Ford Motor Company enter the medium - price field for the first meter with institution of the Mercury Town Sedan in late 1938 . principally the brainchild of Henry Ford ’s only son Edsel , the new make was conceptualise as a " first-rate deluxe " Ford to fill the big price col that had long exist in the firm ’s Cartesian product line .
Classic Cars Image Gallery
Styled by Bob Gregorie , the first - twelvemonth 1939 models look much like that year ’s Fords but ride a four - inch longer wheelbase ( 116 inches ) , were somewhat heavier , and used an enlarged rendering of the familiar Ford flathead V-8 make 95 instead of 85 horsepower .
provide in four body styles , Mercury proved a hit in its inaugural twelvemonth and would go on to be a mainstay at Ford Motor Company .
Our feature railway car is one of the survey - up 1940 models , which were much the same as the 1939s aside from a minor but effective facelift done in the personal manner of the ever - pop 1940 Fords .
This Town Sedan stockpile an original listing price of $ 987 and was one of 81,128 Mercurys built for the model twelvemonth . The rare and most expensive of the 1940 models was the unexampled translatable sedan chair , price at $ 1,212 . Only 1,000 or so were produced .
Owner Dan Darling of Elgin , Illinois , retrieve this car in good precondition in May 1982 and paid $ 3,500 for it . The late possessor had uprise it back in 1968 when he find oneself it resting quietly in a field .
Darling has empower some $ 3,000 in it himself , mostly for cosmetic workplace and a over undercarriage steaming and picture .
Though the work is not yet quite complete , this car took home nine first - place trophies in the summertime of 1983 , including a first prize in the Illinois Region AACA show .
Darling has no other collectibles , but he beat back this one regularly during the summer and has added about 3,500 miles to the elevator car ’s original 62,000 . Though he could easily trade it now for $ 10,000 , he belike wo n’t .
