1946 Mercury Series 69M

1942 was the final year of automobile production prior to the industry-wide shutdown in support of the war effort. After World War II, civilian automobile production resumed in 1946 with most manufacturers offering mildly updated styling on their pre-war vehicles. New Ford / Mercury / Lincoln designs and models were scheduled for introduction in June of 1948, so all of the company's efforts and resources were focused on its success. The first all-new postwar Mercurys wearing new and modern designs were introduced on April 29th of 1948.

Like most automakers, Ford worked quickly to meet the pent-up demand for new cars while battling labor disputes and materials shortages. The 1946 Mercury wore a new grille with thin vertical bars surrounded by a larger body-colored trim piece. Body styles were extensive, with two-door styles that included a sportsman convertible, sedan, sedan coupe, and a convertible. Four-door body styles included an eight-passenger station wagon and a town sedan. Despite the production problems and shortages, Mercury finished the year in 12th place among American car manufacturers.

The 1946 Mercury was powered by an L-head V-8 engine displacing 239.4 cubic inches and developing 100 horsepower at 3,800 RPM. It was backed by a three-speed manual transmission and the Liquamatic Drive automatic option was no longer available.

Both Ford and Mercury received the Sportmans model for 1946, with the Ford Super Deluxe version costing $1,982 which was roughly $500 more than a standard convertible. The Mercury Sportsman, introduced in April of 1946, sold for $2,209 which was about the same margin over a regular Mercury convertible. This new body style was in response to the Chrysler Corporation's novel barrel-back Town & Country sedan wagon introduced prior to the start of the war. It was produced as a Royal in 1941 and Windsor in 1942. Although they planned on producing five woodie styles for 1946, only a Windsor sedan and New Yorker convertible were put on sale. Nash offered an Ambassador sedan and sold it as the Suburban from 1946 to 1948, and Chevrolet offered a dealer-installed Country Club wood kit for its 1946 through 1948 models.

During the war, Henry Ford II had tasked chief designer E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie to create a body for a Model A chassis that was sitting in the corner of the Ford design studio. Gregorie penned a wood-bodied convertible with a forward-sloped tail, Continental spare, two doors, a khaki top, and a red leather interior. The coupe design was stylish, with a pillar similar to that of the late 1920s Model A closed cars. The design was applied to the Model A chassis and used by the Fords for a summer on Long Island, after which it was given to Gregorie, who kept it and took it to Florida after his retirement.

The postwar Ford product line shared many design cues with the Model A convertible. In the early part of 1945 Gregorie and his lead illustrator, Ross Cousins created drawings for the wood-bodied 1946 convertible. An early production convertible was removed from the production line and built as a prototype at Iron Mountain using wood for the body. The wood framing was larger than the equivalent steel, resulting in the back end being bulkier and the convertible fenders would not work. So the team simply used the taillights and rear fenders from the 1941 sedan delivery. Sportsman seats were upholstered in genuine leather facings in red or tan, with French stitching. Power windows were standard, and the front floor mats had color-keyed carpet inserts.

The first Sportsman was completed in December 1945 and presented to actress Ella Raines at Christmas. Total Mercury Sportsman Convertible production for 1946 was 205 units. In comparison, a total of 723 of the Ford Sportsman Convertible were built.

by Dan Vaughan

Convertible
Chassis number: 799AI8I7244

Though the war had ended and automobile production resumed, it would be several years before most automakers introduced a new product. Most just made a few changes to their pre-War line and tried to quickly settle the public demand for vehicles.

For Mercury, post-War production resumed on November 1st of 1945. This was ten days after Lincoln-Mercury had become a separate division. The face-lifted Mercury was given a new 'high-style' grille design which the public approved. A total of 86,608 examples were sold making them the tenth-highest volume for 1946.

The Mercury cost around $190 more than the Super DeLuxe Ford V8 and came with a four-inch longer wheelbase, upgraded upholstery, interior trimmings, and exterior trim. The 'flathead' V8 engine provided a hefty 100-horsepower which was controlled by four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.

