Vehicle Description
1950 Mercury Prototype Leo Lyons Two Door Coupe
Buick V-8 Engine
Automatic Transmission
Blue Metallic Exterior over Blue and White Interior
Known as The 1950 Leo Lyons Ultra Modern Merc
Built by Leo Lyons with guidance by Sam & George Barris
California Metal Shaping Also Involved with Design and Build
Most Radical Custom Mercury Built in the 1950's
Cover Car in February of 1960
Prominently displayed at the 2015 Pebble Beach Concours d' Elegance
in featured "Custom Mercury" class
In 1950, 20-year-old Leo Lyons had a dream of building a custom car
unlike any other - he would scratch-build it from the ground up.
Over the next few years Leo became acquainted with some of the
legends of Southern California Speed and Custom as Ed Iskenderian
and both George and Sam Barris who would help and inspire his
design. But before he began, he needed one more group on board, the
Ford Motor Company.
Leo's initial plans called for building 10 identical custom cars
and he was going to build each with brand new parts, and then
heavily modify these parts. The chassis and body panels were
purchased new from Ford. With the first set of panels on hand, Leo
set to work learning how to weld and shape metal under the guidance
of Sam Barris. A few parts needed to be custom built, so Leo called
on the legendary metal-shaping firm "California Metal Shaping" to
custom design and build the doors, hood, and top.
Leo Lyons, at 30 years old, debuted his car - The Leo Lyons Custom
Merc - across Southern California Custom Car shows nearly a full 10
years after he started. Each time, he was recognized with awards
and the moniker the "Ultra Modern Merc." This car is the most
radically customized '49-51 Custom Mercury built, and has been
recognized as the last significant Custom Mercury built in the
'50s.
In early 1960, it was featured on the cover of Trend Inc.'s "Custom
Cars" magazine, along with a feature article. In Trend Inc.'s 1961
Custom Cars Annual, it was again recognized as one of the most
significant custom Merc's built to date with a two page feature
article inside. Only this very one Custom Merc, his significant
prototype, was ever built.
