"Here's the car that flings the hottest challenge on the American Road — shows 'em all what the word 'new' really means! No mere face-lift here. This 1952 Mercury is new in beauty, new in every way that counts. Take the driver seat, and look around. Eyes front — the new Interceptor Instrument Panel! Eyes forward — a sure view down front, to the corners of the fenders! Eyes down — new Floor-Free brake pedal. And all around you, Space-Planned Interiors with up to 17% more visibility. Sound easy to take? Wait 'til you hear the muted music of Mercury's advanced V-8 engine. And see what this great car can do! You've got a heap of pleasure coming up!"
One of just 5,261 built, this Mercury Monterey convertible sports a nice yellow hue, reminiscent of the factory "Vassar Yellow" paint, while whitewall tires add a touch of 1950s glamour to it.
With these 1952 models arrived a completely new styling at Mercury. The cars looked much leaner than their predecessors, and albeit now being based on an elongated Ford bodyshell, they fortunately kept their visual likeness to Lincoln, thus offering justification for their price difference to a common Ford.
Our pictured Mercury and its owner, Gerardo, are members of Havana's renown "Escudería A lo Cubano". This association of vintage car enthusiasts exists since 2003, but just recently, the club receives the deserved attention and necessary international sponsorship. Gerardo explains the membership implications: "Authenticity of our cars is very important to us. But a lo cubano, in a Cuban way, of course, as we don't have easy access to spare parts. We try to keep our cars as original as we can afford to. My Mercury, like many of the club's cars, runs with its factory V-8 engine, which is pretty expensive. Hence, I try to get more economy out of the V-8 by making the carburetor and fuel tubes smaller."
"Keeping this car in an authentic shape is very costly", adds Gerardo. "One whitewall tire, for example, sets me back 150 convertible Pesos, which equals the same amount in Yanquí Dollars. That's not counting the import duties at Cuban customs, as these wheels come from Miami. At the other hand, I do good business with the the nostalgia of tourists, by offering them tours around the city. One hour in my Mercury costs 35 Dollars, a decent price for them, but very good money here in Cuba."