1946 Mercury Series 69M 4-Door Station Wagon
2021.0041.0001, Savoy Collection
Engine: 239 cu. in. (3.9L) Cast-iron block, V-8
Output: 100 HP @ 3,800 RPM
Transmission: 3-Speed Manual
Wheelbase: 116 in.
Overall Length: 201 in.
Weight: 3,540 lbs.
Top Speed: 78 MPH
No. Produced: 2,797
Original Price: $1,729
Manufacturer: Ford
During WWII, automobile manufacturers’ design studios were shut. Post-war, the pre-war models were recycled until new designs could be completed. In 1946, the most notable difference was the grille. Thin vertical bars, surrounded by trim work, were painted to match the car. Wood-bodied station wagons transcended social classes. Their beautiful complex bodies required over 150 pieces of wood. To meet demand, Henry Ford purchased over 400,000 acres of first-growth timber in Iron Mountain, MI.
Ford built a plant at that location to manufacture wooden automobile bodies. Upon completion, each body was sanded and varnished multiple times before being delivered to assembly plants nationwide. Although Ford Motor Co. recommended that wooden bodies be re-varnished every two years, they were favorites with hotels and deliveries. One of the side benefits of Ford’s Iron Mountain plant was the invention of charcoal briquettes, initially sold under the Ford label and later rebranded as Kingsford.