Hemmings Daily: Mercury's XM-Turnpike Cruiser unearthed, headed into restoration

When Jack Reith's vision for a newly prominent and profitable Mercury division -- led by the fantastic Ghia-built XM-Turnpike Cruiser -- collapsed almost as soon as it launched, the show car suffered for it as much as Reith did. Now, more than 60 years later, the show car has re-emerged and is headed toward restoration, providing an opportunity to re-examine Reith's legacy. Two seemingly unrelated events took place around the end of World War II that would lead to the XM-Turnpike Cruiser's creation. First, Ford e [View in Browser | Subscribe]( [Hemmings Daily] Friday, August 24, 2018 [Mercury's XM-Turnpike Cruiser unearthed, headed into restoration]( [Mercury's XM-Turnpike Cruiser unearthed, headed into restoration]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - When Jack Reith's vision for a newly prominent and profitable Mercury division -- led by the fantastic Ghia-built XM-Turnpike Cruiser -- collapsed almost as soon as it launched, the show car suffered for it as much as Reith did. Now, more than 60 years later, the show car has re-emerged and is headed toward restoration, providing an opportunity to re-examine Reith's legacy. Two seemingly unrelated events took place around the end of World War II that would lead to the XM-Turnpike Cruiser's creation. First, Ford e... [Read More]( [Sponsor]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - RPO 576 1959 Chevrolet Bel Air for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: I have known this car since 1960, it was purchased in Inwood Iowa from a company called Grotewold Motors by a knowledgable salesman Dick Hanson. Dick had read that they were going to make less than 10 RPO 576's with 4-spd manual transmissions and 4.11 positraction rear ends. These cars used NASCAR engines and added tri-power carberators and they were rated at 335 HP. This is probably the rarest Chevrolet on the planet. I can fin...[Read More]( [Two-owner Plymouth Superbird flies high at Owls Head New England Auto Auction]( [Two-owner Plymouth Superbird flies high at Owls Head New England Auto Auction]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - According to the latest NADA guide, high retail for a 1970 Plymouth Superbird built with the U-code engine (a 440 topped by a single four-barrel carburetor) is $173,400. At the recent Owls Head New England Auto Auction, one such 1970 Plymouth Superbird, a numbers-matching, two-owner car, upgraded to the 440 Six Barrel intake manifold, carburetors, and air cleaner at the time of original delivery, sold for a fee-inclusive $187,000, a testament to its condition and well-documented history. Sold new in Septe...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [A pair of Hemmings editors loose in Monterey]( [A pair of Hemmings editors loose in Monterey]( Posted by Terry Shea - The Monterey Car Week experience is sensory overload for anyone who breathes gasoline and bleeds motor oil. You needn't even attend one of the dozens of events going on in the area. Just taking a walk on any street in downtown Monterey, or driving from event to event in the area this week, is like going to a rolling car show. Your humble author, taking notes on a 1921 Stutz Series K Bearcat at Bonhams. How often do you see a Ferrari 250 GT Spider just cruising in traffic? Or a Plymouth Barracuda Formula S ...[Read More]( [The one that almost got away (twice)]( [The one that almost got away (twice)]( Posted by Mike McNessor - At what point do you just throw up your hands and give up on an old car? If you're John Hofmann and that car is a Light Green Metallic 1969 Dodge Super Bee that you've been doting on and pampering since the early 1970s, the correct answer is "never." This Super Bee is the subject of the Restoration Profile in the October issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines (on sale August 28, sporting an all-new design) and its owner's story is one of never giving up on what you want. John first spotted this 383-powered, ...[Read More]( [Dublin, 1960s]( [Dublin, 1960s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1960s Location: O'Connell Street, Dublin, Ireland Source: OldDublinTown What do you see here?...