Journal Classic Cars

Imagine being able to teleport yourself to 2003 to buy a brand-new Mustang from over two decades ago. The cherry on top: The car isn’t even yet “dealer-prepped” – it comes with the protective plastics both inside and out – almost as if it rolled out of the Dearborn, Michigan, assembly plant just yesterday.

The Pick of the Day is an 8.7-mile (yes, you read that right – eight-point-seven-mile) 2003 Ford Mustang SVT Cobra 10th Anniversary coupe listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by HGREG LUX in Pompano Beach, Florida. (Click here to view the listing)

The fourth generation of the popular Mustang pony car launched in 1994 using what Ford internally called the “SN95” design. Straight out of the gate, the car was a marketplace success: It was named Motor Trend’s “Car of the Year” for its ability to revitalize the muscle car image for a new generation of buyers. In that vein, magazine advertisements for the SN95 Mustang harkened back to the original Mustang from 1964 as “the horse that carried away a nation, untamed spirit captured in chrome.” The 1994 Mustang was said to have “that same spirit captured in an all-new shape.”

The SN95 generation lasted through 2004. Toward the tail end of that span – specifically, for model year 2003, a 10th Anniversary Mustang Cobra was sold in commemoration of 10 years of Ford’s “Special Vehicle Team.” There were 2,003 total units produced with the 10th Anniversary package.

How about a refresher on the Special Vehicle Team? “SVT” was a division of Ford Motor Company dedicated to the production of high-performance vehicles. Much like BMW has its “M” and Mercedes-Benz has its “AMG,” Ford channeled its engineering knowledge and dollars into squeezing more power, enhanced handling and sportier aerodynamics from some of its models. The first two vehicles that SVT worked on were the SVT Lightning F-Series pickup truck and the SVT Cobra Mustang.

Which brings us to what may very well be the lowest-mileage fourth-gen Mustang in the country.

HGREG LUX provided some key details and over 50 photos of the exceptional car: The Torch Red exterior retains its factory-applied protective plastics on the bumpers and the sideview mirrors – in fact, many aspects of the car are still wrapped up, including the seats, the steering wheel and even the radio display. The car’s 17-inch split-spoke wheels were exclusive to 10th Anniversary models, and handling was optimized by an SVT-specific suspension using linear-rate springs and gas-pressurized Bilstein dampers.

Power for this mean machine is provided by a supercharged 4.6-liter DOHC Modular V8 featuring a cast-iron block, aluminum cylinder heads, a forged rotating assembly, and an oil cooler. Ford rated the engine at 390 horsepower and 390 lb-ft of torque when new. A TREMEC T-56 six-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential handle the task of getting power to the rear (original) Goodyear Eagle tires.

The car will come with the original window sticker, SVT memorabilia, magazines and two sets of keys with fobs. HGREG LUX says, “Experience the legacy and exclusivity of this 2003 Ford Mustang Cobra 10th Anniversary, an ultra-rare collector’s car with just 8 miles on the odometer. This is a pristine opportunity to own a piece of Mustang history. Don’t miss out!”

Would you unwrap and enjoy the car or stash it away for safekeeping? Either way, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a 22-year-old car as “fresh” as this Cobra. Check out the photo album, and envision yourself becoming the lucky owner of this essentially brand-new car.

The asking price is $106,998.

Click here to view this Pick of the Day of the Day on ClassicCars.com.

February 2025 proved to be yet another record-breaking month for classic and collector vehicle insurer OpenRoad. Compared to January, the brand saw a 53% increase in customer growth as more and more auto enthusiasts are signing up for their new auto insurance program. Why are so many classic and collector vehicle owners making the switch? Customer testimonials highlight huge savings on equal or better coverage as well as excellent customer service that feels like, “calling a friend.” That is some high praise for an insurance company.

How does OpenRoad stack up against the rest?                       

It’s no secret that for decades collector vehicle owners have been fairly limited in terms of options for auto insurance. Confusing programs, complicated coverage options, and regular rate increases, even when they haven’t filed a claim, have left many auto enthusiasts looking for an alternative. Some owners have even gone the route of bundling their classic car coverage with their home and daily driver insurance, leaving them likely overpaying for coverage that is inadequate for their collector ride.

