1946 Mercury Series 69M Sportsman Convertible

Mercury was added to the Ford Motor line of cars in 1939 and was positioned between the Lincoln and Ford products.

The Sportsman line of Mercury cars was produced in the Iron Mountain factory of Ford for only 6 months in 1946. The Sportman convertible, featuring wood body panels, was new to this year and only 205 such cars were built. To date, there are only 5 known to be remaining.

The Sportsman's wood required extensive hand finishing, and that made for a steep price: $2,209, nearly $500 more than Mercury's all-steel ragtop and $200 more than the Ford Sportsman.

It was the first Mercury to feature power windows (they were standard), and like the regular convertible, the Sportsman came equipped with an 'Automatic Hydraulic-Lift Top.' Seats in the convertible and wagon were upholstered in 'tan, red or gray genuine leather.'

This Mercury Sportsman was restored over a 7-year period, using maple from upper Michigan. This car was shown at the V8 Club meet in July 2008 and the 2008 Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance was its first appearance at a Concours.