The junked Vista Cruiser was a sad sight, but I felt even worse when I found this Mercury a few rows away at the same yard.

There's just something extra cool about a full-sized fastback Ford from this era; all the NASCAR-inspired style of the Torino/Cyclone fastbacks, but with the added presence of the big machines. An up-and-coming young mobster might have chosen a fastback Galaxie, but the really hip ones would have gone with the slightly snazzier Monterey coupe- slick, but not trying to outshine the high rankers' Continentals and Fleetwoods.

How about one of these cars with a 428, four-speed, and fat rubber on big steel spoked wheels, maybe with a few inches taken out of the springs? Not for this one, though… next stop, Crusher!

Send an email to Murilee Martin, the author of this post, at murilee@jalopnik.com.