Happy Friday, Autopians! As you have no doubt read, the Autopian bigwigs are enjoying the spectacle that is Monterey Car Week. We mere mortals were not invited to attend, but I didn’t want to miss out on all the fun. In honor of the event and, therefore, to close out the week, I have chosen to feature a vehicle called “Monterey,” and a vehicle called “Car.”
So first we’ll finish up with our sports cars from yesterday, and then we’ll dive in…
Well, I can’t disagree with that. A good Miata is pure bliss, and even a beat-up Miata is a hell of a lot of fun. Somebody go scoop that thing up before the seller comes to his senses.
That takes care of the old business, now, on to the new. When you choose cars purely by name for a joke, you end up with some strange combinations. Today we have a big, cool American cruiser, and a tiny French city car with a silly Americanized name. Why not? It’s Friday; let’s have some fun.
1965 Mercury Monterey Convertible – $13,995
Engine/drivetrain: 390-cubic inch V8, 3-speed automatic, RWD.
Location: Portland, OR.
Odometer reading: 86,000 miles.
Runs/drives? “Perfect,” according to the seller.
I have to start by saying that I love, love, love the looks of this car. Slab-sided mid-Sixties American cars just work for me, especially convertibles. If I were going to look for one, I’d prefer a stacked-headlight Plymouth Fury to this, but I wouldn’t kick this car out of the garage. That is, if I could get it into the garage in the first place; this car is every bit as long and wide as it looks in the photos. But man, what a presence!
Just look at this profile:
It occupies psychic space as well as physical space. This car is there, making its presence known, in a way that very few cars do anymore. This is the full-size Mercury, based on but longer than Ford’s Galaxie. This one has the smallest available V8 engine, still a whopping 390 cubic inches. It won’t knock your socks off in terms of performance, but that’s not the point of a car like this.
The point of a car like this is looking at the world from this viewpoint, aiming this long, wide battleship of a car down a highway and just letting it eat up the miles. Choose your favorite music for accompaniment: I bet anything from Sinatra to Operation Ivy would do just fine for this ride.
With all that said, I think this particular Monterey is overpriced. (But then again, overpriced cars are kind of the theme of Monterey Car Week, so it fits.) There are too many little things wrong with it – the missing “Y” in “Mercury” on the hood, the spots on the dash and steering column, and whatever that tow strap is all about – to justify a fourteen-grand price tag. I’d say for half this price you’d be getting a good deal.
(Image credits: Craigslist seller)
1980 Renault LeCar – Up For Auction
Engine/drivetrain: 1.4-liter inline-4, 5-speed manual, FWD.
Location: North Hollywood, CA.
Odometer reading: 39,800 miles.
Runs/drives? Yep.
And at the other end of the size spectrum, we have this delightful little thing. Renault never really caught on in America like it did in Europe, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Unable to stop being all weird and French, Renault simply leaned into the weirdness and Frenchness of it, and called this car – known as the Renault 5 in the rest of the world – the LeCar.
And it really is a cool little car, with its three-lug wheels, gigantic sunroof, and happy little face. In the grand French car tradition, it’s also quite comfortable and smooth-riding for such a small car. It’s not fast by American standards, but the LeCar was available with only the largest of the R5’s engines, a 1397 cc overhead-valve four. It always surprises me just how small the engines get in European cars compared to ours: in France this car’s base engine was under 800 cc.
[Editor’s note: Annoyingly, the three-lug bolt pattern for the LeCar is ever so slightly different than a Smart. Shame, because you could get turbine wheels for a LeCar and they would look so sweet on a Fortwo – MS]
This LeCar looks like it has been gifted with a pair of uprated front seats. I don’t recognize them, but I’m sure someone will. They certainly look comfy, and French, so maybe they came from a fancier Renault? It does look nicer on the inside than it does on the outside; there are a few rust bubbles popping through here and there, and it looks faded. But it also looks original, which is a good sign. And I like the snazzy alloy wheels on it.
This LeCar is up for auction, so we don’t know how much it costs, and I didn’t bother to sign up for the auction site to see what it’s going for right now. But in any case, a car is worth exactly what someone is willing to pay for it at the moment it sells, and not a penny more or less. I would imagine it won’t go for a whole lot; not too many eccentrics out there want a forty-year-old French economy car (though there are a few, and thank goodness for them), and there are nicer LeCars out there. This one just spoke to me.
(Image credits: David’s Classic Cars)
And that’s our Shitbox Showdown salute to Monterey Car Week. Which one will it be, the American land yacht, or the tiny French runabout?
My neighbor (a gearhead) bought an old Mercury like that. Fixed it up sweet, painted it to match his daughter’s eyes (bright blue) and gave it to her on her sixteenth birthday. I probably don’t need to add that she had long blonde hair. This being SoCal, it was practically a Beach Boys dream wherever she went.
The Merc looks fine, but I’ll vote for a Le Car over almost anything every time. The fun/$ ratio is hard to beat. Those seats come from a LeCar Sport, although they’ve probably been reupholstered as I’ve always seen them in cloth. I’d be shocked if this is a 5-speed although I suppose anything is possible.
People seem to love them (if they’ve owned one or driven one that’s in good condition) or hate them (based on generic irrational hate or by being exposed to one that was either rusted out or incompetently maintained – even new the AMC dealers didn’t know what to do with them).
I’m biased though, with a 250k km example I’ve had for six years that’s in great shape,
I had an R5 in Canada, an 88 model which were imported only to Quebec, mine ended up in Alberta with a great grandson of Pierre Renoir- it too had the front seats changed, it had less room inside than an original Mini- really narrow, my shoulder would hit the passengers sometimes. Some real odd things are that the muffler is inside the right front fender- keeps it warm in winter, and the wheelbase is different on each side
yup, i had a 4-door my friends called “the egg” (ref mork and mindy). largest sunroof in the civilized world, absurdly long wheel travel and would lean way over cornering – was fun to drive like an idiot in boston.
but yes, it was crap – traded in for a new jeep XJ.
I’ve gotta say Mercury. Agree that those slab sides have started to grow on me. Price is easily $5k+ too high for the condition and the wheels are way out of place. And now I’m listening to “Energy” and remembering my college days.
When I was a kid in the early 80s we had a Le Car and an 18. Don’t remember having either for more than a year or two. My dad had a thing for weird vehicles, especially from AMC for some reason. My wife’s mom also had a Le Car she loved after they immigrated to the US from Poland in the early ’80s.
I voted for the LeCar, but given that davidsclassiccars.com appears to be an aggregator, and there is no information about where to purchase or bid for any of the vehicles on its website, I’m not sure it is actually for sale, or actually exists (Google the VIN and you’ll find a couple aggregator sites, but no link to an actual auction, or for that matter to the actual seller). I found a similar thing when I discovered my old Chevy pickup made it onto the auction circuit for a time.
By default, I guess I’d have to go with the Monterey.
I’ve owned two Renault 5’s and my friend had a 1965 Mercury Park Lane coupe.
I think the Mercury rusts faster.
At that price the Mercury should be a mint Park Lane, which it isn’t and the Renault would need to be ShitBox cheap to get the nod.
Anyone voting for the LeCar hasn’t driven one. A friend had one in high school (84-85) and it was a rusty, falling apart POS at only a few years old. I’m actually surprised to see one still on the road. The Merc has a cool vibe in it’s own right. It’s a great sunny day cruiser, perhaps a bit overpriced.
And yet this one is still here 40 years later.
If you were going to side hustle doing food deliveries the LeCar would be the choice if only for the gas mileage you’d get.
Was told that’s the trick to the job by a guy who bought my 95 Tracker. He used a Geo Metro that he’d stripped down to bare essentials and was getting over 50 MPG.
Mercury – 100% got my vote! This is a bucket list car for me. Very few were made in convertible form, something like 3000.. and yet this is the 2nd one ive seen for sale this week – see link below, blue one available at $11,500 in central Oregon.
All I lack is money and garage space!
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/581414736862767/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A683376cc-6ed0-4326-8538-d3a344b3f4ed
If you prefer the 4 door hard top version, here is one for $8K:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/428185985854145/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A683376cc-6ed0-4326-8538-d3a344b3f4ed
I like the Le Car more than I should, so I chose that one.
