Mercury, conceived by Edsel Ford in 1939 to fill the market gap between Ford and Lincoln, matured from an upscale Ford to a baby Lincoln. In the late 1950s, however, Mercury made a bold move to take on Oldsmobile for supremacy in the mid-price segment. Although retaining the styling cues of the Turnpike Cruiser-inspired 1957 and ’58 Mercs, the 1959 model was all new underneath.

Mercury completed the makeover for 1960 with a completely new skin. The new metal was subtly sculpted with daintily curved vestigial fins at the rear, leaving the dated Turnpike Cruiser theme behind. Pontiac’s “Wide Track” notwithstanding, the 1960 Mercury measured 81½ inches at its broadest point, making it, with sibling marque Ford, the widest car of the year. A suspension innovation that Mercury called “Road-Tuned Wheels” combined triple-stage shock absorbers with “soft, stable springs” to smooth out road roughness before it reached the body.

This 1960 Mercury Monterey Convertible, with just three owners since new, is remarkable for a nearly-original car. The accompanying documentation includes the original Bill of Sale and subsequent title transfer. Apart from a high-quality repaint and new carpeting, it is fully original: chrome, upholstery, and convertible top.

It was ordered from Sachs & Sons, the Lincoln-Mercury dealer in Downey, California, by Karl Kramer, of Beverly Hills, as the last new car he ever purchased. Mr. Kramer, a neighbor of Lucille Ball, James Stewart, Agnes Moorhead, and Jack Benny, was treasurer of Music Corporation of America (predecessor to NBC Universal), a dominant force in music and entertainment publishing and management.

Mr. Kramer always bought convertibles because, according to his daughter, he suffered rheumatic fever as a child that left him unable to turn his neck, and he felt he could see better with the top down. In fact, he never put the top up. He paid $3,477 for this Mercury, in cash, and drove it just 32,000 miles until he was no longer able to drive. It then sat idle until 1978, when his daughter told a neighbor about it. The neighbor’s wife wanted him to have a hobby, so he bought it on first sight.

The new owner had the car repainted, but in all the years he owned it, he drove it only once, to Santa Monica and back. The car sat in his garage until he decided to sell it some 20 years later. The car is virtually original to this day, including its green-tinted rear window, which matches the tinted glass. It has covered barely 34,000 original miles.

As ordered, the car is fully loaded, including power seats and windows (just eight percent of production), but has no heater, which was not needed in California. Other equipment includes the optional 383-cubic inch, 280-horsepower engine, power steering and brakes, padded dashboard, radio, back-up lights, seat belts, deluxe wheel covers, and tinted glass.

Mercurys of the 1960s are quite rare in the collector community. This car, with its interesting history and unusual equipment, is a singular example.