It wasn’t until the 1949 models were introduced that Mercury was able to shed its reputation and show the public that it was more than just an expensive Ford. When the hot rodding scene was beginning to solidify, the Ford and Mercury engines were plentiful, easy to work on and easy to soup up. Rodders and customizers alike began manufacturing heads, cams, exhausts and arrays of other parts to squeeze every ounce of performance that could be had.

To really make the new 1950 Mercury shine, the Lincoln-Mercury Division’s designers added a chrome trim bar to the front of the hood with letters spelling MERCURY, as well as encasing the front signals in chrome. A new, completely restyled dash was created. Engineering improvements were made to the carburetors, parking brake and steering.

This brilliant convertible was indeed styled more like a Lincoln, but had a much lower base price of $3,412. It is equipped with the 255 cubic inch flathead eight which put out a very respectable 110 horsepower and a sporting three-speed column-shift transmission, which came standard on Mercs, with the optional Touch-O-Matic overdrive. The engine compartment is freshly restored to factory specifications and is picture perfect. Equally prized is the excellent interior with deep red and black upholstery, a restored dashboard with gleaming chrome. To top off the presentation it has a pushbutton AM radio, heater and clock, as well as rarely seen power windows. Always a standout wherever seen, 1950 Mercury convertibles are among the most attractive and desirable of all American cars of their day.