Both the Fords and Mercurys rode on a unique front-and-rear transverse leaf spring suspension. They made have been not as modern as some other setups on the road, but they worked really well and provided superior handling.

This 1946 Mercury Convertible is one of the few that has avoided a conversion into a hot rod or drag racer. Instead, it has been recently restored and painted in Moonstone Grey with a deep maroon leather interior, and black power convertible top.

In 2008 it was brought to the Automobiles of Amelia presented by RM Auctions where it was estimated to sell for $50,000-$60,000. It was offered without reserve and sold for the sum of $44,000 including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

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.

Station Wagon

In order to enhance this Mercury's drivability in rough terrain, renowned nature photographer Don Bleitz had it fitted with Marmon-Herrington's four-wheel drive, creating a 'sports utility vehicle' more than forty years before the term was popularized. To further improve upon its utility, he commissioned Coachcraft of Hollywood to modify the vehicle with a built-in icebox for food and film, a fresh-water storage tank with a pressure pump, and other comforts to make overnight excursions more enjoyable.

by Petersen Museum

Sportsman Convertible
Chassis number: 99A1140582

For the 1946 model year, the 69M received a new grille. The Liquamatic Drive automatic transmission option was no longer offered. The Sportsman convertible, featuring wood body panels, was new for this year and only 205 were produced during the 1946 model year.

For 1946, Mercury produced 86,603 vehicles, making it the 12th largest automaker during this era.

This 1946 Mercury Sportsman was delivered new to an executive of the Youngstown Sheet and Tube Company in Ohio, one of the largest manufacturers of steel. It was traded in 1949, now showing 20,000 miles on the odometer, to Bartholomew Motors of Warren, Ohio. They sold it to Franklin Ledru Moody of Orwell, Ohio for $1,495.

The car was found in 1974 and later acquired by woodie collector Donald Narus of Parma, Ohio, and restored by Don Newby of Bondurant, Indiana. It later joined the collection of Curt Heaton in Corona del Mar, California, before coming into the car of Nick Alexander in 2003.

This Sportsman has a Maple and Mahogany body and deep Navy Blue paint. There is a black canvas top with red piping, lined inside with tan canvas. There are lap belts in the front for two. The trunk floor is black rubber and the dashboard has restored mahogany woodgrain.

Between April and December of 1946, there were just 205 examples of the Mercury Sportman convertibles built. This would be the final year of its production.

In 2009, this 1946 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 $275,000-$350,000 and was offered without reserve. The lot was sold for the sum of $368,500, including the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Station Wagon
Chassis number: 99A-1303603

The Mercury marque was introduced in 1939 and named after the Roman god. Using existing Ford components, the Mercury was intended to compete with medium-priced offerings like those offered by Dodge, Oldsmobile, Nash, Pontiac, and Buick. The wheelbase was longer than the Ford, shorter than the Lincoln, and the styling was inspired by the Ford Deluxe and the Lincoln Zephyr. The bodies were shared with its Ford sibling but with unique grille and trim.

Over 70,000 Mercury automobiles were sold in its inaugural year of production.

The body panels of the 1946 Mercury Station Wagon were made of either birch or mahogany, rather than gumwood. Otherwise, the wagon was a twin to its prewar counterpart. Interior color options were gray, Golden Tan, or red leather. A total of 2,797 examples were built for 1946.

This 1946 Mercury Station Wagon is equipped with a flathead V8 239-cubic-inch engine delivering 100 horsepower and paired with a three-speed manual transmission. Optional amenities include a heater, AM radio, and driver-side spotlight. Standard amenities include a clock, turn signals, dual sun visors, sliding rear windows, a lug wrench and jack with handle, Ford fog lights, and the standard rear-mounted spare tire with metal cover. The exterior is finished in Monsoon Maroon with a dark red interior.

by Dan Vaughan