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Topic starter
30/10/2025 11:18 am
The 3rd generation Mercury 8 of 1949 separated itself from its Ford brother with the merger of the Lincoln Mercury Division and now shared a body style with Lincoln. It was given a re-sized flat head V8 at 255 cid producing 110 HP. The Club Coupe was made famous in James Dean's "Rebel Without a Cause" from 1955, but by that time, it was already in demand by customizers after the Barris Brothers built this custom '49 for Bob Hirohata. That was the beginning of the 'lead sled' movement while the Ford became the template for hot rodders. These days, it's almost impossible to find a stock '49 Mercury as most survivors have been given some lead sled modifications.
and here's Barris' Hirohata Mercury lead sled:
30/10/2025 1:19 pm
I'm pretty sure the Hirohata donor was a nearly new 1951 model.
Geno and Tony Perrone reacted
30/10/2025 1:21 pm
I LOVE the '49 Mercury. Its nose and tail end treatment was IMHO the best of its 3 year design run.
Geno and Tony Perrone reacted
30/10/2025 3:23 pm
I have only the two tone green version; it's certainly a very handsome car.
