Charles Phoenix JOYRIDE - 1958 Mercury Parklane

[@JohnShinn1960]

I love those truthful phoenixisms! "It'll brand you on a hot day" 😆 2:31

[@orionwarren4244]

Forget the car, Charles Phoenix is a national treasure of the highest order!😁😄😉

[@marybrunner1058]

Ohhh, I know!

[@MisterMikeTexas]

Cosmo Kramer needs to get busy! Kramer only has one coffee table book. Charles Phoenix has two out.

[@johna.4334]

"I knoooow"

[@ROXSTARCorvette4371]

Charles, you and only you can describe this car's stratospheric styling! You continue to demonstrate why you are a paragon of professionalism. Keep it up!

[@jakedeutscher]

I love what ya do Charles

[@gene978]

LOVE IT! I laughed my Ass off when you said the Seat Emblem Will BRAND YOU on a HOT DAY. How I remember those days. Love the way you present these Charles. They Deserve the Best.

[@johnbehneman1546]

GREAT VIDEO CHARLES!!!! I FORGOT HOW BEAUTIFUL THE MERCURY AUTOMOBILE IS!!!! CARS AND TRUCKS HAD SO MUCH FLASH AND DASH OF THE 50'S. THANKS FOR SHARING!!!!

[@johna.4334]

"Behold the glory, a symphony of space age style, a space age spellbinder, is hypnotizing, spellbinding and mesmerizing, behold the glory, I knoooow" So nice to have you back Charles.

[@V8Adam]

Never seen this car before - it’s bonkers! Thanks for sharing Charles!

[@ramongonzalez2112]

No space alien has a chance against those laser emitting taillights.😄Awesome instrument panel too.👏

[@joycerichardson1810]

Patchoo!! Patchoo!! Blasted!!

[@bradhampton6457]

One of my Aunts had a 58 Merc Monterey she bought new that year. Beast of a car. Would pass everything but a gas station.

[@asteverino8569]

Thanks Charles. Don't think I've ever seen one of these, even back in the day. Style for miles and miles.

[@ludovicleroux9190]

This 1958 Mercury Park Lane is more than a classic car, it is a unicorne !

[@jamesfox2579]

I would proudly own AND drive this Car over ANY Car built today!!💕

[@Porsche996driver]

2:40 awesome that verrry low rear roofline protects the space-age beauties in the backseat! Those transmission buttons with descriptions lol. A Survivor! 💯✨

[@josephconsoli4128]

I love the top-of the line '57-'60 Mercury's. Just the name "Park Lane" sets the mood! Beautifully excessive. What pride the owner must've took with that in the driveway. You got your money's worth of car back then and enjoyed a pampered ride.

[@michaeltaylor1603]

I feel a bit "naughty" after ogling such a beauty! Such distinct character this car has. That lovely wrap around glass. All of the details are neatly balanced. Interior and exterior. Thanks Charles for a Grand Tour of a rare gem!

[@christopherkraft1327]

Where to begin?? This rare mid century modern classic is indeed a real treat to behold!!! Thank you Charles for doing justice to this luxurious 58 Park Lane!!!! 👍👍🙂

[@kevincostello3856]

Wow, wow this car with gold hubcaps and cream- like paint, the absolute detail the Mercury division put into this is incredible. Looks very similar to the 57-58 Mercury turnpike cruiser!! Probably stablemates in the Mercury division.Now this is when Detroit used to build cars we wanted, remember those days?? Huh??

[@citibear57]

I wonder why the Mercury brand died? 🤔 Hmm.... could it have been the styling?? 😂😂😂

[@Kevin.W.]

​@citibear57 Mercury was still around for another 50+ years. Hmm, guess the styling was pretty good. Idiot.

[@dave1956]

What a neat car and your narration is the best part.

[@angeloavanti2538]

A true Greek God. My uncle drove nothing but Mercs all his life. They were always black. Good times! Thanks Charles.

[@6omega2]

Yeah that Parklane seat medallion probably WOULD brand you on a hot day! LOL!

[@tedwalker1370]

Very special car. Thanks for bringing it to us.

[@stevenrich8468]

Another terrific video by Charles............too bad you couldn't take it out for a joyride! Worth mentioning: the huge MEL 430 V-8 lurking under the hood, standard in the 1958 Park Lane!

[@camlendrim7609]

Great voice and script. Car is pretty cool too. The glass !

[@MELLIEbevhills]

WOW. A four wheel unicorn.

[@clintonsager2233]

My grandfather who was a dealer gave me a two tone dark blue/light blue '57 Monterey at age 12 to learn to drive on at his country home in Upstate NY with "Farm" plates. Very similar to your Park Lane. Looks like they just added those "torches" to the taillights on the "57. Mine was not optioned like yours, no power steering and no power brakes. Push button transmission set up was slightly different that your '58. Lots of fond memories. The Turnpike Cruiser was even more extremely dressed than the Park Lane, but yes you never see Park Lanes. Padded dash is laughable now, but my '57 had it as well. Thanks for sharing!