Realizing the market was ripe for more choice, the seasoned team of collector car and insurance experts at OpenRoad set out to build a program that addressed the gaps currently facing collector vehicle owners as well as insurance agents and brokers servicing this community. The result being a program that includes specialized coverages tailored to the unique needs of classic and modern collector vehicle owners, with pricing that accounts for the reduced usage and accident frequency often associated with these vehicles. This means better coverage and often lower rates for owners making the switch from standard auto insurance companies or those other collector vehicle insurers.

“When developing our program, we examined all the contributing factors that were causing skyrocketing rake hikes,” explained Mark VanDam, OpenRoad’s Chief Underwriting Officer. “In the process, we identified several opportunities for us to build a better program, one that passed more savings along to our customers and provided the specialized coverages they need.”

In addition to their already highly competitive rates, OpenRoad goes above and beyond by offering additional discounts to car club members as well as customers who transfer their coverage from another classic car insurer. With so many auto enthusiasts making the switch to OpenRoad, it seems that they have found everything that they have been looking for in a classic auto insurance provider. Just check out these recent customer reviews:

• “Almost half the price as your competitors for equal coverage!”
• “Saving over $1,600 from my previous company, same coverage and better customer service.”
• “25% less premium than my former classic car insurance company for the same coverage.”
• “Pricing was 20% lower than their direct competitor for the exact same coverage on multiple vehicles.”
• “Hands down beat the other quotes I received.”
• “Great coverage without all the unnecessary, useless, costly bells and whistles of other classic car insurance companies.”

How is OpenRoad’s Coverage a Better fit for Classic & Collector Vehicles?

With OpenRoad, paying less doesn’t mean getting less. In addition to all the standard coverage you’d expect with an auto insurance policy— think comprehensive, collision, uninsured motorist, and the like — every OpenRoad policy comes with protection tailored to car collectors that simply can’t be matched by traditional auto insurance companies. For example, OpenRoad’s agreed value policy guarantees that the insurance payout you’ll receive in the event of a total loss equals the actual worth of your classic car, rather than a depreciated value that most insurance programs use.

“Many collector vehicle owners don’t realize that their standard auto coverage is based on a depreciated market value,” said Justin Moreno, OpenRoad’s Chief Marketing & Communications Officer. “That may work well for daily drivers but not for a classic car or truck. These vehicles require coverage that considers their true replacement cost, assigning a market value that takes into account their condition as well as the owner’s investments. We provide that as well as expert claims handling and many other protections that are better suited to the needs of the collector car community.”

OpenRoad’s coverage is also better when it comes to minor damages. First, the company lets you pick the shop of your choice to carry out any repairs, so you can rest easy knowing your car is in the hands of mechanics you trust and who specialize in classic and collector cars. And second, it will cover the cost for OEM parts, ensuring that a fender bender doesn’t spoil the authenticity of your ride.

An OpenRoad policy is so comprehensive that it can even help you prevent your classic car from getting damaged in the first place. In the event of a pending natural disaster, such as a hurricane or wildfire, the company will cover the cost of getting your car out of harm’s way. That includes reimbursing the many out-of-pocket expenses associated with relocating and temporarily storing your car somewhere safe.

OpenRoad’s coverage also extends beyond the bumpers of your classic car to the tools and spare parts you’ve stockpiled for maintaining your vehicle. OpenRoad will even foot the bill for a new car cover if yours is stolen or vandalized.

Rapidly Expanding Into New Markets

In order to keep pace with rising demand for its classic car insurance program, OpenRoad is rapidly expanding its coverage across the U.S. and is now live in 21 states including Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The brand has also seen significant interest among insurance agencies and brokerages, registering over 1,000 new partners in the past few months who are keen to have another option for their clients

Check out OpenRoad’s coverage options and get your quote today in about five minutes.

If you live outside the company’s current coverage area, be sure to sign up for OpenRoad’s newsletter so you’ll be notified as soon as policies are available in your area. The company is quickly expanding to new states each and every month.

For many people, it’s a good thing when the boss leaves. If their manager is overbearing, they can relax a little. If the head honcho is a micro-manager, they can probably get more work done with them gone. But to Ford Mustang fans, the Boss’s departure in the 1970s left a void. They awaited its return until 2012, when the Boss came back from a ridiculously long hiatus. Unfortunately, the Boss didn’t stay for long. Today’s AutoHunter Spotlight, a 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 with the Laguna Seca performance package, comes from the final production year of the second-generation model.

