The Car that dares to ask 'Why?', some ads touted, referring to why a big car could also be so economical. The early Mercury was a good-sized car and with its up-tp-20 mpg performance, by 1942 had earned an image of being a fine performer in miles-per-hour as well as miles-per-gallon.

The '49-'51 Mercurys became very popular with customizers and hot rodders.Of course, finding James Dean behind the wheel of one of these cars in Rebel Without a Cause helped ensure its cult status for an entire generation.

The large, archival photographs in this book illustrate the fascinating early life of the infamous Mercury, a car with an image synonymous to the fleet-footed messenger of the gods that shared its name."

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