[@davidallen5776]

I'm looking forward to seeing one of these real soon. It's unfortunate that the economy took a dump when this model was introduced!

[@BRAINFxck10]

One of my dream cars, those Light Saber taillights are the best plus the rear lights and bumper are angled to from the letter | \ / | for Mercury.

[@jonboy9912]

Wonderful car and deserving review.

[@KP1972]

A car with art and design!

[@shawnmcculley2995]

As far as styling goes, 1958 was the "Loudest" for all car makes. It was the one year where every car maker went "Psycho".

[@Porsche996driver]

Psycho was 1960 but yeah! 🧟‍♂️

[@nonelost1]

Cadillac hit the Zenith of its psychosis in 1959 with the largest fins.

[@henry12397]

Psycho......was a great movie that scared this 8 year old boy to death! NO MORE SHOWERS!!!

[@stephendavidbailey2743]

I don't like big cars, but I would love to have this one. Imagine driving around town in this sneering at the hordes of silver bean shaped cars. This Park Lane is just as outrageous as the 1959 Cadillac. Thanks, Charles.

[@joycerichardson1810]

Outrageous is the word! It makes an Edsel beautiful!

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Beautiful...... 👍👍

[@peterselten500]

Love it great car

[@johnengelman9733]

Charles, as usual with you, an outstanding presentation of amazing flashbacks into the past and a walk down memory lane with these amazing automobiles. You are the best and I love your books

[@georgeculmer4100]

Beautiful car!

[@LuckysMotorcycles]

Brilliant ! Thanks !

[@amandab.recondwith8006]

That car is INSANE!!

[@The1cdccop]

The Twilight Zone "The Hitch-Hiker". The girl in that episode drives one of these. 1958 was the high-water mark of excess bling and styling in the US auto industry. Because this was a recession year, production numbers were lower than usual across the entire industry, so not many good examples left. This was also the debut year for the Edsel, which shared many engine and drivetrain components with Mercury and Lincoln. 1958 cars were unique in a lot of ways because for most of the auto makers, the one year only body styles didn't share any body or trim pieces with the '57 or '59 models which can make restoration a logistical nightmare and a costly endeavor to say the least. A lot of the quirky features optioned in this car can still be found in modern cars but in those days it was all mechanical, no computers.

[@karltork6040]

The actress was Inger Steven's. Later starred in Nanny and the Professor.

[@JohnShinn1960]

@@karltork6040 "going my way?"

[@karltork6040]

💀Submitted for your approval. "It's a good thing Anthony!!!

[@georgeursitti6549]

She drove a 59...

[@The1cdccop]

@@georgeursitti6549 Yes, I stand corrected, it was a 59.

[@brentsrx7]

The greatest generation designed this stuff. Amazing.

[@joemackey1950]

My father bought a new '58 Turnpike Cruiser, similar to this, one step down. The push button trans was a nightmare. I think the car spent more time in the dealers garage than our driveway. He hated the dogleg in the front door, kept hitting his knees getting in (same with our '60 Chevy). I called them "knee knockers".

[@henry12397]

Dog leg was a stupid design for cars.....even the 57 and 8 cadillacs had them....!

[@Kevin.W.]

All vehicles with a wrap around windshield had a dogleg, trucks included

[@dugwthree]

very interesting car. such unusual style

[@Normanx964]

Truly a baby Lincoln. And thats a compliment! MEL engine too.

[@pony053]

My uncle Harold had, I'm thinking a Monterey, but the same overall lines.....His BIG M he would brag! I also think his was a breezeway, with the roll down rear window....you should have been in advertising with that style....I like it!!

[@frankmartinez4856]

Seen one when I was a kid(long time ago) also white! Just Kool! Thanks Charles!!

[@carolynstrecha2371]

Oh be still my heart ❤️

[@reneeransom2525]

59, and 60 were the best

[@shiftintohigh5564]

I remember these. Epic! Jetstream into mide century modern . Wow!

[@andrewromano-fw5vp]

EXCELLENT THIS CAR IS. ORIGINAL MEANS. SO MUCH 😊

[@stephenpellegrino7504]

My '62 Mercury Comet S-22 had that same steering wheel. The wheel was in near-perfect condition--no cracks--when the car was junked after an accident in 1989. Too bad! Also in the late '80s I found an abandoned '58 Mercury Medalist 2-door (bottom of the line), also white, in Summit NJ. Reminds me of this car. Interesting to compare the two. The story is on the Curbside Classic website.

