Have you been constant in your automotive tastes? Chances are good that if I liked something when I was young, I like it now; however, I lost my affection for the “bathtub” Mercury of 1949-1951 as I entered my teenage years or thereabouts. That changed drastically last month when I visited the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum in Auburn, Indiana, where they displayed a dark blue 1950 Mercury coupe that I could accurately describe as a ten-footer. It was beautiful, and it’s been bumping into all my thoughts since then. While I am less enamored with the facelifted ’51 models, such as the car our friend T.J. has found on Marketplace in Dallas, I am currently emotionally invested enough that I want to talk it out. So here we go.
Quick history lesson: Did you know that the same guy who was responsible for the 1940 Lincoln Continental was also responsible for the 1949 Mercury? His name was Bob Gregorie. I recently read an old book whose author interviewed designers from the golden age of the American automobile, and Gregorie mentioned something that I found extremely surprising (and a little offputting). He never liked the original Continental; it followed his patron Edsel Ford’s image of what litheness should be, and Gregorie felt that the tail section looked pinched, like a dog with its tail between its legs. Considering that the Continental is one of my personal favorites, I took it a bit personally, but it’s his car and his opinions.
He then labeled the ’49 Mercury as his favorite design, because he felt it was the most successful interpretation of the prevailing forms of that era. Cars were becoming blobby, and some (like the ’48 Packard) weren’t well-received. As a yacht designer from his youth, Gregorie added some nautical influences to the Mercury, including the long, stepped bodyline bisecting the length of the car. It added a look of motion, like a boat coming on plane, and it looked as if you could almost walk from bow to stern if you were acrobatic enough.
With that bit of nerdiness out of the way, we can talk about the car at hand. It’s been sitting since the 1980s (indoors), and the engine is free. The seller does not have the radiator. It’s a three-speed manual car. The engine (if original) is a 255 cubic-inch Mercury flathead with 112 horsepower. It will sound amazing if you can get it running.
I’m afraid that someone will buy it as a potential custom, but I wonder if those days are behind us. Nothing against people who like customs, they just aren’t my thing, and I think there are enough modified Mercurys in the world without cutting up a now-rare original ’51. That trend seems to be slowing down a little from what I’ve seen, so maybe there’s a chance for this one to remain stock.
There’s no doubt, however, that getting this one back on the road is going to be an expensive job. Even a driver-quality interior will cost thousands, in addition to its mechanical needs. It’s not going to be a budget-oriented project.
Especially since the owner is asking $13,000. Am I wrong in thinking that thirteen grand isn’t ridiculous? It might have made more sense 10-20 years ago, but the fifties have suffered in our current market, and the guys and girls who think the bathtub Mercury is cool aren’t as numerous as they were back then. I love it, however, and if it were a ’49 or a ’50 I’d be very itchy right now. I think that you could make it a great driver as it stands with a new interior and a mechanical going-over. What do you think?
There is more chrome on that front bumper than the last 15 cars I’ve owned combined. It must have been so much more rewarding to be a car designer in that era.
Here’s another that somehow escaped the “lead sled” craze. ’49-’51 Mercury coupes were the most sought after for customizing, way before James Dean made them cool(er) in “Rebel without a cause” and later in “Grease”. Someone wanted it kept stock all these years and only now becomes available with their passing.
And “blobby and not well received, like the ’48 Packard”? Well,, I’ve never,,,
The Packards of that period were sometimes and derisively called “pregnant elephants”, though I think they are quite handsome if imposing cars.
Absolutely! to find a virgin unmolested mercury coupe from this era is truly a treat. A mercury that still has bangs and no piercings or tattoo’s! Truly a rare treat. no major engine mods to boot. Luv this barn find
IMHO $13k for this, as-is, is a bit rich, however if this were a 49-50…maybe…also, an interior for this car would cost thousand?
Interior budget $5000-$15000
Value IMHO $10000+/-$$
I’d rather have a Hudson.
I second that motion to rather have a Hudson. I prefer the 2DR stepdown Hudson Pacemaker brougham as my favorite Hudson car, even though I owned a stepdown sedan and a hardtop. Sort of looks like a thinner, sleeker, streamlined Mercury of that period.
Looks like A Rebel WITH a Cause! 👍 🎵 Crazy 🎶for a🎵MERCURY 🎶 🤪 😜
Buy it for $13,000 today. Or wait a year or two and get it “finished” by a custom shop for $125,000. Your choice!
If Broderick Crawford (in later years with a mustache) were a car this is what he’d look like. That low 3/4 view from the right front is just awesome,
especially with the visor drawing your vision up from the fabulous grille and bumper. I would hope for a sympathetic if not totally accurate restoration. The only change I’d make is the addition of some vintage Olds spinner hubcaps.
All the early ’50s cars looked like pregnant elephants. Nobody had a good design until the ’55 Chevy, and I’m sick of that car!
Didja’ ever spy a ’55 T-Bird?
Studebaker!! were not P elephants,,the 50-51 bullet noses and especially the 53-55 coupes and Hard tops very aerodynamic
Love it. Hey Rex maybe you just have bad taste. Like your profile picture.
I have a 1953 truck radiator that may or may not fit, along with a bunch of extra stuff for my sold F-100. This car may be worth the price if the engine is okay, and we know that it turns at least. There may be another one in better shape for sale near me just outside Philadelphia. Owner can’t drive anymore. I think he wants more like $25,000 if he still has it.
Do I hear chop chop chop
Loud and clear!
CT Dave
After the ’49 and ’50 models I was really disappointed with the ’51s. Years later when I had the money and wanted to do a custom all I could find in the wrecking yards were the ’51s and didn’t like them at all. Gave up and bought a ’39 Chevy sedan.
It was the more over-the-top grilles on the 1951’s that made them less streamlined or clumsy, similar to what Studebaker did after their classic look for the 1953 models, then by 1955 there was much more grille metal. The bodies on the 1951 Mercs are basically the same.
My first car was a 53 Commander Starliner and 53 was definitely the epitome of the series. Subsequent years with bloated grills and tacked on fins detracted from the original concept.
I’ve always liked these Mercury cars stock or custom. This one will need so much work to get it to even driver condition that it will more than double the asking price. It’d be nice to see it back on the road but I think the seller is going to be sitting on this unless they lower the asking price considerably. The reality is that these old post WW2 vehicles are losing their value and it is going to get worse as the market for them declines. Unless you can do most of the restoration yourself the economics make no sense. And a lot of the people who would be interested in doing this are getting too old to take it on. Ask me how I know. GLWTS.
1949-51 Mercury Coupes like this one have custom build written all over them. The world is your canvas and who cares what the purists think. You buy it, then it’s your car to build.
Rex,, better take a look at the 50-51 Studebakers and especially the 53-55 coupes and Hard tops,,they were far from P elephants
Sorry. I have bad taste.
The engine is likely the 255 Merc flat 8 as it has the much different side draft carb. I have one of these with the intake in my collection, if anyone needs one these days. Looks like this one was rebuilt in the photo.
What it could look like
https://vtauto.org/1951-mercury/