Mercury Park Lane 500 Convertible 1959
by
SUN STAR
scale 1:18
Model number: 5152
The biggest Mercury ever and Top of the line: Mercury Park Lane 500.
As Richard Rawlings from Gas Monkey Garage says: When the top comes down, the price comes up! - Sure true but I was lucky to buy this model at a sale at only 40 Euros! This is only a third of the retail price. And it seems to be a rarer model lately, as this color in Madeira yellow is discontinued from Sun star. As you maybe already have notice I also have this Mercury Park Lane 1959, in coupe! This car is so beautiful it’s hard for me to resist. As stated earlier, Coupe's are my favorite. But a big flat Convertible; BIG as in Aircraft carrier! Is a handsome car from the late 1950´?
This model is well build with no flaws whatever I can find. Also Sun Star well protected Styrofoam box is a safe shipping cocoon. My model was perfect when it arrived here.
Do I like the model car, is it worth the money and is Sun Star a good manufacture brand? .......... My answer is Oh Yes! But I will let you decide for yourself. Please enjoy the pictures.
I will give this model 6 out of 6 stars ******
Below here are pictures of the model, historical description, old brochures and technical data. So please enjoy!
Mercury Park Lane 500 Convertible
The Mercury Park Lane is a full-size automobile which was produced by the Mercury division of Ford Motor Company. While not officially introduced as the replacement of the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, the Park Lane became the flagship of the Mercury model line upon its introduction. The second-generation Park Lane was positioned above the Mercury Montclair.
The Mercury Park Lane was introduced for the 1958 model year as a premium model line for the division. Available in two-door and four-door hardtop and two-door convertibles, the Park Lane offered the same body styles as the Turnpike Cruiser, though its distinctive "breezeway" rear window was adopted by the Continental Mark line.
Sharing its chassis with the Colony Park station wagon (and Edsel Citation/Corsair), the Park Lane had a 125-inch wheelbase (3 inches longer than the standard Mercury chassis). In 1959, the Park Lane wheelbase was stretched to 128 inches (2 inches longer than other Mercurys). For 1960, the Park Lane wheelbase was again changed, matching the 126 inches of the standard Mercury line.
The Park Lane was powered by a single engine: a 430 cubic-inch Ford MEL V8. Initially rated at 360 hp for 1958, the Super Marauder engine option package allowed any Mercury with the 430 to increase its output to 400 hp (the first mass-production engine in an American automobile to be rated at 400 hp). For 1959, the Super Marauder was discontinued, with the standard engine rated at 345 hp, retuned to 310 hp in 1960. All Park Lanes were equipped with a 3-speed Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission.
For 1960, the Park Lane saw a minor styling update distinguished by new tail lamps, rear fender skirts, 5 chrome accent bars ahead of the rear wheel openings, wide rocker panel moldings, and the addition of a padded dashboard.
In 1961, the Park Lane name was dropped (along with the Montclair) as the division reorganized its marketing efforts towards the better-selling Monterey alongside the introduction of the Mercury Comet compact.
Read more about the Mercury Park Lane Coupe here on my site!
1959
MERCURY PARK LANE
SPECIFICATIONS
PRICE
Base price: $4,311
ENGINE
Type: OHV V-8, iron block
Displacement: 430 cubic inches
Bore x Stroke: 4.30 x 3.70 inches
Compression ratio: 10:1
Horsepower @ RPM: 345 @ 4,400
Torque @ RPM: 480-lb.ft. @ 2,800
Valvetrain: Hydraulic valve lifters
Main bearings: Five
Fuel system: Single four-barrel carburetor, mechanical pump
Lubrication system: Pressure, gear-type pump
Electrical system: 12-volt
Exhaust system: Dual exhaust
TRANSMISSION
Type: Ford Multi-Drive Merc-O-Matic three-speed automatic
Ratios: 1st: 2.40:1
2nd: 1.47:1
3rd: 1.00:1
Reverse: 2.00:1
DIFFERENTIAL
Type: Hypoid, semi-floating
Ratio: 2.71:1
STEERING
Type: Ford recirculating ball, power assist
Ratio: 19.5:1
Turns to-lock: 3.2
BRAKES
Type: Hydraulic, four-wheel manual drum
Front/rear: 11-inch drums
CHASSIS
& BODY
Construction: Body-on-frame
Frame: Box-section perimeter frame
Body style: Two-door hardtop
Layout: Front engine, rear-wheel drive
SUSPENSION
Front: Independent, upper and lower control arms; coil springs;
telescoping shock absorbers
Rear: Solid axle; semi-elliptic leaf springs; telescoping shock
absorbers
WHEELS
& TIRES
Wheels: Stamped-steel disc, drop center
Front/rear: 14 x 6
Tires: Bias-belted, wide white sidewall
Front/rear: 8.50 x 14 (stock)
WEIGHTS
& MEASURES
Wheelbase: 128
inches
Overall length: 222.8 inches
Overall width: 80.7 inches
Overall height: 58.4 inches
Front track: 60 inches
Rear track: 62 inches
Shipping weight: 3,955 pounds
CAPACITIES
Crankcase: 5 quarts
Cooling system: 22 quarts
Fuel tank: 20 gallons
Transmission: 20 pints
Rear axle: 4.5 pints
CALCULATED
DATA
Bhp per cu.in.: 0.75
Weight per bhp: 11.46 pounds
Weight per cu.in.: 9.20 pounds
PRODUCTION
Total Park Lanes: 12,523
Park Lane Hardtops: 4,060
PROS &
CONS
+ Not often seen
+ An archetypical '50s American car
+ Smooth operation imparts luxury feel
- Not often seen
- Tough for sizable frames to get in and out
- Specific trim bits nearly impossible to find
WHAT
TO PAY
LOW:
$8,000 - $10,000
AVERAGE:
$18,000 - $20,000
HIGH:
$30,000 - $35,000
Old brochures of the Mercury 1959
Mercury Monterey - not Park Lane 1959 Convertible
© 2004-2024 Aeronautic pictures. This website, the content, the design and the pictures and are intended for public non commercial use, and may be redistributed, freely printed, or electronically reproduced in its complete and unaltered form provided distribution is for private use only. Partial and other distribution means require the permission of Aeronautic Pictures. All rights reserved.