For Sale at Auction: 1951 Mercury Custom in Scottsdale, Arizona

This custom 1951 Mercury, known as "The Widow," was designed and built by Joe Bailon, the legendary customizer especially renowned for his Mercury builds and recognized as the creator of the Candy Apple Red paint color. The car is powered by a Mercury 255ci flathead V8 engine equipped with high-performance Edelbrock flatheads and tri-power carburetion, paired with a rebuilt C4 3-speed automatic transmission. Following its completion by Bailon in the 1970s for Joe Figueroa, the car received a professional restoration in the late 1990s by Dan Weaver Hobbies in Spokane, WA. All original Bailon bodywork and panels were preserved and remain unchanged. The exterior is finished as done originally by Larry Watson in two-tone high pearl metallic House of Kolor Raspberry Red and Candy Apple Red with Sherwin-Williams urethane clear. Bailon's custom body modifications are numerous, all performed using gas welding. Major modifications include a 4-inch top chop, removal of the B-pillars and drip rails, an extended hood with snorkel scoops and peaked center line, extended and peaked fenders with frenched headlights, a one-off Bailon chrome grille, custom decklid and extended quarter-panels fabricated from 16-gauge sheet metal with peaked top edges, formed into a lower spoiler and a full-length taillight opening housing three lights on each side. The interior features burgundy wide-roll upholstery with matching door panels, a tilt steering column and the original handcrafted dashboard covered to match and fitted with Stewart-Warner gauges. The engine compartment includes 12 chrome panels designed to reflect the engine, and the car retains dual original Appleton teardrop spotlights. The suspension features an adjustable ride height with hydraulic cylinders on each corner. It rides on custom-fabricated wheels fitted with deep-dish 1956 Cadillac hubcaps mounted with Diamond Back whitewall radial tires. Bailon is reported to have spent more hours on "The Widow" than on any other Mercury he created. This vehicle has been featured in numerous magazine articles, earned multiple awards, and was displayed at SEMA in 2017 and several times at Joe Bailon's annual show in Auburn, CA. At a 2022 show in Spokane, WA, with national ISCA judges, "The Widow" outscored the very famous 51 Hirohata Merc.