1964 Mercury Park Lane Convertible

Description

The Mercury division of Ford Motor Company was introduced in 1939 by Edsel Ford to bridge the gap between the Ford and Lincoln brands. By the 1960s, Mercury had established itself with a distinct identity, offering a range of models that combined luxury and performance.

“This is ’64’s most elegant Mercury, the Park Lane.” For the 1964 model year, the Park Lane model made its return for the first time since 1960 as Mercury expanded its model line. Coinciding with Mercury’s 25th Anniversary, the Park Lane topped the Mercury line above the Monterey and newly reintroduced Montclair.

As the highest-priced, premium trim, many Park Lanes were fitted with the option of a "breezeway" retractable rear window that was first used on the Turnpike Cruiser and the 1958–60 Continental. In addition, Mercury offered the Park Lane with a fastback roofline as part of Marauder option package, the same fastback design popular on its Ford Galaxie 500 counterpart.

The most exclusive of the flagship Park Lane line: The elegant yet sporty convertible. Only 1,967 were built for the U.S. and Canada markets, but just 885 had the bucket seat interior, and this one seems to have been special ordered in a non-standard color of Fiesta Red.

Highlights

• Rare Mercury Park Lane convertible with bucket seat interior (885 built in North America)

• Manufactured at the Oakdale, Ontario, plant for the Canadian market

• Rebuilt factory 390 V-8 with new carburetor

• Rebuilt Merc-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission

• Resprayed in original Fiesta Red

• Original white vinyl seats and original door panels

• The Data Plate decodes as:

  • Paint: 199 – Fiesta Red

  • Trim: 148 – White vinyl bucket seat interior

  • Engine: JC – 390 cu-in V8 4-bbl carb with automatic transmission

  • Special Order Number: C412

• The chassis number (176C64L401580) decodes as:

  • 1 – Mercury

  • 76C: Style – Park Lane Two-Door Convertible (Bucket Seats)

  • L – Left Hand Drive

  • 401580 – Production Sequence Number

Features

• Factory options include but are not limited to:

• Power steering

• Power brakes

• Power windows

• Power convertible top

• Bucket seats

• Center console

• “Swing Away” steering column

• Ford under-dash tissue box

• AM radio

• Factory spinner hubcaps

• Dual exterior mirrors

• Remote driver’s side exterior mirror

• Padded sun visors

• Translucent steering wheel with 25th Anniversary emblem

• Front seat belts

• Flashers

• Clock

• Factory undercoating

• Rust-free and accident-free body and undercarriage

• Bridgestone SF-475 tires

• Restored dashboard and gauges

• Newer carpet

• Newer correct wheel covers and whitewall radial tires

• New convertible top with all hardware

Known Imperfections

• Driver’s side exterior door handle button not working

• Small chips in the paint throughout, including hood, fenders, decklid, and door openings

• Tip of left front wheel opening trim is bent

• Front seat foam is beginning to dry

• Driver’s door panel has some staining

• Steering wheel has cracking

• Driver’s front seat has a scratch

• Both front kick panels have chipped paint

• Both interior rear side panels have punctures

• Very small areas of rust found in rear body mounts

• Slight oil leak when engine is warm

Included

• Some service receipts, magazines, and literature

• One extra factory rim

• Two extra factory spinner hubcaps and one without spinner

• Several extra trim pieces

• New fuel sending unit (as a backup, there is also a new one recently installed)

• Extra overflow tank

• Original cooling fan blade (an aftermarket five-blade fan is installed)

• Spare tire, jack, and tire iron

• Convertible top boot

Ownership History

This 1964 Mercury Park Lane Convertible was built the week of 6 April 1964 at the Oakdale, Ontario, Canada, assembly plant for the Canadian market. The original owner had the engine and transmission rebuilt, although there is no documentation for this. The second owner purchased the car from the original owner in Vancouver Island, Canada, in 2003–04 when the car had approximately 94,000 miles. The second owner, also from Canada, had the car repainted in the factory color in approximately 2006–07. The convertible top and system were replaced approximately 10 years ago. The consignor purchased the Mercury from the second owner a year ago and imported it to the U.S. The five-digit odometer reads 01006; actual miles are 101,006, which is substantiated by supporting documents.

Additional Notes

A Broad Arrow Auctions Specialist is working as an agent on behalf of the owner of this vehicle. Broad Arrow Auctions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hagerty.

Contact: Frank Malefors Phone: 602-488-7888 Email: fmalefors@hagerty.com