1951 Mercury Series 1CM

E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie was creating his last design and the one intended to be the 1949 Ford, when Ford's new post-war management argued for a new direction, resulting in a lighter, slab-sided 'shoe box' of George Walker. The discarded Gregorie design became the 1949 Mercury instead. It was introduced on April 29th of 1948 and was among the first of the all-new post-war styles, beating the shoebox Ford by over a month. Minor revisions and a new dashboard followed in 1950. For 1951, the rear fenders were lengthened and the grille received wrap-around edges. Horsepower produced by the 255 cubic-inch flathead V8 increased to 112 bhp. It had a downdraft carburetor, dual exhaust, a 3-speed manual transmission, and a semi-floating rear axle with a hypoid differential. An overdrive and Merc-O-Matic automatic transmission were optional. Standard equipment included a vinyl or canvas roof, and chrome gavel shields, and rocker panels.

Mercury body styles for 1951 included a Sport Coupe, Monterey Coupe, Sport Sedan, Convertible, and a two-door eight-passenger station wagon. 3,812 examples of the station wagon were built and 6,759 of the convertible. 157,648 sedans and 142,166 coupes found ownership in 1951.

Other changes for 1951 included lower rear quarter panel trim and vertical taillights.

The basic form of the Gregorie-designed Mercury became a favorite of customizers, no doubt inspired by the cameo role of a black 1949 Mercury Club Coupe in the James Dean movie Rebel Without a Cause. This generation of Ford's 'middle marque' is often known as the 'James Dean Mercury', and Custom Merc Lead Sleds have seemed to outnumber stock examples. Other movies like the George Lucus film American Graffiti, Badlands with Martin Sheen, and Cobra with Silvester Stallone have popularized the Mercury and made them pop-culture icons.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible
Chassis number: 51SL6298M

Mercury introduced the new Eight in 1949 after the company had been in business for just a decade. It was the company's first post-WWII design, and it was a departure from the styling that preceded it, with a body that had even more bulbous curves, a rounded off rear end, and a toothy chrome grille that stretched across the entire front end of the car. Under the hood was a 255 cubic-inch Ford flathead V-8 that offered 112 bhp and 200 lb-ft of torque.

This Mercury Eight was restored and customized in the 1990s and later purchased by Joe Cardiello of Long Island, New York. The current owner acquired the car in the mid-2000s. It has light-metallic maroon paint, chrome accents, power front disc brakes, air conditioning, and an interior that features dark red hides and vinyl.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible
Chassis number: 51SL77233M

The post-War Mercurys were impressive, but their popularity was taken to new heights when actor James Dean made the teen thriller Rebel Without a Cause in 1955. The models were also popular with hot-rodders, and many of the 300,000 were transformed into 'lead sleds.'

For 1951, Mercury gave their vehicles a new grille that became integrated with the signal lights. The horizontal type taillights were replaced with a vertical design. Standard equipment included a chrome gravel shield and rocker panels. The 1951 designs also had wraparound bumpers and lower rear quarter panel trim.

1951 body styles included a convertible, station wagon, Monterey Coupe, Sport Sedan, and a Sport Coupe.

Mercury produced just 31,865 convertibles during the three-year run of this model. Few changes were made year-to-year. Selling for a base of $2,597, the 1951 convertibles are the rarest, with just 6,759 delivered. It is believed that about 50 of the 1951 convertibles survive.

This example has just 66,805 original miles. It has never been modified and was previously owned by a museum in Florida. It is finished in the rare convertible-only color of Vassar Yellow with a black/red leather interior and a black Haartz cloth top with red piping. Power is from a 255 cubic-inch flathead V8 motor and a three-speed manual transmission with overdrive. It has power windows and a power seat. The extensive list of options includes a radio, heater, rocker moldings, cowl scuff plates, a front grille guard, rear bumper guards, an exhaust deflector, and a gas door guard. The car rides on BF Goodrich wide whitewall tires, ribbed rear fender skirts, and is fitted with turn signals.

In 2012, this vehicle was offered for sale at RM Auction's sale in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was estimated to sell for $90,000-$110,000 and was offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for the sum of $77,000 inclusive of the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Station Wagon
Chassis number: 51MEX11161M

The Mercury station wagon was a 2-door style with real wood affixed to a metal substructure. It would be the last Ford-produced station wagon that would qualify as a real 'Woody.'. Mercury produced just 3,812 examples of these wagons in 1951. Power came from a Ford flathead V8 displacing 255.4 cubic inches and offering 112 horsepower.

