One never really knows what can be found in and around Detroit, Michigan. Over a century of self-propelled antiquity has meant that Motown garage and estate sales have a habit of yielding compelling discoveries—think unusual prototype and pre-production automobile parts that managed to slip out manufacturers’ back doors. Surprising garage finds and incredible classified ads are more than mere lore, too. To this day, enthusiasts hunt and find extraordinarily rare parts and whole automobiles, the kind that managed to dodge crushers ages ago. Such epic discoveries make great conversation pieces, even generations later.
Not to be excluded are the incredible family treasures waiting to be revealed. Area resident Art Cairo knows this all too well. Retired from a long and successful career at Ford, it should be no surprise he has an appreciation for Blue Oval history. For instance, as Art was thumbing through the Detroit classifieds back in 1977, he managed to find Henry Ford II’s personal 1965 Mustang hardtop- a factory-customized, pre-production unit special ordered by Mr. Ford for his own use. When Art discovered that car, it was “just another old Mustang to the seller,” but he quickly purchased it for $750. This piece of Ford legacy remains with him today.
Also in Art’s possession is a 1950 Mercury Monterey Sport Coupe—a low mileage, factory-original time capsule. To novice vintage vehicle enthusiasts, a bone-stock 1950 Mercury coupe might not seem unusual. Veteran enthusiasts, however, will be quick to direct the unsuspecting to its star power in pop culture, whether modified or stock. Usually, the former. So how did this one escape a customizer’s torch?
Like Art, his grandfather Joseph Cairo’s affinity for Ford Motor Company products stemmed in part from his employment at Ford. This Detroit’s East Side native would, in time, purchase a new home in the West end, complete with a brick – rather than wooden – garage. In July 1950, Joseph placed an order for the new-for-1950 Mercury Monterey at Detroit’s Coogan-Shumerski Ford. He took delivery of the coupe in August.
The Monterey was Mercury’s equivalent to Ford’s Crestliner: A handsome, padded-top version of the conventional two-door sedan with additional trim inside and out. Essentially a stopgap response to pillarless hardtops offered by General Motors, they proved popular models in their own right and inspired long-running model names (Ford dropping the “r” to make “Crestline” starting in 1952). Ford would get a proper hardtop for the 1950 model year, while Mercury would get its own Lincoln-style hardtop body for 1952.
The 1950 Mercurys were otherwise largely a continuation of the striking 1949 models, which shared obvious styling similarities with concurrent Lincoln models. Indeed, junior-series Lincolns of 1949-’51 are nearly identical to their Mercury counterparts from the cowl back. All of these mid-level Ford products were the outcome of World War II-era styling exercises commonly seen during the war years and reflect a futuristic “inverted-bathtub” look that contrasted with the separate body-and-fenders styling of the pre-war styling that remained largely current through 1948. As such, the Monterey body makes for a stylish intersection of wartime dreams and the start of ‘50s exuberance.
According to Art, “The total purchase price for the Monterey, including taxes and registration, was $2,699. When my grandfather passed in 1958, my Aunt Stella took over as caretaker. In 1961, she had her brother, Lawrence, put the Mercury up on blocks. The only other thing he did was remove the battery and seal up the garage door. Access to the structure was through a pedestrian door seldom, if ever, opened. Occasionally I’d catch a glimpse of the Mercury. I can still remember seeing a big black fender and a wide whitewall tire. It’s funny how an image can be burned into your memory. The Monterey always seemed to be in the garage – nearly 40 years in total.”
In 1989, Art’s aunt felt the car needed to be moved away from her neighborhood due to safety concerns. That’s when Stella contacted Art’s father, Art Sr., and offered to sell him the Mercury. When asked why she reached out, Stella’s response was that Art Sr. was the only sibling who never bugged her about the Mercury during in the decades since her husband’s passing. “My dad was the youngest of nine living siblings then,” Art tells us, “He called me with the surprising news; I was delighted.”
It was a chilly December morning when Art and his dad set out to bring the Mercury home to their quiet suburb north of Detroit. Equipped with an air tank and a six-volt battery commandeered from Art’s Ford Model A, the duo went to work to bring the sleeping Mercury back to life. Also in their possession were five quarts of engine oil, coolant, and five gallons of gasoline. The father/son team first changed the oil and filter prior to pouring new fuel in the tank. “Amazingly the old tubeless tires held air,” Art says, adding, “I was stunned by the car’s odometer reading—just 12,950 miles.”
After 31 years in deep hibernation, the 110-hp, 255-cu.in. flathead V-8 initially protested, but eventually roared to life billowing smoke. During the 15-mile drive north, the Mercury continued to smoke, mostly because of the stale, rancid gasoline that remained in the tank. In due course, the exhaust cleared up as new fuel was consumed, and the Mercury ran reliably.
Although they managed to get the Mercury home without incident, Art and his dad now found themselves in the responsible position of stewardship of their family’s time capsule. They both knew its significance, and neither wanted to disturb what didn’t need to be disturbed. That said, some mechanical work had to be addressed to keep the Mercury roadworthy. They flushed the fuel and brake systems, rebuilt the carburetor and water pump, and replaced the brake shoes. Also replaced were the original Goodyear tires, and the engine compartment was detailed. With the work completed, the Monterey was as sound as the day it left the Ford dealership.
Another two decades passed and Art Sr. began to realize he was no longer able to diligently care for the Mercury. He asked Art to take the maintenance reins of the family heirloom. In May 2000, Art brought the Monterey home.
“For the next 10 years, I would pick my dad up on sunny days and take him for a ride. As we cruised around town, he would share many stories of his youth; growing up in Detroit and adjustment to civilian life when he returned from the turmoil of World War II. He’d talk about the postwar euphoria he felt and the joy this car brought him and my grandfather,” Art says.
“One of our last car rides together in an American-built motor vehicle was in this Monterey. My dad passed in 2010. Every time I open my garage and see this beautiful black Mercury, start the engine, or just sit in the driver’s seat, I am overwhelmed with memories of his stories and his smiling face. Since the Mercury has been in my care, I’ve added 2,000 miles. Currently, the odometer is showing roughly 15,000,” Art reflects.
Art remembers with great emotion what automobiles like this mean. They are more than steel, paint, and leather. “They are windows to our past and to the future in terms of the memories they will yield for the people who love them.”
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