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Odd Roofline: Dad’s Restored 1939 Mercury Eight Coupe
This 1939 Mercury Eight coupe is offered from the collection of the seller’s late father. Said to have been garaged since new with 54k miles, the car was restored some 200 miles ago with a respray in its original color, complete drivetrain rebuild, and refreshed interior. A few scratches are mentioned along with an inop radio, but the seller says that the car runs and drives like new. Find it here on eBay in Martinsburg, West Virginia with a $22k reserve not met.
For 1939 and ’40, the model’s overall styling differed greatly from Ford coupes of the same years, the grille and headlights the only similarities. The Merc’s roofline is more pronounced and less flowing than the Ford’s (it even looks a bit British), while the rear fenders and deck look similar to those of later 1946-48 models, or vice-versa.
Said to be a factory color, this dark maroon is often one of the best-looking choices for cars of this period, and is complemented by wide whites and smooth caps. The seller notes some scratches in the finish, however none show up in photos, and all chrome looks to be in good shape.
Inside, the dash has been painted a contrasting light brown color, and it looks great matched with cream gauges and Bakelite accessories. Seats have been upholstered in a light gray pinstriped cloth that remains in good condition, and they look like a nice place to sit, too. Door panels are also in good shape, but both carpet and headliner have some dirty spots or stains.
Power comes from a nicely detailed flathead V8, likely a 239, and is shifted through a 3-speed manual transmission, both of which are said to have been rebuilt. The seller adds that the car runs and drives well, “as a new car did in 1939.”. No timeline is provided of when restoration work was completed aside from the 200 mile claim, however.
Its few minor cosmetic faults aside, this Mercury is a nice change-up from similar Fords, even if its roofline isn’t as elegant as those on its close cousins. It’s also refreshing to see this car restored to stock, though of course we’d never be against a nice set of mild pipes on anything powered by a flatty.
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