Mercury’s line of cars arrived in 1939 to fill a gap between Ford’s Deluxe and Lincoln. Styled like the Zephyr and offering better-quality features than the Deluxe, Mercury body styles included a sedan, convertible, and coupe. More than 65,000 were sold in Mercury’s first year – a record at the time. This first-year Mercury Eight coupe is located in Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania and it is represented as a running project. Coupes are rare, with production of only about 8200. Still, prices are reasonable for finished cars; let’s find out if this no-reserve offering is compelling enough to justify an investment.
The 239 cu. in. flathead V8 was developed especially for the Mercury, to increase available power and help justify the nameplate’s premium strategy. Production ran through 1953 in the US, and the 239 was used in everything from autos to trucks to buses. Output is 95 hp. The gearbox is a three-speed manual, and this year marks the first time Ford routinely equipped its cars with hydraulic brakes. This car’s restoration began in 2015 and has been ongoing; though it runs and can be driven, only the rear brakes are rebuilt. Parts are included to finish the fronts.
The interior is underway, with the seats recovered but not bolted in, Dynamat applied to the interior sheet metal, the gauges appearing restored, and copious parts available to complete the job. All its glass is new but needs to be installed. The Mercury came with a clock, while buyers of the more proletariat Ford V8 had to step up to the Deluxe to match the Merc’s accessory set. Just a year later, dual sun visors were offered.
Forming a brand isn’t simply a matter of a few tweaks to sheet metal and a new name. Ford’s effort included a longer wheelbase, more horsepower, and enhanced comfort – adopting Lincoln’s attention to interior noise, ride, and convenience. That middle road – a bit better than the Deluxe but not so opulent as the Lincoln, and a price halfway between the two – struck just the right chord in the market. Hopefully, this example, listed here on eBay with bidding at $6200, will attract an enthusiast who appreciates the effort expended on restoration thus far. According to the seller’s description, a previous attempt at the auction process resulted in a failed sale – frustrating to be sure. Do you think the current bid leaves adequate headroom relative to Hagerty’s “good” condition value of $19,600, to justify completing this car?
Well, it’s an outstanding example of an original car, but I fear that fun stops here. It’s not 1939 anymore, and prospective buyers probably already have that GM transplant motor lined up. A shame really, as this car could handle modern speeds, but handling and stopping will certainly get the drivers attention, almost dangerous, in fact, and really should be updated. It is amazing it stayed like this though. The Mercury coupe was the standard car of choice at the drags. Quite a find.
Got a friend we race with that just finished up a restoration on one of these. The window design and trim really sets it off. I know the engines are good because I had one in my ’32 five window coupe. A car this rare doesn’t need a GM transplant, just finishing up the restoration.
Not a Mercury guy, but is this a Haynes bodied Merc?
Note the B pillar – not a “hardtop” as in the late 40’s GM cars – but the look of a convertibl with top up.
I have known about one of these in the woods north of Spokane since 1962. Upside down with the hood and engine gone. The local urchins used the hood to drag the engine a mile in the snow to haul it away. Car was still there 10 years ago. If we had only known way back then. A friend DoD rescue the 34 Plymouth sitting next to it back in the 70s. Oh well.
Ha! Truth be known, some vintage car hoods made a dandy sled. As a kid with no money, you had to be creative.
Way too nice to pull it apart and install the ruinous cookie cutter 350/350. Too bad it’s on evilbay. No way to stop that from happening.
It probably will get hot-rodded as that is what many consider THE body style for such a project. Hopefully, they’ll at least put a Mercury engine in it. I understand the appeal of the LS, light, relatively cheap, and fast but there’s so many of them.
Me? I’d definitely upgrade the brakes and suspension (as Howard up above suggests) but I’d certainly try to see what I could do with that flathead. I own a current Mustang GT. That more than scratches my go fast itch. I want something different.
Ugliest roof design ever for Mercury. The cure is a 4″/6″ chop with hardtop windows, lowering, cruiser skirts, tuck and roll upholstery.