[@youtubecarspottersguide1]

rare rare rare

[@Markybug-Keira-Cody]

Those rear lights were like 1950s lightsabers 😂

[@osxwrangler]

You have so many choices of which group of tail lights you want to look at as you pull up behind to on the streets.

[@markrosheim664]

My father had the more plain '65 Mercury Parklane -- "one step below the Continental" he would say.

[@henry12397]

The 56 premeir....sp? Gorgeous car beautiful!!!

[@johnmaki3046]

For a month (October '63), my dad "owned" (on approval) a '58 Mercury Park Lane "Turnpike Cruiser"! It was a NICE RIDE but COULD NEVER pass gas stations! It LEFT...AT THE NEXT MONTH!

[@garypippenger202]

Kitschy Kitschy Koo!

[@michaelfleming40]

I didn't realize that Mercury had a push button transmission in 1958. I knew that Edsel did though.

[@ramongonzalez2112]

Chrysler Corporation cars pioneered it I believe. My ‘58 Dodge coronet has it.👏

[@johneckert1365]

@@ramongonzalez2112 Chrysler would've kept using push-button but starting in 1966 stupid Federal Regulations fucked that all up. Just like everything they touch.

[@ramongonzalez2112]

@@johneckert1365 I agree completely. And ‘cafe’ standards ruined the golden age of American automobiles.🙏🇺🇸

[@lonwaslien104]

A real beaut! Needs PW and AC 😊

[@caravaggio495]

Look at the rust yeahh i knowww! Woow

[@wallyostercamp.9557]

I hav just acquired a 1974 Plymouth Gran Fury 4 dr hard top with only 25500 miles I think it is a bit rare as I have not seen on for sale on any of the classic cars for sale sites

[@kennelson3848]

It came from within

[@Ctrl-XYZ]

Park Lane. Two words.

[@trudygreer2491]

Yup! "Parklane" was a fancy, 1956-only station wagon intended to compete with the Chevy Nomad! It was a 2-door Ranch wagon with Fairlane trim and was replaced for 1957 by the Del Rio wagon.

[@9of966]

All those buttons, how does one choose between "hill control", cruising range", or "high performance range" ?

[@kayeninetwo3585]

When's the last time they put front and rear glass like that in a car? 1958, that's when! Which proves that we have only moved backwards since this car was made.

[@everlybross]

I want a seatomatic...!

[@falsehero2001]

They don’t make them like this anymore. When wheelbase vs overall length actually meant something. That trunk goes on for miles.

[@rizzlerazzleuno4733]

This is what happened when good girl Fairlane was seduced by Big M, Mister Chrome and Flash Gordon and they changed her stage name to Parklane. Her husband, The Grand Marquis, died on January 5, 2011 in Southwold, Ontario, Canada. She is still waiting in the wings hoping for a return to the glory days when she and her best pal Edsel will roam the highways and byways together to Phoenix and beyond to the celestial fifties where stars never fade and chrome shines bright.

[@joycerichardson1810]

Love it!!!

[@byronh60]

Umm…What is “Seat-O-Magic”?

[@montymatilda]

Like memory seat is today

[@trudygreer2491]

Also, it's "Seat-O-*Matic*"

[@joycerichardson1810]

Ejector seat!

[@garytraynor2921]

You selected the seat position you wanted and when you turned the car off it went all the way back to the farthest stop. When you started the car the seat automatically went back to your selection. Can you imagine someone short running errands?

[@KoHoSo65]

It's a shame you didn't get more time with this car. The oh-so-Fifties pattern on the interior door panel needed more screen time.

[@MisterMikeTexas]

A lot of character, that Mercury. I hear that it came with the largest V8 in the "M-E-L" family, the 430.

[@georgeursitti6549]

There was a larger M E L (462CU IN) for the Lincoln, some years later...

[@deanberg4033]

I know!

[@johna.4334]

Correction: "I knoooow"

[@deanberg4033]

@@johna.4334 😀

[@kirbywaite1586]

I am surprised at the lack of power windows on such an expensive Mercury.

[@shiftintohigh5564]

Thats a Fairlane dash!

[@radioguy1620]

SOO I am guessing you sort of like this car . LO

[@timr31908]

How'd you like to go booze cruising in that car those were the days never to happen again

[@aleksinfroid4644]

Man! car is no test drive??

[@wonyankeesays5661]

U BLOW LOU COSTIBLE AWAY !

[@matthewbanno3407]

It’s a Rust Box, bad display, it should be restored first.

[@johna.4334]

Try to "Behold the glory"

[@joycerichardson1810]

Behold the rustorama!

[@ConservativeMan59]

This car can be scene briefly in the movie ‘Back from eternity’. It’s backing out of a parking spot during the airport scene (Burbank, Ca). Oh and btw, Charles you’re a friggin crack-up 😂