Breezeway (car)

{{Verification|date=March 2023}}File:Mercury Breezeway roof detail.jpg]]

Breezeway is a term for a vertical or reverse-slanted, power-operated retractable rear window on sedans. Intended to provide through ventilation. It first appeared on the 1957-1958 Mercury Turnpike Cruisers and the 1958–1960 Continental Mark III, IV, & V.{{cite web |url=https://bringatrailer.com/2016/06/05/show-car-styling-1959-lincoln-continental-mark-iv-w-breezeway/ |title=Show Car Styling: 1959 Lincoln Continental Mark IV w/ Breezeway |date=June 5, 2016 |website=Bring A Trailer |access-date=2025-06-27}} After a break it reappeared on some 1963–1968 full-size Mercurys, including some Park Lanes, Montclairs, and Montereys.

Although never officially referred to as a "breezeway" window, the lowering “backlight” on standard sedans (and the 1958-1960 convertible Lincolns) is not to be confused with the lowering rear window of a station wagon, manual or power.

File:1958 Lincoln Continental Mark III Convertible (29742980866).jpg

File:Mercury Monterey S55 Sedan (1963).jpg

While the Turnpike Cruiser was produced for two years, elements of its design were adopted across other Lincoln-Mercury vehicles. For 1958, Lincoln introduced the Continental Mark III; to distinguish it from the standard Lincoln, the Mark III was fitted with a retractable rear window on all body styles (including convertibles) borrowed from Mercury station wagons. While using a similar roofline as the Turnpike Cruiser, Continental used a reverse-slant rear window.

For 1959, following the discontinuation of the Turnpike Cruiser, Mercury designated its hardtop roofline as a Hardtop Cruiser, on all non-convertible Park Lanes. A compound-curved rear window was introduced, creating a notchback roofline, adopted by the 1960s Mercury Marauder and Mercury S-55.

Following the 1960 Continental Mark V, Lincoln discontinued the retractable rear window. For 1963, the design feature was revived by Mercury, making a reverse-slant retractable rear window standard on its full-size sedans (including the Monterey, Montclair, S-55, and Park Lane).{{Cite web|url=https://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Mercury/1963%20Mercury/1963%20Mercury%20Full%20Line%20Brochure/image6.html|title=1963 Mercury Full Line Brochure|website=oldcarbrochures.com|access-date=2019-06-01}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.oldcarbrochures.com/static/NA/Mercury/1964%20Mercury/1964_Mercury_and_Comet_Brochure/1964%20Mercury%20and%20Comet-08-09.html|title=Directory Index: Mercury/1964 Mercury/1964_Mercury_and_Comet_Brochure|website=oldcarbrochures.com|access-date=2019-06-01}} In 1965, the roofline became an option and was discontinued after 1966.

For 2001, the Ford Explorer Sport Trac mid-size pickup truck adopted a retractable vertical rear window between the cab and cargo area. It was vertical in design, in line with the previous Mercury and Lincoln designs.