It used to be that Mercurys were more than badgified Fords. One of the most memorable Mercury dream machines was this futuristic concept, first shown in 1955. It bristled with whiz-bang, Buck Rogers design ideas and foretold a future model, the 1957-1958 production Turnpike Cruiser.
The XM Turnpike Cruiser's neatest feature was a different take on the notion of gullwing doors. Besides conventional, front-hinged doors, there were roof panels that flipped up. The panels were of tinted plastic and rose automatically when the doors were opened. They weren't necessary, but looked interesting.
Other unique design cues were dual exhaust pipes that exited through the rear fenders, four heavily chromed rocket-launcher-style bullets in the front bumper, and a back window that could be lowered. While the XM had single headlights, the also heavily chromed production 'Pike Cruiser had duals. And check out that racy, thin-spoked steering wheel. It was all pure-1950s, baby.
Coverage September 1958
In keeping with our current issue's Future Cars theme, September 1958 was all about "secrets from the styling studios!" Although the cover car was a rendering of a nameless space-age machine, there were also stories inside revealing a lot about the upcoming 1959 models. And talk about an obscure roundup: One of the featured road tests matched a Hillman against a Triumph, a Borgward, and a DKW-all now names of the past.