Legendary Custom Car Sells for US$1.95 Million at Auction
Legendary custom cars like the Hirohata Merc rarely come into the market but when one does, car collectors begin waving their chequebooks and begging the seller to take their money. When it was made known that the standout Sea Foam-coloured coupé would be heading to the block at Mecum’s Kissimmee 2022 auction, it was estimated that the car would sell for US$1.25 million; on the day of the auction last weekend, the hammer fell at US1.95 million, before fees.
The Hirohata Merc entered the world as a 1951 Mercury Eight Club Coupe and was first owned by Bob Hirohata, who bought it out of the Navy and then took it to the Barris custom shop just a couple of years later to have brothers George and Sam give it a radical makeover.
The roof was lowered by 4 inches in the front and 7 in the rear. The stock rear window was re-angled and a large part of the top was rebuilt to accommodate the new roofline. To make way for a new door shape, a new cut was made above the beltline at the A-pillar. A V-butted windshield was installed instead of the stock 2-piece.
The front and rear fenders were lengthened and given 1952 Ford headlights and Lincoln taillights. Factory chrome trims, drip rails and door handles were removed. Three 1951 Ford grilles were joined together to create a new one for the ’51 Mercury.
A host of other modifications and a fresh two-tone green paint job later, an unrecognisable car was returned to the Hirohata. The customised Mercury was an instant success at car events and thus began a run of magazine and film features.
Hirohata sold the car in 1955 but it fell from prominence in the decade that followed. When 16-year-old Jim McNiel, who didn’t have a license yet, bought it in 1959 from a used car dealership, he only paid US$500. McNiel would drive it to high school and subsequently kept the car in the garage for years until he was convinced to have it restored to its peak glory in 1988.
With help from some of the original builders, the Hirohata Mercury once again regained its fame, made the rounds at leading car shows and was displayed at the Peterson Automotive Museum, and is now touted as “the most famous custom car of the classic era”. McNiel has since passed away and it was time for the car to meet its new owner.
It took only about 4 minutes for the bid to reach the final 1.95 million. Watch the hold-your-breath auction here:
