Turnpike Cruiser motor, a common mistake, apparently. The ad never says it’s a Cruiser. Name notwithstanding, this car could roll right along a Cruiser, and $800 bucks less, to boot. This car cost $3236 new, when a Cruiser was almost $4grand, right up there with a Caddy. It’s a fantastic car, sadly, I don’t know how many folks wake up thinking, “let’s buy that non-driveable ’57 Mercury today”.
The engine in its currently non-running state is a “Tunpike Parker”. I like these better than the TC car because it doesn’t have all the doodads a real TC had festooning its exterior.
Yeah, it doesn’t have the air vents above the front roof line like the Turnpikes do. I’ve always wanted a Turnpike Cruiser and it probably wouldn’t take alot to coax her back to life, but still a little bit of a gamble. I agree with a previous statement, I couldn’t let this beauty sit very long without getting her running and driving again.
Neither the eBay post, nor the BF article claim that this car is a Turnpike Cruiser. It is a Montclair with the optional 368ci Turnpike Cruiser engine. No confusion here. As for the air inlets at the top corners of the windshield, those were only used on AC equipped cars.
Neat old Merc!
This is not a car Granny would have bought, a big 2-door hardtop with a fire breather under the hood. I hope it won’t take much to bring this beauty back to life. You rarely see these even at the Karz and Kokane.
Perhaps not on her own, but rest assured, there were plenty of ladies that drove what the husband told them to drive. My mom was one of those people who drove what my old man furnished. She hated big cars.
Yep Howard, there must be some red blooded American redneck in your lineage also, my mom can drive anything. My freshman year of H.S. out family car was a 1972 chevy K20 with low gearing a granny 4 speed and 300 horse 350. Ma, Pa, and 4 kids. 3 boys 1 girl. Pa was a mechanic for multiple used car lots simultaneously, ma 1 year averaged 1+ cars a week. They sure dont make women like they use to.
You gotta LOVE them Fingerhut seat covers.
Those were common all the way through the sixties. Surefit and others sold them.
The pictures in the ad reveal some interesting things about the car at least for me. My first thought after scrolling through them was that this car might not have been painted black at the factory. The pictures of the door jambs look like the car may have been originally red and white. The picture showing the dashboard reveals that it is padded I think. When this car was built most dashboards were not padded as I recall. I might have to do a little research on this just for the heck of it. The picture showing the rust through by the C pillar seems to be in an unusual spot to me. It must have happened before the car was put into storage. Needless to say, prospective buyers should conduct a thorough inspection for any other evidence of munching by the dreaded tin worm. Finally, if I were the seller; I think I would have removed the varmint nest material from on top of the air cleaner prior to taking pictures of the engine bay. Did they leave it in place to back up the twenty years in storage claim? Or maybe they didn’t want to touch the stuff. This inquiring mind wants to know. All in all this seems like a worthy project to me. GLWTS.
You’re right Carbob, this is 2 different vehicles makes me wonder what else is different than what it says it is.
Yes, it looks like they have two of these Mercurys. Our Ford club meets at a garage where the owner has three, red and white, blue and white and black. Two of the three have 4 headlights and one has 2, all 57’s. That is not a mouse nest on the air cleaner but some of the hood insulation that likely stuck after sitting so long. As stated, needs inspection and maybe a compression test, negotiation.
Nope, WE NEED TO KNOW. So we can laugh if it’s fear
It looks to me that there are pictures of two different cars. The odd pictures are a red and white car and the front seat is different: all red with no clear cover.
Hmmmmm
While an interesting model when new, this one is squarely in the “few people care anymore” category among old car buyers in 2026. Some of it is decent. A lot of it is ratty. And it doesn’t run.
You have to find someone who likes this car (most of them are in their 70s now), but also wants to invest in cleaning it up and getting it running. That’s maybe only a handful of actual, real people these days. $3k max
Yes # 13,14,15 are of a red and white car. Very strange 🤔🤔
I like most all Mercurys, but I think I’ll wait and see if I can find a true Turnpike Cruiser. I love the front air intakes at the front windshield that came on all 57 and 58 Turnpikes with the rear window, breezeway system. I don’t see how someone could not be working on this Montclair every spare minute to have this one at least running again. I thought that may be insulation and not a nest on air cleaner
I went back to the ad for another look and I guess the stuff on the air cleaner could be under hood insulation. But I still think it was arranged and utilized by small furry creatures.
Yes, whether it’s insulation, a critters nest or both, it’s been sitting there for more than a minute. Still speaks volumes about it sitting idle for way too long.
368 Y block? Is that the largest Y block that they used in cars? (Inquiring minds want to know!)
I believe that was/is the same engine used in the Lincoln MKII for ’56 and ’57.
Let’s try this again. It didn’t want to take my comment or image. That’s OK; a lot of people don’t like my comments or images but I drop them in just the same. Anyways, here’s a shot of a friend’s TPC. Interesting enough, I snapped that pic early in the morning in front of the shop in early Feb. Where did all the snow go?
Notice that this is the genuine article as it has the vents running through the roof. It’s one love barge I wouldn’t kick off my driveway…
Geomechs, that Turnpike Cruiser is just beautiful. More desireable to me than the Monclair posted.
My dad’s ‘58 Monterey had a police interceptor engine and a padded dash.
I contacted the eBay seller about the red car photos. This is his reply:
“Sorry we had sold the red and white one a year ago and some pictures got mixed in. I just corrected . Sorry for the confusion”
However, he did not take the shots of the door jambs of the current car that I requested.
If I didn’t have a couple cars now I’d buy this asap, I love the name of this car Turnpike cruiser and the body style, you don’t see these cars often and the price is good. Good luck to new owner and share it with us👍
The var is a montclair, with the turnpike cruiser engine.
Price has now increased to $19,900.
Derek from vice grip garage would drive this home from its present locale lickitty split. No problem, just check the lightening whirler and hoses and the fuel make it happener, it’ll be good to go.