Had to go with the one with a known price, even if it is overpriced. The Le Car could be fun. But is it $1? Will some psychopath bid it to $20,000? Who knows. Crazy world we live in.
The Monterey wins over the LeCrap…I mean LeCar. Those were trash when built and still trash.
We referred to them as LeaKers
People I know that had them were using them a run into the ground commuters, pull the plates, and leave it on the side of the road with the keys in it.
The problem is thieves would chase you for miles to give the keys back.
Wow! For once, it’s two cars that are worth having rather than two you wouldn’t want for free. Really tough choice but I’ll go for the Renault. I drove a friend’s LeCar around LA back in the early ’80’s and that thing was a blast. The Merc would be great in a different way, of course, but a land yacht just doesn’t sounds as great to me right at the moment.
I could probably end up making the other choice later today if my mood changed.
Seeing the Merc pull into an early lead has me wondering if all the hipsters who pretend to like crappy economy cars just haven’t woken up yet.
It’s impossible to make an informed decision today since there’s no price on the Renault — not even a current high bid.
They’re both nicely kept vehicles, so that’s a plus.
If I were to want a land yacht, I’d get an old Caddy with fins — not a Mercury.
And I have no connection to the LeCar that would make me want to own one.
Ordinarily, I’d say the Merc, as I have a soft spot for these Mercury convertibles. But the price is a little too high for a red and black example. This car should properly have a white leather interior package, and the preferred powder blue paint. A well restored rotisseried Monterrey like that is worth over $30K easy.
Preferred by you, maybe. Powder blue?! Blecchhh.
Recent clean powder blue 1967, that wasn’t even rotisseried, with white interior sold for $20K:
https://classiccars.com/listings/view/1322162/1967-mercury-monterey-for-sale-in-cadillac-michigan-49601
And, to my eye anyway, the 1965 is prettier. But, you know, taste is a very subjective thing…
Eh, save the powder blue for Clark W. Griswald Sr.’s Lincoln.
My first car was an ancient hand me down 67 Monterey which makes this choice kinda easy. That bad boy handled like a wet noodle but definitely had style. It also did spectacular one wheel burn-outs.
This Monterey convert will always start and run, easily keep up with modern traffic, and have room for your friends, so it’s the obvious choice.
The LeCar will do none of those things although it will look cute sitting in your garage with the hood up while you chase down a ground short.
Side note: The Monterey does need to lose those stupid wheels and the bubba exhaust tips, though. Turbine style hubcaps with white walls would be much more dignified.
Good point about the wheels/exhaust tips. I can’t unsee them now, and agree about the misguidedness of the whole “from the 60s + V8 = muscle car” presentations we often see now.
Eh, I don’t mind the wheels. I built so many MPC and AMT model kits when I was a kid that slotted mags/Cragars/Keystones don’t look out of place on just about anything to me. I wouldn’t seek them out, but if a car came with them, I probably wouldn’t bother replacing them.
I unabashedly love slot mags.
I could see the Mercury if I wanted to drive the Grand Marshal in every Fourth of July, Veteran’s Day, and Homecoming parade for as long as the car runs. However, the Renault looks like it would actually be more fun to scoot around town in so it gets my vote.
I have a serious jonesing for a convertible land yacht, but I voted Le Car. My Uncle had one new (poverty-spec, not this nice). We had fun going places together in it.
Tough choice. I always loved the Renault 5 design, but they were about as durable as a wet tissue. I agree the Merc is overpriced. It also has the wrong wheels. Needs good old turbine style wheel covers from the period. But I do have some dead hookers to move this weekend…
Sadly, I have to say neither. The Mercury is overpriced and the seller is clearly far up their own ass with “I know what I have” energy. A car in better condition than yours sold for more money? Cool story dude.
I can’t sign off on the much cooler LeCar without pictures of the underside. Those rust bubbles are probably the tip of the iceberg for corrosion elsewhere. It’s a damn shame because I’ll bet it’s a hoot to drive with the go cart dimensions and weight.
I have to pick the R5/Le Car, as you might expect of someone who owned three of them, and worked on several more. These were better than most people think: they were pretty reliable (I put over 120K miles on my first one, before some doofus ran into it), extremely comfortable, roomy inside, and could be hopped up to some extent without much problem.
