101 Cars: 1949-1951 Mercury Coupe

Automotive Consumer

101 Cars: 1949-1951 Mercury Coupe

A Rebel with a Cause
SPEEDtv.com is celebrating the launch of the new program "101 Cars You Must Drive" with a weekly countdown of the vehicles featured in the show. Tune-in to SPEED 9pm ET on Monday nights, and to SPEEDtv.com every day for new "Must Drive" features.

SPEED Staff | Posted August 11, 2008 Charlotte, NC

Based on the Book "365 Cars You Must Drive" SPEED will premiere "101 Cars you Must Drive" with Alonzo Bodden on June 23rd at 9pm ET. (Photo Barrett-Jackson.com)

Imagine a time when Mercury was cooler than Ford. As instrumental as the groundbreaking ’49 Fords were in saving the company from financial ruin, the Merc was the pop culture piece of the time. When hot rodders sought a flathead, they preferred the larger Mercury version. When the Barris Brothers created one of the all-time great customs for Bob Hirohata, it was a chopped ’51 Mercury, not a Ford. And it was ’49 Mercury they chose for James Dean’s character in Rebel Without a Cause, not a Chevy or a Cadillac or anything else. Why? Hard to say. The car was unremarkable from a mechanical standpoint but was a good performer for the day. Most likely was that shape. These curvaceous Mercs were nicely proportioned and looked good in stock form, and really leant themselves to mild or radical customizing. In 1949, the brand was only 10 years old, and now, a legend in its own time.

Specifications
Engine: 361-ci OHV V-8
Horsepower: 303
0–60 mph: 10.2 seconds
Top Speed: About 105 miles per hour
Price New: $2,735 (four-door sedan) up to $3,028 (convertible)
Value Now: $6,000 (sedan) to $25,000 (convertible)
Mercury Photos

James Dean’s ride of choice in Rebel Without a Cause.

Base-model sedans still roam the Midwest and are not expensive..

A stock ’49 Mercury convertible was used as the Batmobile in the 1949 Batman TV serial...

To the cruise night at the original Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, California. That’s where a teenager named James Garner used to take his midnight blue Merc...

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SPEED Staff

SPEED.com

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