[Read More]( [Sponsor]( [HemmingsPRO]( Seller Listings [1964 Chevrolet Corvette]( [1964 Chevrolet Corvette $46,983]( [1974 Chevrolet Corvette]( [1974 Chevrolet Corvette $36,900]( [1988 Chevrolet Corvette]( [1988 Chevrolet Corvette $7,950]( [1949 Chevrolet 3100]( [1949 Chevrolet 3100 $40,783]( [2011 Ford Mustang]( [2011 Ford Mustang $15,950]( [1926 Hupmobile]( [1926 Hupmobile $15,500]( [Learn More]( [This Day in Automotive History] THIS DAY IN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY 8/24/1881: Vicenzo Lancia born, Fobello, Piedmont, Italy UPCOMING EVENTS [Hemmings Musclepalooza XXVIII]( September 2, 2018 - West Lebanon, NY [8th Annual Car Show and Village Cruise]( September 1, 2018 - Deposit, NY [Aluminum Shapes Charity Car Show]( September 1, 2018 - Delair, NJ [31st ANNUAL ROANOKE VALLEY MOPAR SHOW]( September 1, 2018 - salem, VA [10th Annual Charles Town Car Show]( September 1, 2018 - Charles Town, WV [Trinity Lutheran Church Benefit Car Show]( September 1, 2018 - Troy, MO [See All Events]( [Sponsor]( FEATURED CLASSIFIEDS Sponsored By: [Sponsor]( [1977 Lotus Esprit]( [1977 Lotus Esprit]( [$39,750]( [1969 Plymouth GTX]( [1969 Plymouth GTX]( [$75,000]( [1952 Chevrolet Styleline]( [1952 Chevrolet Styleline]( [$11,500]( [1931 Packard 833]( [1931 Packard 833]( [$55,000]( [1965 Chrysler Imperial Crown]( [1965 Chrysler Imperial Crown]( [$14,500]( [1975 Buick Skyhawk]( [1975 Buick Skyhawk]( [$3,500]( [1964 Mercury Park Lane]( [1964 Mercury Park Lane]( [$29,500]( [1959 Edsel]( [1959 Edsel]( [$17,900]( PROMOTED LISTING [1952 Henry J Corsair]( [1952 Henry J Corsair]( [Auction]( PROMOTED LISTING [1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL]( [1969 Mercedes-Benz 280SL]( [Inquire]( PROMOTED LISTING [1947 Chevrolet]( [1947 Chevrolet]( [$99,900]( [flathead straight -6 block engine]( [flathead straight -6 block engine]( [$500]( [View All Classifieds]( FEATURED IN THE BLOG [The largest aggregation of motor vehicles ever started on a trip of such length: Coast to coast with the U.S. Army in 1919]( [The largest aggregation of motor vehicles ever started on a trip of such length: Coast to coast with the U.S. Army in 1919]( [Air-Cooled Appreciation: A shrine celebrating all things Corvair opens in Illinois]( [Air-Cooled Appreciation: A shrine celebrating all things Corvair opens in Illinois]( [See All Featured Blog Posts]( FOLLOW US: [Get RSS Feeds of Hemmings Blog]( [Follow us on Twitter]( [Join us on Facebook]( [View our Flickr pool]( [View Newsletter Archives]( WEEK IN REVIEW Thursday, August 23, 2018 [Built for blasting reggae: Big Willy scratchbuilt Jeep heads to the playa]( [Built for blasting reggae: Big Willy scratchbuilt Jeep heads to the playa]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Ian Liljeblad loves flatfender Jeeps. Ian Liljeblad loves reggae music. So, Ian Liljeblad decided to combine both passions for this year's trip to the weeklong Burning Man festival by scratch-building a double-scale flatfender with enough speakers to flood the desert with dub. "It'll hold 10 to 15 people," Liljeblad said in a video introducing the project. "We should be able to have a dance party on it." On its own and in the daylight, the Jeep -- named Big Willy -- looks surprisingly normal, aside from the ba...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1977 AMC Pacer D/L]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1977 AMC Pacer D/L]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Once-repainted 1977 AMC Pacer D/L for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: This 1977 AMC Pacer D/L sedan spent it's first 42 years in Orlando, FL. This car was purchased in December 2017 in Orlando, FL and brought to Michigan at that time. I also have the original bill-of-sale that shows this Pacer was purchased new on 3-3-1977 by a gentleman who was living in Monte Carlo, Monaco, but who was apparently moving to the United States for employment as an engineer. I have the original window sticker whi...[Read More]( [Approved by "Q Branch"- Aston Martin to build 25 "Goldfinger" DB5 recreations for sale]( [Approved by 'Q Branch'- Aston Martin to build 25 'Goldfinger' DB5 recreations for sale]( Posted by Mark J. McCourt - Images are courtesy of Aston Martin Media Aston Martin is no stranger to capitalizing on its incredible back-catalog, having recently sold 25 "continuation" alloy-bodiedDB4 GT Lightweights, each of which was built by hand in-house at Aston Martin Works, commanded around $2 million, and wasn't legal for road use in the U.S. This 105-year-old British firm recently announced it will recreate its most famous product, a DB5 bearing the plate "BMT 216A" that has appeared in numerous James Bondfilms through the d...[Read More]( [From the My Hemmings Pages - A love-hate relationship with a Ford Y-block]( [From the My Hemmings Pages - A love-hate relationship with a Ford Y-block]( Posted by Hemmings contributor - I just bought the car of my dreams. Well, it was the car of my dreams when I was 15 years old. It is a '56 Ford Crown Victoria. I grew up in a rural community in the 50's. In that community, people who did buy new cars bought basic Fords and Chevys with blackwall tires, 6 cylinder engines and stick shifts. Seeing a Crown Vic was a rare experience, and I drooled over them when I saw one. Chevy did not have the exact comparable model. They had a 2 door hardtop, the Bel Air. I considered that the equivalent to ...