The Boss returned in S197 form not only with more power, but better performance all around. Ford’s powertrain engineers enhanced the Coyote 5.0-liter V8 with forged aluminum pistons, upgraded connecting rods, a unique intake manifold, and revised oil pan baffling, boosting output from 412 to 444 horsepower (although torque dipped from 390 to 380 lb-ft). They paired that high-output 302 with staggered-width 19-inch wheels, a six-speed manual gearbox, a quad exhaust system (two side and two rear outlets), and a 3.73 limited-slip differential. Of course, Ford’s in-house performance enthusiasts beefed up the Boss’s suspension and brakes so they could make the most of its extra power, swapping out the regular hardware for adjustable shocks and struts with five settings, a 25-mm rear stabilizer bar, 14-inch Brembo front rotors with four-piston calipers, and 11.8-inch rear discs with high-performance pads.

The available Laguna Seca package took things up a notch with a front splitter, front brake cooling ducts, wider rear wheels, more aggressive rubber, unique rear springs, a larger stabilizer bar, and more. In the pursuit of higher performance and lower lap times, Ford deleted the rear seat and replaced it with an X-brace. The Laguna Seca treatment was easy to spot because it also included a red grille surround, mirror caps, roof, and rear spoiler.

Was the Boss’s return worth the wait? Car and Driver thought so. One of the publication’s writers stated, “As automotive resurrections go, this is a knockout that venerates the original Boss while embarrassing it objectively and subjectively in every meaningful measure. What this is, is the best Mustang ever.”

This 2013 Boss 302 has those same performance enhancements as well as the unique front and rear springs and cosmetic changes that Ford incorporated for the model year. Whereas the 2012 Boss came with 1969-inspired “C” side stripes, Ford added 1970 Boss 302-inspired hood striping and changed the side graphics to hockey stick-style stripes for 2013. The Laguna Seca package was largely the same, although the red accents were dropped in favor of reflective Sterling Gray hood and side stripes, mirror caps, and rear spoiler.

There are even more Boss 302-specific features in the cockpit of this focused machine. The main touchpoints are an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and a black cue ball-style shift knob. The special gauge cluster is surrounded by dark aluminum dash trim. Charcoal Black cloth front bucket seats with gray “BOSS 302” embroidery keep passengers in place on the road and road course.

Judging by the 5,690 miles on the odometer, this Boss hasn’t left the office and gotten out much. If you want to let it loose on the highway or your favorite motorsports park, place the winning bid for it and you’ll never have to worry about the Boss returning because it’ll be in your garage every night. Get your bid in now; the auction for this 5K-mile 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca ends on Thursday, March 13, 2025 at 11:15 a.m. (MST).

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

I’ve often wondered, “Wouldn’t it be great if a manufacturer built a car with hidden headlights? To hell with perfect aerodynamics—let’s have a little airflow disruption in the name of style.” Anyone with me?

So, maybe you will be happy to learn that Italian coachbuilder Bertone has designed a new sports car that features pop-up headlights. Neat!

Truth be told, it could be said that, thanks to lighting technology and design trends, automotive styling has been moving in the direction where it looks like the headlights are hidden. Glance at a brand-new Hyundai Sonata and, other than daytime running lights, the sedan has a look that hides the headlights. However, the mechanical novelty is missing.

With the Bertone Runabout, not only is there no doubt the headlights are hidden, but they also pop up quite literally, each unit jutting straight from the nose to reveal a pair of headlights that would look at home on an Atari. According to Motor Trend, the Runabout features a mid-engine configuration with a V6 offering approximately 460 horsepower.

If this car seems familiar, it’s because Bertone designed a Runabout Concept in 1969, faithfully replicated by Matchbox and Corgi (and perhaps others).

Two body styles will be available: Barchetta and Targa. If you keep on forgetting what pasta fagioli is, then chances are you need us to explain that a barchetta is an open-air speedster. The Targa comes with a larger windshield and, of course, a removable hardtop. Three colors will be available: the copper-ish Rame Antico, Azzurro Mediterraneo blue, and Bianco Perla, a pearlescent ivory.

As the first in a series of the new Bertone Classic Collection, the Runabout will cost approximately $369,000, and only 25 will be produced. Pre-orders are being taken at this very moment, with delivery scheduled for a bit more than a year from now. If you’re well-heeled and moved, be sure to check your country’s safety standards for small-batch cars because it would be a bummer for you to ix-nay your order.

