In 1958 the Park Lane's optional Super Marauder engine became the first mass-production engine in any American car officially rated at 400 horsepower.
Lead trim: Park Lane 430 cu in MEL V8 (310 hp, 1960) · up to 400 hp
Mercury Park Lane1958–1960
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Mercury Park Lane yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactIn 1958 the Park Lane's optional Super Marauder engine became the first mass-production engine in any American car officially rated at 400 horsepower.
The Mercury Park Lane was introduced for 1958 as a premium model line; while not officially the replacement of the Turnpike Cruiser, it became the flagship of the Mercury line, conceptualized as a "Super Mercury" to compete with GM's Buick Limited and the Chrysler 300D. It was offered in two- and four-door hardtops and a convertible coupe (the same body styles as the Turnpike Cruiser, whose "breezeway" rear window was adopted by the Continental Mark line) with a body-on-frame chassis (the Thunderbird being unibody), at US$3,867 for the coupe and US$4,118 for the convertible. Sharing its chassis with the Colony Park wagon and the Edsel Citation/Corsair, it had a 125-inch wheelbase (3 inches longer than the standard Mercury) and, for 1958 only, a rear deck 7 inches longer than standard; in 1959 the wheelbase was stretched to 128 inches and for 1960 it returned to 126 inches, matching the standard Mercury line. It was 220.2 in long and 81.1 in wide with a 4,560 lb curb weight. A single engine, the 430 cubic-inch Ford MEL V8, was rated at 360 hp for 1958 (the Super Marauder option package allowed any Mercury with the 430 to reach 400 hp, the first mass-production American engine so rated), 345 hp for 1959 (the Super Marauder being discontinued) and 310 hp in 1960; all Park Lanes had the three-speed Merc-O-Matic. The 1960 update added new taillamps, rear fender skirts, five chrome-accent bars ahead of the rear wheel openings, wide rocker moldings and a padded dashboard. The Park Lane name was dropped in 1961 along with the Montclair.
Collectors Spotted in the Mercury Park Lane Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Mercury Park Lane yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
4 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Park Lane 430 cu in MEL V8 (310 hp, 1960) | 1960–1960 | 7.0 L V8 | 310 hp | 460 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Park Lane 430 cu in MEL V8 (345 hp, 1959) | 1959–1959 | 7.0 L V8 | 345 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
| Park Lane 430 cu in MEL V8 (360 hp, 1958) | 1958–1958 | 7.0 L V8 | 360 hp | 480 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
| Park Lane 430 cu in Super Marauder V8 (400 hp, 1958 option) | 1958–1958 | 7.0 L V8 | 400 hp | 500 lb-ft | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
This Park Lane Brougham introduced wraparound front turn signals and parking lights that lit both forward and to the side — a look Ford kept using on its cars for decades after.
In 1958 the Park Lane's optional Super Marauder engine became the first mass-production engine in any American car officially rated at 400 horsepower.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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