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I purchased my 1960 Mercury Colony Park station wagon using
eBay last year. I live in Texas and the car was in San Francisco. I would
normally consider that risky, but another Mercury station wagon owner was
kind enough to look at the car and take it for a test drive before I placed
my bid
The car has its original black California license plates, which are
a useful indication of long life in the area, although the California DMV
does allow black plates to be put on older cars in certain cases, even if it
is from out-of-state. I did find out later that my Colony Park is indeed a
full-life California car. Here is a synopsis of its features:
Sultana White with
black and white all vinyl interior
Power Steering
Power Brakes
Power Tailgate
Window
Tinted Glass
Factory-installed
Fender Skirts
Luggage Rack
Aftermarket Air
Conditioning
I am planning on
taking the Colony Park on some multi-state tours. We will have the style of
this marvelous wood-grained "four door hardtop" with one-year unique body
along with the practicality of plenty room to be comfortable along the way.
I believe in driving and using my cars as they were intended! The car is
receiving a front disc brake conversion. It is now registered using 1960
Texas license plates (which also happen to be black!), taking advantage of
our year-of-manufacture antique registration plates law.
Incidentally, there
is a reason why 1960 Ford and Mercury styling was a one-year only
appearance. Both marques are 81.5" wide. Federal law prohibits automobiles
from exceeding 80" as a way of standardizing lane sizes. Ford Motor Company
was reprimanded when they announced their specifications for the 1960 models
and they had to (...dare I use the term?) "downsize" for 1961.
Wayne Graefen,
Kerrville, Texas
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