On April 30, 1958, Mary Alice Teagardin traded in her 1951 Chevrolet two-door delivery for a brand-new 1958 Pontiac Chieftain. Haydocy Pontiac in Columbus, Ohio, gave her $263.55 in trade for her Chevy, and the Chieftain was offered at a generous $800 discount, bringing the retail price of $3,475.15 down to $2,675.15. Haydocy Pontiac charged $6.15 for license and title fees.

Some 67 years later, that Chieftain is still on the road—and it could now become yours.

Featured on AutoHunter, your trusted source for classic rides, is this 29K-Mile 1958 Pontiac Chieftain Tri-Power offered by a dealer in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

Mary Alice didn’t drive much: The Persian Black car’s odometer shows a remarkable 29,339 miles traveled since new. The selling dealer calls the car a “true survivor,” and for good reasons. Aside from some areas of the exterior which have reportedly been repainted, the car retains its original interior, engine and trunk. A description of the car written by the dealer says, “I do not believe the car has ever been apart. Runs, drives and functions phenomenally.”

The Chieftain model was produced from 1949 through 1958. For all except the final year, the car used the General Motors A-body platform. In 1958, it rode on the B-body—alongside its assembly-line siblings the Chevrolet Biscayne, the Oldsmobile 88 and the Buick Special. Some of the key design elements for final-year Chieftains were the quad headlights and taillights, as well as honeycomb grilles. The black steel wheels with dog-dish hubcaps on this car give it a unique monochromatic look (especially coming from the late 1950s when so many cars were finished in two-tone or even tri-tone).

As for the running gear, power comes from a reportedly numbers-matching “Tempest 395” 370ci V8 with factory tri-power. The transmission is a four-speed Super Hydra-matic automatic. Based on the driving video that is included with the listing, the car runs, accelerates, handles and brakes predictably. The car “gets tons of attention at shows,” the narration says.

The documentation that accompanies this Chieftain is as compelling as the car itself. Included with the sale are an order form, the original sales invoice, an owner’s guide and an owner service policy pamphlet.

Unfortunately, Haydocy Pontiac won’t be able to perform a chassis lubrication for the next owner, because the dealership doesn’t exist any longer. The spiritual successor to the dealership is called Mark Wahlberg Buick GMC, and it happens to still be located on Broad Street in Columbus—just quite a bit further west than the original Pontiac retailer. I wonder what the service advisors would say if you pulled up in this car and asked for an oil change?

The auction for this 29K-Mile 1958 Pontiac Chieftain Tri-Power ends Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 11:15 a.m. (MST)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

It seems every Big Three manufacturer who built a compact car in the early 1960s also created a forward-control truck based on the same platform. Of the bunch, only Chevrolet offered two, with our Pick of the Day being the most interesting: the 1961 Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Hopedale, Massachusetts. (Click on the link to view the listing)

Both Chevrolet and Ford introduced forward-control trucks in 1961. They were not similar aside of being based on their respective compacts. Ford’s Falcon-based Econoline was entirely conventional, while the Chevrolet Corvair Greenbriar van and Corvair 95 trucks were the polar opposite. The latter included the Corvan and two pickups: Loadside and Rampside. “Driver’s up front . . . engine’s in the rear . . . all the rest is load space!” read one brochure, touting the cubic-feet of load space assisted by the flat floor and elimination of the hood.

While the Corvan was the commercial van Corvair (and the Greenbriar the civilian van), the Loadside and Rampside were the pickup truck versions of the same vehicle. The Loadside was a typical pickup with a gate in the rear. Contrast this with the Rampside, which featured both the rear gate plus a side gate that dropped down to form a ramp for easy loading and unloading. Chevrolet claimed 1,900 cargoes were cake, with gross vehicle weight being a robust 4,600 pounds—impressive for a 145ci flat-six.

Power for the 1961 Corvair was either an air-cooled, 80-horsepower Turbo-Air 6 (available with three-speed, four-speed, or Powerglide) or 98-horse Super Turbo Air 6 (ditto), but the Corvair Greenbriar and 95s made do with the former.

Chevrolet touted advantages that only its rear-engined truck could espouse, like low, accessible loading height and driver comfort due to the engine being in the rear (versus between the two front seats, like on the Econoline). Of course, another notable feature was the four-wheel independent suspension with transaxle. A first for a U.S. truck, the suspension added “stability to truck performance and to take the roughness out of road surfaces.”

Each of the Corvair trucks had different production lifespans: the Greenbriar was produced from 1961-65, while the Corvan was available through 1964. For the pickups, the Loadside was only available 1961-62, while the Rampside was produced through 1964.

