Vehicle Description
Vehicle to be offered for Auction sale June 2nd - 4th, 2017 at
Russo and Steele\'s 5th Annual Newport Beach, California Auction.
Please contact us for more information.\r\n\r\nWhen civilian
automobile production resumed in the United States following the
end of World War II, demand for new cars was so strong that the Big
Three manufacturers were not required to spend much time or capital
on neither styling nor engineering updates. Chrysler avoided visual
changes entirely, building cars from 1946 to 1949 that were
virtually indistinguishable from the prior year\'s models. While GM
did make annual model-year changes in keeping with company chairman
Alfred P. Sloan\'s corporate direction, revisions were few and
limited to variations in grille design and trim. Ford Motor Company
and its upmarket Mercury Division, on the other hand, followed a
middle course, with one mild stylistic makeover after the first 18
months of postwar production left the assembly lines.\r\n\r\nAs
with Ford, Mercury readied its new and mildly updated spring models
for their April 1947 release, marking the final expression of the
prewar models that debuted for the abbreviated 1942-model year.
With their beautiful rear bodies constructed of hardwood framework
sourced and masterfully joined at Ford\'s Iron Mountain woodworks
located in Northern Michigan, Mercury\'s Station Wagons represent
luxury and the sporting life as no other vehicles of the late 1940s
possibly could. \r\n\r\nBuilt in late 1947 and sold new during
1948, this wonderful example clearly benefits from a frame-off
restoration completed over a 16-year timeframe and as offered, it
remains virtually flawless and retains mostly original wood, which
was restored by noted craftsman Chris Messano. The steel bodywork
up front was finished in custom-mixed PPG Emerald Green paint
accented with a hint of metalflake. All exterior brightwork was
either re-chromed or straightened and polished, all-new glass and
weatherstripping was fitted, and the three rows of seats were
covered in Beach Sand-color upholstery. Ample power is delivered by
an original era-correct 239 cubic-inch Flathead V-8, balanced and
rebuilt to 255 cubic inches, mated to a rebuilt 3-speed manual
transmission. Engine upgrades include Edelbrock aluminum heads and
intake, Holley 4-barrel carburetor, Fenton headers and dual
exhaust, a Mallory dual-point ignition system relocated up top, and
the generator converted to an alternator. The powertrain has just
25 miles of use since both the engine and transmission were
rebuilt. \r\n \r\nFollowing completion, this outstanding Woodie
took Best Wood at the 2016 GoodGuys show at Del Mar and Best Paint
in 2016 at the Doheny Woodie show out of over 100 Woodies. This car
is a rare and one-of-a-kind Woodie that you would have to look long
and hard to find in such great restored condition. No one can
simply walk past it; they never fail to make comments like You
could just jump in the paint and swim, or Look, I can see myself in
the wood, or This is the complete package from the brilliant grille
to the spare tire on the back. This vehicle is truly one of, if not
the best, specimen of a true automotive artwork. It hails from one
of the last model years of the true Woodies built by Ford and
Mercury, and it stands in rare company, given just 3,588 and 1,889
were produced in 1947 and 1948, respectively.\r\n\r\nTITLED AS A
1948 MERCURY
