A 1958 Mercury foldout advertisement describes the Turnpike Cruiser as being “beautifully sculptured, distinctively detailed, with clean line modern styling. Mercury’s marketing execs were evidently conscious of the fact that the look of a car may be its best selling feature, as they placed gritty mechanical details to the reverse side of the fold out while keeping the front focused on appearances. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and while some embrace the Turnpike Cruiser’s extravagant styling, others may find it garish.
