Vehicle Description
West Coast Classics are proud to present an absolutely beautiful
example of this no expense spared comprehensive restoration of this
all American classic 1950 Mercury Eight 'Everglade Green' Woody
Station Wagon, a truly exceptional example with the highly
desirable 255 CID V8 Mercury engine as opposed to the Ford 239 CID
V8.Comprehensive frame-off restoration255 CI Flathead V-8
engineOil-bath air cleaner and oil filterColumn shifted 3-speed
manual transmissionEverglade Green exterior with woodgrain
panelsMedium Green leather 3-row interiorFold down 2nd row seat and
removable 3rd rowWood trimmed door cards This 1950 Mercury is
finished in the very striking 'Everglade Green' color with wood
body moldings over a matching 'Light Green' interior. Power comes
from a 255ci flathead V8 paired with a three-speed manual
transmission, and additional equipment includes a wooden split
tailgate, sliding rear side windows, as well as a push-button AM
radio and a Merco-Therm ventilation and heating system. 15steel
wheels with chrome hubcaps and trim rings are mounted with 225/75
Coker Classic wide-whitewall tires. A covered spare is mounted to
the split tailgate, and braking is provided by four-wheel drums.The
cabin features a split front bench and two rear benches upholstered
in the same 'Light Green' upholstery. Matching materials line the
ceiling, and the doors, tailgate, and side panels are trimmed with
refinished wood. Equipment includes an AM radio along with a
Merco-Therm ventilation and heating system. The two-spoke steering
wheel features a chrome horn ring and frames a 110-mph speedometer,
auxiliary gauges, and an analog clock. The 255ci flathead V8
features a single downdraft carburetor with an offset oil-bath air
cleaner. The first woodies were manufactured in the early 1900s by
local coach makers. As was customary for all coach builders they
bought chassis without bodies and then constructed and crafted the
bodies out of wood themselves. The coach makers would then sell
these bespoke creations to local business owners who would use them
to transport guests to and from the train stations and local
resorts and attractions and later airports. These wagons were
multi-seat transporters, with room for up to 8 passengers plus
luggage and this early usage led to the vehicles being known first
as depot hacks, referring to the depots and the old horse-drawn
carriage nickname of "hack".The woody continued to grow in
popularity, until finally in 1929, Ford released its own version of
it. Ford marketed the cars as all-purpose utilitarian vehicles with
a low initial cost, as wood-bodied cars were at that time less
expensive to build than steel-bodied cars. Through 1939, Fords
station wagon bodies were assembled by Murray Corporation of
America, from wood grown in Henry Fords very own northern Michigan
forests. That year, however, relations between Ford Motor Company
and Murray soured. This led Ford to consider in-house production of
the station wagons. Discussions with the management of the Iron
Mountain operation, then providing the wood parts to Murray for
assembly, resulted in a proposal for all body assembly to be done
in the northern Michigan locale and the bodies would then be sent
to assembly plants fully finished and trimmed. The change took
place at the beginning of the 1940 model year.The bodies then took
on a much different appearance. The roofline was subtly altered,
becoming more rounded at the windshield header. Panel spacing was
changed, such that the lower panel became narrower, and the rear
quarter panels were consolidated into one piece. The rear doors,
formerly hinged at the back, suicide style, now swung toward the
front. The spare tire, housed inside in 1938 and 39, on the back of
the drivers seat, was returned to the tailgate, where it had been
located from 1935 to 1937. Deluxe wagons were given the option of
maple or birch framing, while Standards came in maple only.
Darker-colored gumwood began to be used for panels, in addition to
birch, in both series. The choice of material was random. Bodies
were given three coats of varnish, hand-sanded between each
application. Three engines were available: the popular 221 cubic
inch 85 hp V-8, the small 136 cubic inch 60 hp V-8 (installed in
just two Standard wagons), and the larger 239 cubic inch 95 hp V-8
from the new Mercury, which was fitted to 354 Deluxe station
wagons.By the late 1940s, it became apparent to auto manufacturers
that the woodies were becoming too increasingly expensive to
produce and although still very popular in appearance, they were no
longer a viable option for most buyers combined with the
inconvenience and high cost of cleaning and maintaining the wood,
so the manufacturers started making wood-paneling instead as an
option for their higher-end models.The first all new post war
Mercury's, from 1949-51 were known as the 'bath tub' generation and
popularized in legend by James Dean in 'Rebel Without A Cause' and
beloved today as then as a cult all American 1950's classic! Four
body styles, with Mercury's structural wood wagon shifting from
four to two doors in this generation whilst sharing its bodyshell
with Ford's wagon. The familiar flathead V8 was enlarged from the
1946-48 models and offered with a self shifting Merc-O-Matic
transmission in 1951. Horsepower was also raised and these Woody
Wagons were the rarest of all these models and the most prized
today amongst collectors. This particular 1950 Mercury V8 Woody
Wagon was restored and customized with no expense spared and is a
phenomenally well restored example which still holds true to its
roots and which obviously sounds and drives absolutely
magnificently - see the video on our You Tube Page on our website
for visuals. The floors are original and rock-solid, with no signs
of any repairs ever performed. All of the sheet metal is original,
rust-free and very straight.In summary this must be one of the
finest examples anywhere of a fully operational and turn-key ready
1950 Mercury 255 CID V8 Woody Wagon which still has a classic
original look in the most striking of color combinations; a
wonderful example of an all American 1950 Mercury Woody Wagon!
