This is the car that invented the 'lead sled': in 1949 Sam Barris chopped and leaded one into the definitive custom, the same year the Ford V-8 'deuce' was becoming the definitive hot rod.
Lead trim: Eight 255 cu in flathead V8 (110 hp)
Mercury Eight1949–1951
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Mercury Eight yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThis is the car that invented the 'lead sled': in 1949 Sam Barris chopped and leaded one into the definitive custom, the same year the Ford V-8 'deuce' was becoming the definitive hot rod.
For 1949 Mercury introduced its third-generation design as its first postwar line, the first models released under the combined Lincoln-Mercury Division: the Eight now shared its body with the Lincoln (which no longer carried a divisional nameplate), sized between its two divisional counterparts on the same 118-inch wheelbase. The "pontoon" body eliminated freestanding fenders and running boards; the chassis was substantially modernized as Ford retired its transverse-leaf suspension and torque-tube drive axle, with the front now independent and the rear leaf-sprung with conventional longitudinal springs. The flathead V8, resized to 255 cubic inches, returned producing 110 hp; a new overdrive was optional, the four-door wagon was replaced by a two-door and an 8-tube AM radio was optional. For 1950 the Mercury Monterey debuted as the flagship version of the Eight, developed in response to GM's two-door hardtop coupes and a counterpart of the Ford Crestliner, Lincoln Lido and Lincoln Cosmopolitan Capri; for 1951 there were minor styling revisions and the Merc-O-Matic 3-speed automatic became optional. Dimensions: 118.0 in wheelbase, 206.8 in long, 76.5 in wide, 64.8 in high. The move to the Lincoln body proved successful, increasing sales by over 250,000 vehicles from 1948 to 1949 and making Mercury the sixth-best selling automobile in the United States. For 1952 Mercury renamed the Eight as the Mercury Custom and established the Monterey as its flagship.
Collectors Spotted in the Mercury Eight Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Mercury Eight yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eight 255 cu in flathead V8 (110 hp) | 1949–1951 | 4.2 L V8 | 110 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
This is the car that invented the 'lead sled': in 1949 Sam Barris chopped and leaded one into the definitive custom, the same year the Ford V-8 'deuce' was becoming the definitive hot rod.
Mercury's big engineering news for 1942 was Liquamatic — the brand's first semiautomatic transmission, years before automatics became the norm.
Launching a whole new brand is risky, so Mercury's ads leaned into it with a dare: "The car that truly dares to ask 'Why?'" - daring buyers to believe a big car could also be economical.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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