Would have to find out if Pick-Your-Part yards still have any lying around, as that’s the best source I have ever known for spares. Dealers were, by and large, horrific. They are absurdly simple to work on.
I am lousy at parallel parking, so the Mercury is automatically disqualified. Other than that, I really have no opinion about it either way, except to say the price needs to be renegotiated WAY down.
Editor’s note: Annoyingly, the three-lug bolt pattern for the LeCar is ever so slightly different than a Smart. Shame, because you could get turbine wheels for a LeCar and they would look so sweet on a Fortwo – MS]
Dremel?
Machine shop. If you get the center wrong on a three-point rotating assembly, it will forever and always be a thorn in your side. Five and six lug patterns can frequently tolerate just a little one way or the other, but geometry is a bitch on the threes.
Gimme the quirky hatch every time. I think the Mercury has some real Fear and Loathing type appeal to it…it screams “throw the roof down, bring your suitcase of assorted uhhhh equipment, and cruise through the desert blasting Jefferson Airplane”. But it’s overpriced for what it is and as cool as needlessly large coupes are to look at I’d hate actually living with one.
I’ll keep White Rabbit but I want the original soundtrack from Where the Buffalo Roam:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Where_the_Buffalo_Roam#Soundtrack
OK, I just looked up the soundtrack for Fear and Loathing and it’s not bad either:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_and_Loathing_in_Las_Vegas_(film)#Soundtrack
Right with you there. Ever since I read Fear & Loathing at the tender age of 10 I’ve wanted a Red Shark—with a ‘This Looks Like Bat Country’ bumper sticker, preferably.
That Mercury is a perfect example of the “unloved cars” theory.
For a fraction of what you’d pay for a desirable Tri-Five, Mustang, Chevelle, GTO, or whatever, you can have a wonderful cruiser in great shape that will turn heads and provide summer fun for the whole family. It’s never going to fund your retirement the way some of those other cars might, but you’d have just as good a time driving it around, and you’ll stand a better chance of having a unique vehicle at cruise night.
Plenty of classic cars out there that still fall into this category. Buy one and enjoy it.
I dig the Ford Fairlanes (and not just the GTs) of this time period for exactly that reason, and ala Mark, esp. for their stacked headlights.
1000% agree. The “off-brand” like Mercury, Buick, etc. versions of the unicorns are often just as good, but something you can actually have fun in without worrying so much about. An old convertible like this is great family fun.
This, exactly! A few years ago, I was thinking of something like this as an ice cream-drive-in-summer nights cruiser. And by “like this”, I mean any larger old US convertible bench seat cruiser without a reputation for performance, making it cheap, but still enjoyable, yet less ubiquitous than the more valuable stuff, and it would always be easy to unload without losing money. Even a Dart convertible with a slant 6 would be half-cool today and a tenth the price of full-cool. Slow, OK, but enough torque to not be dangerously so and cheap and easy to run. Besides, it’s not like these old V8s would be embarrassing anything remotely modern today, either.
Music for the Mercury can range from The Flamingos to Meshuggah, or Slayer. While music for the Renault would be Yakety Sax. So naturally, I picked the Monterey.
The Mercury is probably going to win this, and I guess I kind of get it, but definitely not my cup of coffee. A forty year old French hatchback though? Well I guess you just called me eccentric.
I have no idea how that ended up as a reply to Dubble, but since I’m already down here the perfect soundtrack to blast from a weird French car is weird French metal:
https://youtu.be/UZzYxGZ7Hmc
I daily drive a weird French car (well, not so weird around these parts) and this is my go-to driving soundtrack right now:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_kqxLNmpi6hscPl2if1BzRc-WIeNIqAJsg
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLN3HOJ-INNEKW5CbU9NjhIloc_y4pPLs3
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgKiYLL7gGMEazNpHjl_G8bR1L4mWv4cE
For night driving I just play Burial’s entire discography in shuffle.
Hey, I’m not one to talk about eccentricity; one of my dream cars is a Fiat 128.
A V8 land yacht screams for QOTSA if you ask me….unless you want to go with the Fear and Loathing playlist approach I mentioned in my comment.