1949 Mercury Series 9CM

The Mercury Series 9CM was introduced on April 29th of 1948. World War II had halted automobile production and when it resumed after the war, most marques were offering vehicles similar to the pre-War styles. Little changed for a few years; for Mercury, this change did not happen until 1948 when they introduced the Series 9CM. They shared similar styling to Lincoln and used chrome for the bumpers and trim. The sedans had doors that opened towards the center and the wood-bodied station wagons had only wood trim. The cars rested on a 118-inch wheelbase and were powered by an eight-cylinder engine that displaced 255 cubic inches and was capable of producing 110 horsepower.

The all-new 1949 Ford vehicles were designed by outside consultant George Walker and his team. The in-house studio of E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie had also provided competing proposals. Gregorie had created three similar cars in three different sizes: Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln. Walker's design was chosen for the low-priced car and the Gregorie proposal became the Mercury, Lincoln, and Lincoln Cosmopolitan, respectively. A smaller version went into production at Ford France as the Vedette.

The new Mercury used its former 118-inch wheelbase yet was a much larger-looking car than the Ford. The basic body styles were identical to Ford's with the Mercury's receiving several upmarket features, like twin taillights, directional signals, and an all-leather interior (Ford had genuine leather only on the seat cushions). Mercury shared Ford's new independent front suspension and open driveline, however, it used a larger, 255 cubic-inch version of the flathead V8.

The new Mercury was well received and model year sales expanded six-fold from 1948, aided in part by a longer model year. In total, over 300,000 examples were sold including over 8,000 station wagons.

Optional at this time were a radio, heater, rear fender shields, whitewall tires, and foam rubber seat cushions. All 9CM models were equipped with a three-speed manual gearbox with the Touch-O-Matic being offered as optional equipment. Prices ranged from $1,980 through $2,720.

Body styles included a coupe, convertible, 2-door sport sedan, and a station wagon.

by Dan Vaughan

Station Wagon
Chassis number: 9CM76637

This 1949 Mercury 8-Passenger 9CM Woody Wagon was offered for sale at the 2007 Blackhawk Collection Exhibit held at the Pebble Beach Concours. It carried a price tag of $275,000.

The 'Woody Wagon' has become one of the most sought-after American cars of its era and Mercury is one of the most desirable. This beautifully restored example is possibly the finest one available. Its Flathead 8-cylinder engine with three two-barrel Stromberg carburetors, Offenhauser heads and intake performs beautifully.

by Blackhawk Collection

Station Wagon
Chassis number: 9CM-46028

The Mercury 9CM series of cars were introduced in April of 1948 and were the company's first new offerings of the post-War era. This also marked the first time since the launch of the brand in 1938, that the body panels were distinct from those of the equivalent Ford models, instead sharing many of their body shells with Lincoln. Another new addition was the introduction of non-structural wood trim produced in an electro-bonding process under 75 tons of pressure. The body was constructed almost entirely of steel which helped reduce interior drafts and noise, and difficult structural repairs.

The wagon, which sold for $2,716, was the highest produce model in the range. Just 8,044 were produced from a total of over 300,000 Mercury cars produced in 1949. Styling was performed under the direction of E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie. Mr. Gregorie, a trained naval architect, is said to have incorporated nautical elements during his automotive design career. The 1949 Mercurys certainly support that belief.

This Mercury wagon was discovered in the early 2000s, which had been stored in a barn in Vermont and showed just 34,000 miles. The exterior was restored to its original color scheme before the wagon changed hands in 2004. Today, the car still shows less than 37,000 miles. The car features an optional clock, radio and heater.

Power is from a 255 cubic-inch flathead V8 engine breathing through a single 2-barrel carburetor. The engine produces 110 horsepower and is sent to the rear wheels via a three-speed manual gearbox with overdrive.

In 2012, the car was offered for sale at the Gooding & Company auction in Amelia Island, Florida. It was estimated to sell for $50,000 - $75,000 and offered without reserve. As bidding came to a close, the car had been sold for $ 63,800 inclusive of the buyer's premium.

by Dan Vaughan

Station Wagon
Chassis number: 9CM-140988

The 1949 was designed in Ford's in-house studio by E.T. 'Bob' Gregorie and was originally intended as a Ford. It was to be the entry-level model, followed by the senior members being Mercury and Lincoln. Prior to plans being finalized, a competing Ford proposal from George Walker was chosen by management, and Gregorie's Ford was 'promoted' to a Mercury. His other two models became Lincoln and Lincoln Cosmopolitan, respectively. A smaller version of the Mercury went into production at Ford France as the Vedette.

Just as in the past, there was but a single series of Mercurys. The basic body was identical to the Ford's, but given several upmarket features, like an all-leather interior (Ford had genuine leather only on the seat cushions), twin taillights, and directional signals. They had a larger 255 cubic-inch version of the flathead V-8, but shared Ford's new independent front suspension and open drive line.

The new Mercury was introduced in April of 1948 and model year sales expanded six-fold from 1948, aided in part by a longer model year. In total, more than 300,000 were sold, with just over 8,000 of them being station wagons.

This 1949 Mercury woodie was built in Los Angeles and was found in Huntington Beach, California. It has recently been restored and is painted in its original Bermuda Cream. It has an overdrive transmission, period sun visor, wheel trim rings, a spotlight, and a fresh-air heater.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe
Chassis number: 9CM290057

Mercury introduced its first all-new post-World War II designs on April 29th of 1948 as a 1949 model, and for the first time in the company's history, the designs were not styled to look like upscale Fords. They shared their basic body shell with Lincoln and were lower and sleeker than the Fords.

This particular example is finished in Berwick Green with a green cloth and tan tweed interior. It left the factory with an oil-bath air cleaner, a clock, radio, heater, driver-side spotlight, front and rear bumper guards, grill guard, fog lights, dual exhaust, and 'Mercury Eight' full-wheel disks. It was delivered on October 14th of 1949 to Joliet Lincoln-Mercury Sales in Joliet, Illinois and its final sale price was credited $700.46 on the trade in of a 1940 Ford Sedan.

In the Spring of 2017, this Mercury Coupe was acquired by Bob Jones. It remains in unmodified condition except for a repaint in its original factory color by a previous owner.

by Dan Vaughan