[Read More]( [Toronto, 1979]( [Toronto, 1979]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: 1979 Location: Leslie Street and Eglington Avenue, Toronto, Ontario Source: Toronto Public Library What do you see here?...[Read More]( Wednesday, August 22, 2018 [Tulsa "elected" capital of Route 66]( [Tulsa 'elected' capital of Route 66]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Nations have capitals; states have capitals; roads generally do not. Route 66, however, technically hasn't been a federally designated road for more than 30 years now -- instead, it's become something more like a blend between a destination and a cross-country community -- so why not designate a capital for it? So went the thinking over at Route 66 News, where Ron Warnick decided to put it up to his readers to vote for the city that best exemplifies the history and the spirit of the Mother Road. Inspired by a rec...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1962 Ford Country Squire]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1962 Ford Country Squire]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Original paint 1962 Ford Country Squire for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Kept in original owners Museum from 1980 until I purchased in 2010 Best Color Combo, Incredible Original paint and interior is amazing. Comes w/2 sets of tires and wheels added A/C and disc brakes, New carpet, exterior faux trim was refinished as factory correct, this trim could use miner touch up to be perfect.. If you prefer, Original stance tire wheel combo is an easy fix. I'm .2nd owner, First was a famous Industria...[Read More]( [Harley-Davidson banks on e-bike market share with the announcement of its latest 2019 model]( [Harley-Davidson banks on e-bike market share with the announcement of its latest 2019 model]( Posted by Jim O'Clair - The powers that be at Harley-Davidson realized a few years back that future profits could well hinge upon being able to bring an affordable electric bike to market in the urban areas of the U.S. Several other manufacturers have already reaped the rewards of producing e-bikes, but H-D feels there is still a lot of room for growth in that category and growth is exactly what the Milwaukee-based manufacturer could use right about now. Fast-forwarding six years through the R&D stages of development and through cooper...[Read More]( [New book tells the story of Lime Rock Park's six decades]( [New book tells the story of Lime Rock Park's six decades]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Opened in Lakeville, Connecticut, in 1957, Lime Rock Park has played host to driving greats, unforgettable races, and memorable moments too numerous to count. A new book, Lime Rock Park: Six Decades of Speed, Beauty and Tradition honors the storied track's 60-plus years of history, and it's being released in time for an autograph session with notable contributors. Written as a compilation of stories and edited by motorsport journalist Gordon Kirby, Lime Rock Park: Six Decades of Speed includes a forward f...[Read More]( [Tokyo, 1967]( [Tokyo, 1967]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: 1967 Location: Meiji Jingu Park, Tokyo, Japan Source: via Japanese Nostalgic Car What do you see here?...[Read More]( Tuesday, August 21, 2018 [Texas DMV struggles to define a dune buggy, punts the task to the state's legislature]( [Texas DMV struggles to define a dune buggy, punts the task to the state's legislature]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - After tossing aside a proposed ruling that would definitively outlaw all but a minority of dune buggies in the state, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Board of Directors effectively left it to the state's legislators to determine what constitutes a dune buggy and whether the state should allow them on the road. "This is as far as we can go in interpreting the rule," Jeremiah Kuntz, the director of vehicle titles and registration for the department, told the board at its quarterly meeting last week. Kuntz re...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1984 Harley-Davidson Sportster with Vincent kit]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1984 Harley-Davidson Sportster with Vincent kit]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1984 Harley-Davidson Ironhead Sportster with rare Classified Motorcycle Co. 'Vincent' kit from the early 1990's. Very good condition overall. Recent Akront shouldered aluminum wheel on rear, front is a China copy of Akront, Buchannan spokes. Fresh AGM battery. This machine is kit number 16 of 27 that were sold. Well engineered components that include stainless steel fenders, and the obvious aluminum fuel tank made in England. Seats were sourced from the Vincent Owners Club. See pho...