1948 Mercury Series 89M Station Wagon

The Mercury Model 89M is powered by a 239.4 cubic-inch V8 engine mated to a three-speed manual transmission with Columbia rear end. Its wheelbase measures 118 inches and there are four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

Its body is made of very rare birdseye maple, particularly prized for fine furniture and wood accessories. The swirling grain of the wood resembles the eye of a bird, hence the name. It was fairly common in Ford's Iron Mountain forest, which had the climatic conditions for growing this type of pattern.

This Mercury is a nicely freshened original example that has been repainted in the original Tuscon Tan color. The seats are all the original red leather and they do show some wear. There are black rubber floor mats in the front and rear and the dashboard is the original mahogany woodgrain with only a few scratches.

This car was acquired by nick Alexander in May of 1996. It has received a Rouge Award for its original interior from the Early Ford V8 Club at Temecula, California. Currently, the car has just over 70,000 miles on the odometer.

In 2009, this Mercury Sportsman was offered for sale at the Sports & Classics of Monterey auction in Monterey, California presented by RM Auctions. The car was estimated to sell for $100,000-$140,000 and was offered without reserve. The lot was sold for the sum of $143,000, including the buyer's premium.

By Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2009