The Mercury was conceived by Edsel Ford in 1939 to fill the market gap between Ford and Lincoln. Over the years, the marque’s image has gone from a premium Ford to a baby Lincoln. In the 1960s, however, Mercury staked out a persona of its own, which had models in three sizes that were priced from barely $2,000 to more than $3,500. At the top of the line was the Park Lane, with premium trim, a fastback hardtop model called “Marauder,” and powertrain options of up to 425 brake horsepower.

This stunning Mercury Park Lane was purchased by the current owner in 2006 and was subjected to a partial but thorough restoration over the following 18 months. It was originally a California car, but it came to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, from Los Angeles in the early 1980s. There, it was kept in dry storage until the restoration began.

Although the body was not removed from the frame, it was fully disassembled and consigned to a professional body shop with no expense spared. The G&L Collision Centre in Victoria, B.C., stripped, resurfaced, and painted all the panels in Anniversary Silver, a color that celebrated Mercury’s 25th year on the market. All of the chrome and stainless trim was re-done by Victoria plating, and new glass and rubber moldings were installed. A rebuilt power seat assembly was fitted, and the power window mechanisms were all restored. The interior was replaced with white vinyl by Cybec Upholstery. Additional accessories on the car include air conditioning, which was rare for convertibles in 1964; dual mirror spotlights; and a modern CD stereo hidden in the glove box, with its original radio still in place.

The engine was rebuilt by Cords Alpine Machine in Langford, B.C., and it has been up-rated with dual 500 CFM Edelbrock carburetors and Ford cast-iron “shorty” headers. The transmission, differential, and power steering were rebuilt, and the front brakes were converted to discs, along with a larger master cylinder and power booster, for greater safety. The power steering was rebuilt, and a larger sway bar was installed to improve handling. The chrome wire wheels use roadster rims with Dennis Carpenter centers, and new radial tires were mounted at the time of restoration. A matching spare is housed in the luggage compartment.

The car also features a new convertible top in blue Haartz cloth with a factory glass rear window and a matching boot cover. The power top mechanism, including the pump, rams, and hoses, is all new.

This Park Lane is a strong runner and a favorite of the owner’s for highway touring. It has been driven several thousand flawless miles and has covered long distances to many old car events. This stunning Mercury, one of 1,967 Park Lane Convertibles built for 1964, amply commands the respect that Mercury deserves.