[Read More]( [After years of searching, Craig Jackson unearths the 'Li'l Red' Shelby prototype]( [After years of searching, Craig Jackson unearths the 'Li'l Red' Shelby prototype]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - Shelby American built two notchback Mustang GT500 prototypes, but one -- a 1967 known as "Li'l Red" -- was reportedly sent to the crusher when its days as a test mule were over. For decades, this was generally accepted as fact, but not by everyone. In an announcement made at a Shelby American dinner during last week's Woodward Dream Cruise, auction magnate Craig Jackson stunned the room by announcing that Li'l Red had been found on a Texas ranch, and over the coming months the story of its history and rebirth will...[Read More]( [Prohibition mash: The makings of a prewar sleeper]( [Prohibition mash: The makings of a prewar sleeper]( Posted by Daniel Beaudry - A few weekends ago, members of my club generously descended upon my garage for a big "thrash" to help me finish my 1931 Ford Model A/B bobtail speedster. When father-and-son Barnstormers VSC ("Vintage Speed Club") members Brian and Matthew Cholerton arrived, they were towing my next project: a 1929 Ford Model A Tudor sedan. It came at just the right time, because it would prove a positive counterbalance to some unexpected setbacks with the speedster, validating the wisdom of having at least two vehicles to play with...[Read More]( [Rio de Janeiro, 1960s]( [Rio de Janeiro, 1960s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa 1960s Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Source: via The Oldie But Goodie What do you see here?...[Read More]( Monday, August 20, 2018 [Collection of Peter Brock Holdens to tour Australia before dispersing at auction at Bathurst]( [Collection of Peter Brock Holdens to tour Australia before dispersing at auction at Bathurst]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - What a Ford can do, a Holden can do better? Now that the first Australian car has broken the seven-figure ceiling, a collection of racer Peter Brock's Holdens has been consigned to auction, including one Bathurst-winning car expected to sell for twice that of the Ford that set the million-dollar mark. "He could've been a movie star, he could've been the prime minister," said coal mining magnate Peter Champion of Brock. Instead, Brock won Australia's most prestigious race nine times and raced in multiple series in...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1981 Renault TP3]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1981 Renault TP3]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Brush truck 1981 Renault TP3 for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: 4 X 4 brush truck from the sleepy village of Sondernach in northeast France. The truck spent it's whole life inside the city hall and saw very little use during that time. In recent years the truck was completely refurbished and upgraded. The truck was stripped and repainted in and out. New upholstery and new headliner at that time. New 10.5 X 20 Continental tires. Flashing blue lights and hi/lo european siren. The truck recently ...[Read More]( [2018 Hot August Nights Cup awarded to "Renaissance Roadster"]( [2018 Hot August Nights Cup awarded to 'Renaissance Roadster']( Posted by David Conwill - An all-aluminum roadster styled after a '33 Ford, hand built by Steve's Auto Restorations in Portland, Oregon, has earned its owners, Buddy and Nancy Jordan, of Spring Branch, Texas, some more hardware for their trophy room. Readers may remember it as the winner of the coveted Ridler Award at the 2017 Detroit Autorama, where it made its debut. The car, dubbed the Renaissance Roadster, is the result of a collaboration between Steve Frisbie, Chris Ito, and David Brost. No original '33 Ford parts were actually used ...[Read More]( [Car show for a cause - the Fallen Trooper Memorial Car Show]( [Car show for a cause - the Fallen Trooper Memorial Car Show]( Posted by Don Homuth - Being both a retired USMC Sergeant Major and a retired Oregon State Patrolman Policeman, Rod Beach of Brooks, Oregon, wanted to do something to honor those who have fallen in the line of duty, whether in military service or in law enforcement and public safety. His dream has been to erect a memorial to the fallen warriors. Memorials are expensive. 1949 Ford custom. Rod is also a car guy. Big time. He's restored, built, and shown a dozen cars on his own timefrom a beautifully restored 1941 La Salle co...[Read More]( [Boston, 1960s]( [Boston, 1960s]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Date: circa late 1960s Location: Government Center, Boston, Massachusetts Source: City of Boston Archives What do you see here?...