Advertisement, Ford Mercury Monterey, "Fresh Idea Fresh Roof Fresh Air" Breezeway Design, Original Magazine Ad, USA, 1962

Fresh idea, fresh roof, fresh air — and a woman enjoying all three.

The Mercury Breezeway was one of the most distinctive design features in early 1960s American automotive history: a retractable rear window that allowed air to flow through the cabin, giving the car its name and this advertisement its entire mood. This 1962 full-page color ad for the Mercury Monterey Custom Marauder S-55 features a woman in the driver's seat as smoke drifts elegantly out the rear window — a detail that reads very differently today and makes this piece all the more fascinating as a cultural artifact. Light tanning and one minor bottom margin tear, both easily framed away.

A wonderful piece for an automotive enthusiast, a mid-century modern interior, or a collector of early 1960s design history. A distinctive gift for Mercury lovers or anyone drawn to the engineering optimism of the era.

• Original full-page color print ad, 1962
• Mercury Monterey Custom Marauder S-55; Breezeway retractable rear window design
• Tagline: "Fresh Idea, Fresh Roof, Fresh Air: Mercury's Breezeway Design"
• Dimensions: 13.25 x 10.25 inches
• Condition: Very Good Vintage — light tanning mostly on bottom border; one minor bottom margin tear; image intact
• One available