This Mercury Woody Wagon was sold new in Mexico in September of 1951. It remained in Mexico for most of its life, only leaving in (approximately) 2013. The dry climate has helped preserve the vehicle and it retains all of its original metalwork. It has been given an amateur restoration that includes an engine rebuild, new chrome and interior and total re-spray in maroon.

by Dan Vaughan

An automobile marque of the Ford Motor Company, Mercury was founded in 1939 with the purpose to market entry-level-luxury vehicles that were slotted in between Ford-branded regular models and Lincoln-branded luxury vehicles. All Mercury models are today based on Ford platforms. The Mercury name is derived from 'messenger of the gods' of Roman mythology. In the beginning years, Mercury was known for its performance.

The 1950 full-size near-luxury car Mercury Monterey represented a choice that the Ford Motor Company had to make. At the time General Motors and the Chrysler Corporation were producing a plethora of 'hardtop convertibles' and Ford realized that it couldn't convert its year-old bodies into hardtop models at a reasonable cost. Determined not to stand idly by as GM and Chrysler attempted to dominate the car market with its attractive new pillarless coupes.

Ford decided that the only solution was to customize existing two-door bodies into a new line of specialty models. These included the Ford Crestliner, Lincoln Capri and Lido, and the Mercury Monterey.

All of these vehicles were developed from the same formula with grained top coverings that were harmonized with a very limited number of pain colors. Color-coordinated interiors also matched the external theme, while special trim and badging were used both inside and out.

Responsible for the Mercury Monterey's special touches, William Schmidt took over the design work. A choice of either canvas or vinyl roof coverings were offered on the all-new custom coupe, along with either fabric-and-leather or all-leather seats. A deluxe steering wheel was showcased, and bright trim edged the windows on the inside.

The base price of a 1950 Mercury Monterey was $2,146. Mercury's flagship sedan from 1950 through 1974, the classic 'Monterey' was considered to be '4,000 lbs. of Pure Decadence.' Still coveted even today, the sleek lines of those earlier models make the Monterey a popular collectible classic.

Featuring the same chassis and running gear used on all other Mercurys, the Monterey featured a 118-inch wheelbase that ran between coil-and-wishbone suspension up front and leaf springs under a live axle in the rear. Achieving 110 bhp, the Monterey received its power from an L-head V-8 that displaced 255.4 cubic inches.

In early 1951, Ford decided to replace the Crestliner with the first hardtop, regardless of the cost. In 1952 Mercury and Lincoln came out with all-new bodies that were designed to include hardtops.

The Monterey name continued on, but on a premium series of Mercury's in three body styles. The Monterey later shared the same body style with the slightly more upscale Marquis, the Montclair, and the Park Lane. After the 1968 model year, the Montclair and Park were eliminated from the lineup. The Marquis-Monterey body eventually shared the same body as the Ford Galaxie, the Ford Custom, and the Ford LTD.

From 1961 through 1963, the Mercury Monterey was sold in Canada as the Mercury Meteor. Available in three trim lines, the Meteor was sold as the LeMoyne, the Montcalm, and Rideau. After the United States, Monterey was retired, Canadian Meteors were still marketed from 1964 until 1976. They were re-badged Marquis models following the deletion of the U.S. model Monterey in 1974.

The Monterey nameplate was resurrected in 2004 for a minivan, though it was essentially a re-badged Ford Freestar with more features and newly modified cosmetic features. The Monterey comes with a high level of equipment and several styling cues from Mercury. These minivans were made to fill the gap in Mercury's vehicle lineup following the discontinuation of the Mercury Villager. Offered in only one trim level, for 2006 Mercury Monterey was offered in the fully-loaded Luxury edition.

The Luxury edition was featured in front-wheel drive and is powered by a 4.2-liter V6 engine that was matched with a four-speed automatic transmission and anti-lock braking system. The inside of the Monterey featured amazing standard features such as cloth upholstery, dual-zone air conditioning, first and second-row captain's chairs, power sliding doors, tilting steering wheel, and much more.

The all-new Monterey also came with a great safety warranty. Standard occupant-sensing front passenger airbag, heated power-adjustable side mirrors that featured built-in warning/turn signals, perimeter anti-theft system, and Safety Canopy curtain and side-impact airbags. Optional features were Traction Control and Advancetrac electronic stability control.

by Jessican Donaldson