This 1961 Chevrolet Corvair 95 Rampside stands out from the others due to the four-speed manual backing the 80-horse six. The two-tone paint just looks right, and it’s complemented by the chrome grille and optional chrome bumpers (white was standard). Other features include “West Coast” mirrors, rhino-lined bed, and mag wheel covers, a post-1965 addition. “Spotless interior, optional heater, AM/FM radio, and blinkers,” says the seller. Blinkers? Nonetheless, “the underside is very clean.”

For 1964, Chevrolet introduced a more conventional Chevy-Van based on the Chevy II (with the family-oriented Sportvan appearing the following year), though a pickup was never offered. That makes this 1961 Rampside quite unique. While the 10,787 built (the peak during its existence) sounds somewhat generous, the Rampside was a disposable workhorse so they are few and far between. For $27,500 (sans the Corvair Monza GT go-kart), this is a fine conversation piece at car shows and landscaping jobs alike.

Click here for this ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day.

AutoHunter Cinema brings you an up-close look at one of the cars most kids had a poster of on their wall back in the day: a 1994 Dodge Viper RT/10. Like its spiritual ancestor, the Shelby Cobra, it was a raw performance machine with muscular curves, but it also had something that made it unique.

Under that massive hood is a 400-horsepower 8.0-liter V10 that blasts its output to the wide rear tires through a 6-speed manual gearbox. This iconic piece of rolling ‘90s nostalgia sold at the Barrett-Jackson 2024 Scottsdale Fall Auction for $33,000.

While many cars from the Malaise era in the 1980s weren’t known for performance (emissions regulations, after all, caused almost all manufacturers to dial back engine sizes in the interest of fuel efficiency). But one thing that American manufacturers excelled at was cabin comfort – I will never forget the look and feel of the six-passenger velour interior of my Chevrolet Celebrity.

Other GM cars of the era, including Oldsmobiles, had the same idea.

Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1983 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency Sedan The car is being offered by a dealer in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and the auction will end Friday.

Plant yourself on the plush driver seat, complete with tufted brown cloth upholstery. Then, look around, where soft finishes continue to the carpeted door panels and even a carpeted dash mat. The cabin is the kind of place you could enjoy a cross-country drive without getting the slightest bit fatigued.

The 98 (later stylized as Ninety-Eight, then Ninety Eight) was the full-size flagship model for Oldsmobile. Its origins date back to 1940, and the name was chosen because the car was on the “Series 90” platform and had an eight-cylinder engine. The car’s 10th generation ran from 1977 to 1984 and was offered a two-door coupe and as a four-door sedan.

Reportedly owned by the same family since 1988, this Ninety-Eight is a largely original, garage-kept time capsule of the Malaise era, when wire wheel covers, whitewall tires, wood-grain trim and a multitude of ash trays were the defining characteristics of high-end automotive status.

One Oldsmobile advertisement said, “Luxury carried to its most logical conclusion.” It went on to say: “A luxury car, happy to report, can still be a most logical purchase. That’s the Olds point of view behind the new Ninety-Eight Regency. Most logical of all is that you needn’t be extravagant to get the elegance you want. And with Regency, the niceties – from air conditioning and power accessories to its richly appointed interior – are all standard.”

Power comes from a 5.0-liter carbureted V8 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Oldsmobile rated the car at 140 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque when new. The car has accrued 140,000 miles (although its five-digit odometer has rolled over, so it only shows 40,000). The CARFAX report starts in 1992 in Florida and shows ownership in Michigan beginning in 2009.

If you’re ready to treat yourself to the 1980s version of executive travel, your opportunity is ready for the taking.

The auction for this 1983 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight Regency Sedan will end Friday, December 27, 2024, at 11:50 a.m. (MST)

Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery

If you too have a classic car with a story to share, please visit this link and fill in the information to submit your story for a chance to be featured on the ClassicCars.com Journal.

In a momentary lapse of reason, I sold my ’71 Cutlass S custom (a rare “post coupe” model) in October 2019 after 16 years of ownership. The buyer was a guy in Tucson, Arizona, and I shipped the car to him. It was rather traumatic.

Later, knowing I’d be in Tucson on business, I reached out to the owner, hoping to visit my old ride while in town. Coincidentally, he had just put the vehicle up for sale, consigning it to Hi-Speed Rods & Customs, a high-end restoration shop in Tucson. I spent over an hour there reuniting with the Cutlass and checking out a bunch of other cool custom rides in the shop.

