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Priced below $1,000, the 1940 Mercury Town Sedan remains a standout in classic car history. Explore more vintage car images.In late 1938, Ford Motor Company ventured into the mid-range car market with the launch of the Mercury Town Sedan. This initiative, largely driven by Edsel Ford, aimed to bridge the significant price gap in the company's lineup by offering a more luxurious version of the standard Ford.
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Designed by Bob Gregorie, the 1939 Mercury models closely resembled the Fords of the same year but featured a longer 116-inch wheelbase, increased weight, and a more powerful 95-horsepower version of the Ford flathead V-8 engine.
The Town Sedan featured a wheelbase measuring 116 inches.Available in four distinct body styles, Mercury quickly became a success in its debut year and remained a key offering for Ford Motor Company.
Mercury was introduced with four different body style options.Our highlighted vehicle is a 1940 model, which closely resembled the 1939 versions but included subtle yet impactful design updates inspired by the widely admired 1940 Fords.
Passengers in the rear seat enjoyed ample legroom for added comfort.Priced at $987 originally, this Town Sedan was among the 81,128 Mercurys manufactured that year. The 1940 lineup's most exclusive and costly model was the convertible sedan, listed at $1,212, with only about 1,000 units ever made.
The Mercury Town Sedan was equipped with a more powerful version of Ford's flathead V-8 engine, delivering 95 horsepower compared to the standard 85.Dan Darling, a resident of Elgin, Illinois, purchased this vehicle in May 1982 for $3,500. It was in decent shape, having been restored by its previous owner in 1968 after being discovered abandoned in a field.
The dashboard featured a sleek, user-friendly design with clear readability.Darling has spent approximately $3,000 on the car, primarily for aesthetic improvements and a thorough cleaning and repainting of the undercarriage.
Although the restoration isn't entirely finished, this vehicle earned nine first-place awards in the summer of 1983, including top honors at the Illinois Region AACA show.
The Mercury Town Sedan was the brainchild of Edsel, Henry Ford's sole son.Darling owns no other collectible cars but frequently drives this one during the summer months, adding roughly 3,500 miles to its original 62,000. Despite its current market value of around $10,000, he has no plans to sell it.
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