We all love a bit of nostalgia, don't we? Especially if it is a classic from the yesteryears. And every automobile lover has their own favorite classic car. Some adore the likes of Ferrari P4/5 for its rarity while others are admirers of the likes of GTO 250 purely because of the moolah they generate in today's times.
Almost every big automobile company boasts a super-rich legacy in terms of classic cars. And so is the case with Ford. The American multinational automaker produced a bunch of timeless classics back in the day. And one of its classics was the Mercury Eight - a part of Ford's Mercury brand that was established to bridge the price gap between Ford and Lincoln models. While the Mercury Eight enjoyed a successful 13-year reign, it is the 1949 Mercury Custom that gets us nostalgic.
What makes the 1949 Mercury Custom a classic? Let's take a detailed look at this Mercury special and relive the nostalgia.
Mercury Eight: A Post-War Classic
We love the 1949 Mercury Eight for a number of reasons. What makes it the most special is the fact that it was a post-war classic. Following the events of World War II, this 1949 model, a third-gen gem was among the first vehicles to grace American roads. Assembled in California, this Mercury classic was touted as a car that challenged the status quo. In fact, this beast was marketed as "a car that truly dares to ask 'Why?'". The idea was to make it very clear that this is a "big car" and it comes at a certain cost.
At the heart of this Mercury Eight was a flathead V8 engine that was a lot more powerful than engines of other classic back in the day, including the 1949 Ford. In terms of acceleration, this 1949 model could go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in about 13 seconds. A top speed of 100 miles per hour attracted a number of buyers and further boosted this classic's sales. Despite a length of 206.8 inches and a curb weight of about 4000 lbs, its aerodynamics ensured that the Mercury Eight wasn't too difficult to handle. Designed in a "ponton" style, this 1949 classic successfully ended the monotony of warmed-over-pre-war style and also differentiated this Mercury beast from its Ford cousins during that period.
Batmobile in Batman & Robin
The 1949 Mercury Eight became a popular cultural icon and went on to feature in a number of films, music videos, and video games. The likes of Rebel Without A Cause, American Graffiti, Badlands, Grease, and A Christmas Story 2 were among some of the popular films in which the 1949 Mercury Eight made an appearance. However, it was this classic's appearance in the Batman and Robin serial that stood out. It was this appearance that made this Mercury vintage beast a household name back in the day. The 1949 Mercury Eight appeared as a Batmobile in the aforementioned Batman series. That is correct; the custom Mercury was Bruce Wayne aka Batman's go-to-vehicle as he took on the bad guys, alongside his sidekick Robin. The technical aspects of the Mercury stayed the same, however, the Batmobile's interiors were a lot more spacious. The seats were large, posh, and comfy and legroom, aplenty. While the Mercury Batmobile wasn't anywhere as advanced as the modern-day Tumbler in The Dark Knight, it did boast a number of infotainment and entertainment options. At the tip of Bruce Wayne's fingers was the weather control feature so he can make himself and Robin feel comfortable and adjust the temperature as they wished.
Popularity With Customizers
The 1949 Mercury Eight became a popular choice among customizers. And the customization lasted beyond its era. There are a number of 1949 Mercury Custom models and each one gives us a huge dose of nostalgia. In the very same year that the 1949 Mercury Eight was launched, legendary American car designer, Sam Barris, built the first-ever "lead sled". If you're wondering what's a lead sled, it is a modified automobile with a heavyweight body. The custom Mercury models were also among the first ones to receive an aftermath OHV engine swap. The 1949 Mercury Eight was also transformed into "the most famous custom car ever" by Sam and George Barris. "The most famous custom car ever" - ordered by a customer named Bob Hirohata, in 1953 - was named Hirohata Merc. This legendary customization set the tone for automobile customizers around the world. It generated tremendous buzz and appeared in a number of magazines back in the day. This legendary 1949 Mercury custom car - or as it was termed, "the most famous custom car ever" - earned an honorable mention on Rod & Custom's "Twenty Best of All Time" list in 1991. Inspired by Sam Barris' customization, Fibreglass replicas of the 1949 Mercury Eight are still in production and remain ever-popular among automobile customizers. Decades have passed since the 1949 Mercury Eight first graced the roads but several decades later - thanks to its custom models - its nostalgia lives on.