1950 Mercury Two-Door Woodie Wagon

A few weeks ago, I traveled to the St. Augustine area of Florida to photograph six automobiles from a private collection. Of the 18 cars that make up this delectable group, each car being more beautiful and authentically restored than the last, this sensational-looking 1950 Mercury woodie wagon was my primary focus. From the time I first laid eyes on this Mercury during an AACA event that was held in Port St. Lucie, I knew I just had to make the time to shoot it for a feature in Hemmings Classic Car.

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1973 Mercury Comet

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1947 Mercury 1 Ton Pickup

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1966 Mercury Comet 202

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1954 Mercury Sun Valley

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1962 Mercury Meteor Brochure

Mercury was a brand in flux in the early 1960s. The compact Comet was the best-selling model in 1961, widely outselling the less expensive full-sized Meteor 600 and 800, and the flagship Monterey. Ford brass felt the need to broaden Mercury’s product range, and they created a new Meteor in 1962, based on the mid-sized Fairlane. This Meteor -which Mercury advertising called “standard-size” despite being what we’d today call full-sized at 203.8 inches- was available in two- and four-door sedan body styles, and in base, Custom and S-33 trims. Economy-minded engine choices included a 101 hp, 170-cu.in. OHV inline-six and a new, lightweight 145 hp OHV V-8 with a historic displacement: 221-cu.in. Although it’s not listed in this brochure, power-hungry buyers could get a bit more in the optional 164 hp, 260-cu.in. V-8.

This model was quietly handsome, but not a head-turner, because even the sportiest, bucket-seated S-33 was still a two-door post sedan, rather than a slinky hardtop. Unsurprisingly, the Meteor wasn’t a runaway sales hit: The Standard Catalog of Ford lists total 1962 Meteor production as 51,912, a drop in the bucket next to the sibling-under-the-skin Fairlane’s 297,116. Things would improve for 1963, when this model added a station wagon and hardtop coupe to the mix.

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1940 Mercury

Rob Ida-built 1940 Merc takes SEMA Best of Show trophy from Ford

Kurt Ernst on Nov 6th, 2015

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Jack Kiely’s 1940 Merc three-window coupe, built by Rob Ida Customs. Photos by author.
Rob Ida’s build of a 1940 Mercury coupe for owner Jack Kiely has been in the works since at least 2008. As with any project this ambitious, delays are inevitable, but in this case, worth the wait: After debuting the Lincoln Zephyr inspired custom three-window coupe at SEMA, Rob and his team have picked up a Best of Show design award from Ford Motor Company.

The project began with a 1940 Mercury business coupe, but one would be hard pressed to tell from the end result. The car’s top was the first to go, and the next step in the process was the construction of a steel skeleton to carry the custom stretched and streamlined roof, built from hand-shaped steel panels.

The hood was scratchbuilt, too, as were the rear fenders that flow into a sculpted rear. In keeping with the streamliner design theme, both front and rear fenders are skirted, and just because it’s cool, the doors were reversed from rear-opening to front-opening. Even the chrome trim that adorns the fenders and rocker panels was hand crafted from brass before being sent off for plating.

The interior is completely custom as well, built around a hand-built steel dash, and the trunk carries a pair of vintage suitcases wrapped in the same leather as the seats and door panels. For such an imaginative build, the cockpit is remarkably understated and inviting.

Though the exterior is a work of art, what lies beneath the hood is equally impressive. The woven orange cloth spark plug leads and Ardun rocker covers give the car a vintage look, but underneath all that engine dressing is a 5.8-liter supercharged V-8, liberated from a late model Shelby GT500 Mustang. With roughly 660 horsepower on tap, the three-window Merc is as much about performance as it is about style.

Expect to see Jack Kiely’s three-window Merc on the show circuit in 2015, and it’s a safe bet that Ford’s Best in Show Design Award at SEMA is just the first of many trophies to come.

Source: hemmings.com