On two occasions in the 1950s and 1960s, the Park Lane was positioned as the top trim level of Mercury’s full-size automobiles. The moniker was coined from the name of Henry Ford’s estate in Michigan (Fair Lane). The seller offers a project 1965 Park Lane convertible, which was one of only about 3,000 made that year. Needing body and mechanical work, the old-school drop-top can be found in South Austin, Texas, and is available here on craigslist for $2,500. The source for this tip is Barn Finder “JackM.”

The Park Lane name had been used by FOMOCO once before, spelled as Parklane. It was a one-year-only competitor in 1956 to the Chevrolet Nomad as a fancy 2-door wagon. While the Parklane outsold the Nomad (which wasn’t hard to do), the public’s response wasn’t considered strong enough, and it quickly disappeared (as the Nomad would soon do, too). The name returned as two words for 1958-60 and again in 1964-68, with the seller’s ’65 ahead of the Monterey and Montclair in the Mercury pecking order.

According to the seller, this ’65 Merc has been sitting for a while (and perhaps outside). A lack of a battery, carburetor, and gas tank (at a minimum) prevents the convertible from being a runner. We’re told it’s 390 cubic inch V8 is good, and we assume numbers matching if the reported 50,000 miles is legit. It has aftermarket air conditioning (given the presence of under-the-dash vents).

We’re told the canvas top is no good and the brakes will require some attention. Rust can be found here and there, and we see some holes around where the top would be affixed when up. On the plus side, the orange interior (a factory color?) is surprisingly nice. With a few weekends of effort, you might be able to tool around town, saving the bodywork for another day.