HomePick of the DayPick of the Day: 1947 Mercury 114x, a Canadian model in preserved...

Pick of the Day: 1947 Mercury 114x, a Canadian model in preserved condition

The remarkable survivor shows just 48,000 miles on its odometer

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Canadian snowbirds are plentiful in Arizona this time of year, but this rare and unusual Mercury 2-door sedan seems to have roosted in the dry, warm climate permanently, judging by its remarkably original survivor condition.

The Pick of the Day is a 1947 Mercury 114x, which still wears its original 74-year-old paint and shows just 48,000 miles on its odometer, according to the Tucson, Arizona, dealer advertising the car on Classiccars.com.

The Mercury 114 was built by Ford of Canada for the home market as a more-affordable model, compared with the slightly bigger Mercury 118, the numbers noting the 114-inch and 118-inch wheelbases.  The 114 was basically a rebadged and dressed-up Ford, although with a totally different grille treatment. 

This sedan coupe, as Mercury called the 2-door configuration, is a rarely seen upmarket Super Deluxe version, designated by the x in its numeric name.  It is therefore wearing some nice chrome accents and powered by Ford’s famous flathead V8, which in this model produces somewhere between 93 and 100 horsepower, the dealer says in the ad.

Only a tiny percentage of the 10,393 Mercury 114s built for 1947 were Super Deluxe 114x models.

“The 1947 Mercury 114x offered here is one of only 34 produced for US and Canada, as noted in Jerry Heasley’s ‘The production figure book for U.S. cars’,” the seller says. “It remains largely original with only 48,000 original miles since new.

“The car is completely rust free and retains all of its original panels and floors. The paint is largely original and still shines very nice. It has multiple chips, dings, and scrapes from over 70 years of service. Both front fenders have had touch ups, but I cannot find anywhere else that has had paint work on the car.

mercury

“All of the chrome and stainless are very nice and original. Both bumpers were replated at some point. All of the glass is dated for the car including the windshields. The weatherstripping and seals are still serviceable throughout the car.”

The interior is also in very nice original condition, the seller adds, with some repair evident on the front seat and armrests, apparent only because of mismatched vinyl.

“The steering wheel is absolutely perfect and has an amazing marbling effect that matches the dash pieces,” the dealer says. “All of the gauges work. Dash paint is original as well and has a worn-off dealer decal above glove-box door and 114x emblem.”

Although it seems hard to fathom how this lovely Mercury survived so intact for more than seven decades, the dealer assures us that it’s all true and that the car drives as beautifully as it looks.

“The flathead V8 runs strong and is very dry underneath for a car of this era,” the seller says. “Drives and stops great. Hydraulic brakes were serviced about 5 years ago. Rolls on Firestone reproduction Gum Dipped tires that are like new.”

Gum dipping, by the way, was what Firestone back then called its method of insulating the bias-ply tire cords against internal heat buildup.

This preserved Mercury is offered for the modest price of $23,500.  Hopefully, the next owner will keep it as original as it appears here.

To view this vehicle on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day

Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen
Bob Golfen is a longtime automotive writer and editor, focusing on new vehicles, collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. He is the former automotive writer and editor for The Arizona Republic and SPEED.com, the website for the SPEED motorsports channel. He has written free-lance articles for a number of publications, including Autoweek, The New York Times and Barrett-Jackson auction catalogs. A collector car enthusiast with a wide range of knowledge about the old cars that we all love and desire, Bob enjoys tinkering with archaic machinery. His current obsession is a 1962 Porsche 356 Super coupe.

7 COMMENTS

  1. Beautiful example. If it were mine it would be hard for me not drop the front axle just a little so the nose was not sticking up in the air.

  2. In going to the listing for this vehicle and looking at the serial number plate, this car is a 1948 and not a 1947.
    The serial number also confirms that it is a 114X Super Deluxe.
    Along with the serial number confirming the vehicle as a 1948, the photos 53 and 78 in the listing shows the combination ignition/starter switch which were separate in 1947.

    So, lastly, is it rare? I don’t have the Heasley book to check numbers, but I think it’s safe to say it’s not one of 34.

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