When I sold the Cutlass, it had a long list of performance upgrades, including a pro-built 455 with Edelbrock Performer RPM aluminum cylinder heads, Art Carr 200-4R Extreme Duty overdrive transmission, 12-bolt rear end with Eaton posi-traction and 3.55 ratio gears, front disc brake conversion, MagnaFlow Performance 3-inch dual with Tru-X pipe and more.

Although the Cutlass needed nothing to cruise/show when purchased, the current owner spent over $25,000 in parts/labor on a large list of upgrades, including a completely new powder-coated frame, four-corner coilovers with front tubular control arms, Sniper fuel injection, Vintage heat/air conditioning, a Be Cool aluminum radiator with twin Spal fans and more.

Sadly, through our communication while I was in town, I learned the current owner was under distress with his wife’s medical situation. He originally turned down my considerably lower-than-asking-price offer to buy the car back but then accepted it after further consideration.

I hired InterCity Lines to enclose ship the Cutlass approximately 2,700 miles from the shop in Tucson to my home in Southern New Hampshire, where it now joins my other three joy rides.

Although the original buyer/now seller and I share quite the special relationship, we still have not met in person!

– Steve F., New Hampshire

Nineteen fifty-seven is a popular year for many American brands, but not for Mercury. That was the year Mercury unveiled its series with “Dream-Car Design,” but enthusiasts and collectors tend to look elsewhere for Atomic Age greatness. Our Pick of the Day is one of these dark horse classics: a 1957 Mercury Montclair. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a dealer in Greely, Colorado. (Click on the link to view the listing)

Mercury might as well be known as “Sybil” because Ford Motor Company gave it several images that made it seem the brand had multiple personality disorder. Initially created to fill a gap between Ford and the Lincoln Zephyr, Mercury eventually grew into a junior Lincoln, then had its own exclusive bodies, then evolved into a premium Ford after the Edsel debacle, back and forth. After spending several years in the shadows of its competition (if not Ford) in the 1950s, Mercury was poised to make a splash for 1957 with its own unique interpretation of personal transportation.

“Styled to influence the shape of cars for years to come,” the “Big M” 1957 Mercury featured styling reflected by the 1956 XM-Turnpike Cruiser show car. Canted taillights leading to “projectile side theme” rear fenders were unusual, even for 1957. Available “Quadri-Beam” quad headlights was a forward-thinking feature. “Keyboard Control” push-button automatic transmission was a contemporary option that’s more commonly seen as a Mopar feature. A new power seat option featured a dial to save your seat setting.

Under the hood, Mercury appeared to step up to the plate and greet Chrysler in the horsepower wars: a “Safety Surge” 312 four-barrel with 259 horsepower was standard, with a 290-horse “Turnpike Cruiser” with four-barrel being optional for the Monterey and Montclair. On top of that, buyers could specify the M-335 power package that included dual-quads and 335 horsepower.

Speaking of Turnpike Cruiser, that also was the name of a new, special Mercury model that sat above Monterey and Montclair. Said to have been named to commemorate the creation of the Interstate Highway System, this new flagship featured every power item offered by Mercury, including the following:

• The “Monitor Control Panel” dashboard was ‘driver-planned” with tachometer, and featured a “Average-Speed Computer Clock,” which worked both as a timepiece and a speed calculator. The steering wheel also featured a recessed hub for better vision and safety.

• The “Skylight Dual-Curve Windshield” wrapped upwards, as well as around, and was flanked by twin antennas atop the A-pillars.

• “Breezeway Ventilation” brought air in through “supplementary roof-level air intakes.” Air flowed out through a retractable, power-operated backlite on hardtops.

In the collector car world, the Turnpike Cruiser garners the most attention, leaving cars like this 1957 Mercury Montclair Phaeton Coupe (Mercury’s way of saying “two-door hardtop”) to fend for themselves. Painted in Classic White with a Fiesta Red top and gold-hued side sculpting, “this often-overlooked gem of ‘50s Americana boasts its original 368-cubic inch V8, one of the largest, most powerful engines on the market at the time, producing 290 horsepower and mated to a Keyboard Control automatic transmission,” says the seller. Note the optional quad headlights.

He also calls the car a “survivor”—is it? Or just a loose use of the word to suggest “unrestored?” This under-appreciated piece of 1950s glitz certainly deserves your attention and, if its space-age styling doesn’t do it for ya, maybe the $9,999 asking price will.

Click here for this ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day.