1941 Mercury Sedanca deVille

Coachwork: Coachcraft

This car was built in 1940 for Peter Stengel by Coachcraft, at a cost of about $6,000. It took four months to build. The chassis is a 1941 Mercury, and the body has special fenders extending into the doors. The top is a three-way which can be positioned all the way open, open only over the front seat, or completely closed. Built-in no-draft ventilation is used. The power plant is a 1941 Mercury flathead V8, with Eddie Meyer heads, dual carburetors and a dual exhaust system.

 

Source: Internet

1940 Mercury Eight Series

1940 Mercury Eight Series 09A

Convertible Sedan Chassis Num: 210570

Sold for $52,800 at 2007 Worldwide Auctioneers.

This 1940 Mercury Eight Convertible Sedan was offered for sale at the 2007 Sports and Classic Car Auction presented by The Worldwide Group, in Hilton Head Island, SC where it was estimated to sell for $50,000 - $100,000. It was offered without reserve.

The Mercury nameplate was the result of Edsel Ford who envisioned the it as a brand that would fall below the luxury brand of Lincoln but above the entry-level Fords. As much needed convincing to father, Henry, and other family members, the project was given the green light. By the close of the 1930's, cars were being assembled and producing with Mercury badges.

From the start, the Mercury brand was successful. It competed against General Motors products of Pontiac and Oldsmobile and it took a few years to assemble similar sales figures as these household names.

During the early 1940's, Mercury averaged around 80,000 units per year which put it in twelfth or thirteenth in the industry.

The name 'Mercury' is from the winged messenger god in Greek mythology. In keeping true to its name, the Mercury had performance and style. They sat on a wheelbase four-inches longer than the Ford, measuring 116 inches. Styling featured curved fenders, rounded body lines, and a crisp and pointy front end.

When production began, the Mercury was available in either two- or four-door 'beetleback' sedans, a notchback sedan coupe, and a convertible coupe. Prices ranged from around $915 to just over $1,000. In 1940, a convertible sedan was added to the line-up. Around 1,150 of this bodystyle were created as it was a one-year option and carried a hefty price tag.

This Convertible Sedan is finished in the rare and original color of Albacore Blue. The interior of this car is burgundy with a matching tan top. It has many factory options such as AM radio and factory heater that includes a defroster. Unusual for the era was the locking steering wheel, which helped in theft prevention. This technology would not become widely used throughout the market until the late 1960's.

On auction day this car was sold for $52,800, falling with the low end of the estimated value. It is a brilliant and rare automobile that is one of hte few remaining survivors of this bodystyle in modern times.'
By Daniel Vaughan | Nov 2007

 

Source: Internet

1939 Mercury Sport Convertible

Edsel Ford introduced the Mercy model in 1939. This Sport Convertible was mounted on a 116 inch wheelbase, weighs 2,995 pounds and sold for $1,018. It was powered by a 239.4 cubic inch V-8 engine that developed 95 horsepower.

The original engine in this model was redone in 2001 to three-quarter race specifications. The Isky cam, Eddie Meyer hi-rise dual intake manifold, high compression heads and Fenton headers have increased the performance to 140 horsepower.

The original restoration now has 19,000 miles as it is driven from Michigan to Florida, where it is housed in winter, and returns home to Michigan in spring.
 

Convertible

The origins of Mercury are fraught with drama. If it had been up to Henry Ford, there would never have been a Mercury or Lincoln, only the Ford.

From its very inception in 1937, Henry Ford denied that the Mercury even existed. His only contribution to the marque was in finally allowing Edsel to go ahead with it. The reason for the car was obvious enough: To put something into the gnawing $500 gap between the Ford DeLuxe and the Lincoln Zephyr.

The original 1939 Mercury debuted on November 5, 1938, and shared Ford's antiquated transverse-spring suspension. However, the first Mercury frame wasn't quite the same as a Ford's because it was made more rigid and carried a four-inch longer wheelbase.

The engine was pure Ford flathead V-8, bored out from 221 cubic-inches to 239.4 to develop an additional 10 horsepower. However, the body was unique, sharing no panels with Ford, although design-wise the two were clearly related. Also unique to Mercury was the narrow B-pillared Club Coupe, arguably the forerunner of the hardtop body style.

Source: Internet