[Read More]( Sunday, August 19, 2018 ["There's not very much to look forward to here anymore:" Detroit faces the Eighties]( ['There's not very much to look forward to here anymore:' Detroit faces the Eighties]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - There's an early 1980s' CNN report floating around YouTube in which reporter Robert Vito runs down the high-level challenges that the American auto industry faced circa 1982. But a couple years earlier Bill Moyers, of public television station WNET,traveled to Detroit to interview the people on the ground who were facing catastrophic changes, and to try to untangle the complicated and sometimes nuanced issues of automation, union support, layoffs, downsizing, and more, just as the U.S. government was debating whet...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Salon]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Salon]( Posted by Kurt Ernst - From the seller's description: 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Salon Two Door Coupe, This is one of the nicest Olds. you could find. I am the 2 nd owner excluding a dealer. As you will see in the pictures it has been taken care with white gloves. This Cutlass has no modifications , only repairs to original condition.The headliner and sun visors have been recovered with matching fabric. The tires are Uniroyal as were the original tires. All service records will come with the car. The a/c is as the factory sent it...[Read More]( [Four-Links - ball-stud Hemi, Egypt's desert racers, lead bromide, Lucky 13]( [Four-Links - ball-stud Hemi, Egypt's desert racers, lead bromide, Lucky 13]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Had muscle cars continued uninterrupted throughout the Seventies, we would have seen all sorts of interesting progressions of Sixties tech, including the ball-stud Hemi, which Mac's Motor City Garage detailed this week. * Here in the United States, off-road racing largely faces threats from development; in Egypt, it's their army's lethal enforcement of no-go zones in the desert. As Roads and Kingdoms wrote this week, however, a growing bunch of off-road racers are heading out into the desert regardless. ...[Read More]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1930 American Austin]( [Hemmings Find of the Day - 1930 American Austin]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - Unrestored 1930 American Austin coupe for sale on Hemmings.com. From the seller's description: Rare 1930 American Austin Bantam 5 window coupe. No mileage since total restoration. Body and fenders in good condition. The car is not currently registered but has a clear title (Colorado 2016). This car was passed to me by my father, who purchased it from the estate of a friend who completed the restoration shortly before he died. I am not an antique car expert and my knowledge of this vehicle is very limited but ...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S MOST READ [Stolen car alert: Chop-top gullwing taken from Nurburgring's front doorstep]( [Stolen car alert: Chop-top gullwing taken from Nurburgring's front doorstep]( Posted by Daniel Strohl - The world over, there's probably only one Mercedes-Benz 300 SL gullwing sporting a three-inch chopped roofline, bubbles in the top to clear the driver's and passenger's heads, and ostrich-leather interior. This week, that outlaw gullwing is in the wind after thieves stole it from right out front of the Nurburgring race track in Germany. According to Paris-based photographer Remi Dargegen, who photographed the car for owner Thomas Rosier last year, the 1955 gullwing - serial number 5500434 - was stolen the night o...[Read More]( LAST WEEK'S BEST DISCUSSION [GM to use Tri-Power again... sort of]( [GM to use Tri-Power again... sort of]( Posted by Thomas A. DeMauro - The mere mention of iconic engine names of the muscle-car era elicits a positive reaction from anyone who recalls and reveres them. Tri-Power, Ram Air, H.O., Cobra Jet, Boss, Hemi, Six-Pack, LS6, LT-1, Stage 1, W-30, and so on, all immediately conjure up warm and fuzzy images of the days when cubes were king and enough money to buy a few gallons of Hi-Test could be collected by retrieving the loose change that had fallen between the seats. Over the decades since then, some of these names have been applied to more...[Read More]( Hemmings Motor News will not sell or share your e-mail address with other companies. For more information about this newsletter, email webmaster@hemmings.com or write to: Customer Service, Hemmings Motor News, 222 Main St., Bennington VT 05201. If you do not want to receive this newsletter from Hemmings Motor News, you can [change your email preferences here](.