The Cohort is chock-full of splendid finds, but this one, posted by cjcz92, really grabbed me. Not only have I never found a curbside LN7, but this is the ultra-rare Third Eye Edition. Yes, Mercury wanted to tap into the nascent New Age Spiritualism market of the 80s, and decided that an LN7 with a fully developed brow chakra was the key. The LN7 was already hailed as a very enlightened vehicle, so this next step in its evolution was just an obvious progression.
Here’s a close-up of that third eye. It clearly provides perception of the road ahead well beyond what mere normal headlights could ever provide. The whole act of driving becomes a meditation, and the actual destination becomes irrelevant. That’s why these are so rare; its owners tended to take many extremely long trips in these, without any intended destination. There’s reports of one having been found in Tierra del Fuego. Another was found in Siberia. And there’s occasional reports of one still running perpetually around the Beltway of Baltimore.
Not surprisingly, yellow was the only color it came in. Yellow has stood for wisdom and intellect throughout history, and the LN7 certainly represented that. Or tried to.
Of course, awakening the third eye has consequences. In Buddhism there are techniques for developing the faculty of the third eye, even if the ultimate goal is to understand (and “see”) the existing reality as it is: unsatisfactory, impermanent and unsubstantial — as almost perfectly embodied by the LN7. Unfortunately, that experience was all too common with LN7 owners. Enlightenment can be a bitch.
Brilliant move by Mercury. After Subaru abandoned its 3rd headlight in 1982, Mercury had the New Age Spiritualism market all to itself!
No, no; it’s more than that! This is clear evidence of a conspiracy, man. Subaru was planning to take over Mercury! We could’ve had the ForreVillagerster and the CouBaja, even the BratCat, until The Man shut things down!
I remember being completely baffled by that, suspecting it was even a joke, since I never saw them on the road! Wouldn’t fog or driving lights be more useful for finding one’s way around the pine trees?
Spiritualism all right: The automotive Evil Eye! Or is it the Eye of Providence depicted on the Great Seal of the US?
I realize that with such a low margin of profit on an anticipated low volume of sales, Ford couldn’t do much to differentiate the EXP and LN7…or for that matter the Escort and Lynx, but these cars had to have been a real low point for badge – engineering.
Yes, the LN7 is and was a rarity, I think I’ve only seen 2 or 3 outside of those in junkyards. One of the examples was a truly hideous medium blue over light blue. Another was a medium grey over silver with a wine red interior.
It’s like Ford/Mercury REALLY wanted to punish customers for deciding to buy any of their “entry level” cars.
And yet, I would love to find one and truly re-do it they way the factory should have done them 30 years ago. A Zetec engine, decent seats, quality paint job (and colors, tho I really like this yellow), and low profile tires on some quality wheels.
A third lamp *and* bright yellow. This owner was all about visibility. Faired in rather nicely too rather than just abruptly bolted on…
Perhaps not as enlightened as the Tucker though.
lolwut ó_Ò
Hmmmmm…
Opposite of some late 50’s prototypes with 3rd fins!
So I hear tell that April Fool’s was moved to August 25th this year. True fact.
Such a rare car should have been treated better. It looks all Tuckered out.
Ha! 😀
Third Eye Blind
I’d make a “Third Eye Blind” joke, but I won’t…..Wait I just did…?
HA! A most sly and apt opening tag line/hook, Paul.
Purchased one of these back in 1997 for $300 as a winter car…had the 4-speed…pretty rough around the edges, but served its purpose for me!
I found this outside of a shop, between Belmont and Gastonia, NC on US 74 if anyones interested. I saw it across the highway and whipped around to see it. The people inside apparently didnt care that some random guy parked his van next to and started snapping pics. I honestly thought it was a Ford EXP but the rear window and the third headlight makes me think maybe someone swapped parts and modified it. Im not sure. But im glad its on here!
“Why does everyone think that stupid LN-7 belongs to me?”
This “Twilight Zone” episode was the first thing that I thought of too. Too funny.
“Nick Danger… Third Eye!”
Would have been a perfect and image appropriate “Bond Car” for James Bond in the 1995 movie “Goldeneye”. LOL
It has a Florida collector-car license plate, making me wonder if someone in NC bought it or if it plotzed during a road trip from Florida.
Chrysler had something similar, but no spirits. Just an attempt to see better at night. See below link:
http://www.fuselage.de/dod69/69dod_superlite_large.jpg
Seems that Curbside has already mentioned this topic on a prior posting:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics/ebay-find-1969-dodge-monaco-this-fulsome-fuselage-is-fundamentally-fine/
With the way the rear body appears to taper in this photo, the obscured rear wheel and homemade looking nosecone, at first glance I thought this was some weird 3 wheeler British kit car or something.
Very interesting – never knew about the 3rd light option.
Scrolling past this almost made me spit out my soda.
The EXP and LN7 were so forgettable, I had forgotten about them. Until now! Malaise era , indeed! Glad to see it though, made me laugh!
I wonder, What was the inspiration for this? Perhaps this car was still in it’s prime with the 1988 movie release, Tucker The Man and His Dream !
The only other car I could think of with a third headlight was the Rover P4 from 1949-1952:
The Tucker was already alluded to, so I’ll keep this limited to:
Panhard Dyna Z (1954-1959)…
… Tatra 603 series 1 (1957-1962)…. and of course…
…The best of them all, the Tatra 87 (1936-1950). There are a few one-off custom-bodied cars I can think of, but these three (plus the Rover, the Tucker and that Mercury, which I had NO IDEA existed and am still wrapping my head around) are the only “production” cars with three integrated headlights, I think…
There are also those weird ’30s rear-engined Benzes, the 150H and 170H, but only the central lamp is integrated. And the Bristol 405, which is the other way around (central lamp not integrated)…
Austin Atlantic!
Ha! Well done sir…
Actually, this is the lost prototype for an aborted revival of the Edsel brand, which was in the works at the time that HFII fired Lee Iacocca…and the true reason why Iacocca was canned.
Now the real story can be told.
You had me going for a minute there Paul…. ha ha!
This is not a LN7. After 1984, the LN7 was cancelled and the EXP got the bubble hatch. This is a 1985.5 Ford EXP.
See this: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2010/04/curbside-classic-fords-ugly-little-sin-the-exp/
No, the 1985.5 would have a different, more Escort-like front clip.
I never even knew that this option existed… and I once owned a 1983 LN7… so I know about rarity for sure!
Not sure I am a fan of it though!
So this is why I have been asked about a third headlight option. Total BS, It’s obviously just stuck on there. Also that’s an 85 EXP not an LN7, when the LN7 was dropped after the 82 model year the EXP gained it’s bubble hatch and black tail lights.