Well it’s Wednesday and we all know what that means, it’s Wagon Wednesday! While hunting for interesting wagons, we realized it had been a while since we featured a real Woodie. So, when we came across this 1948 Mercury Sportsman Wagon it seemed like the perfect car for today. It was found on the second level of an old barn, where it had been parked for 30 or so years. The previous owner was an avid Mercury collector and had put the car in the barn to protect it from damage. In 2013, it was pulled from the barn and the process of getting it running was started. Now that everything has been gone through, it is running and driving. They have now decided to put it up for sale and have listed it here on eBay. The seller admits it is going to need some structural and cosmetic work, but is solid overall.

There is truly something special about many of the cars built in the late ’40s. They have an old world level of style and class with more modern features and comforts. All the little touches in this Mercury give it an art deco feel and reresent true craftsmanship. The layout of the dash for example, is unusual by today’s standards, but looks to be of such high quality that it could be mistaken for a piece of furniture. Now that doesn’t mean we would want this in front of us during an accident, but it is amazing to look at and study.

For having been stored in a barn, this car has aged very well. It was obviously protected from the elementsl, but it isn’t without issues. While it is usable in its current condition, it could benefit from a restoration. The exterior is in need of the most attention, as there is rust in the floors, on the fenders, and in the quarters. Overall the wood is in solid shape, but the seller admits there are several panels that need work or possibly replacing. Hopefully the wood can be repaired and preserved without disassembling the car, as it can get very costly to rebuild any Woodie. If all the mechanical systems have been properly gone through as the seller claims, it should help to keep costs down a bit. The 239 cui flathead V8 is believed to be the original unit and while 100 horsepower might not be all that much today, it should give this enough pep to keep things fun.

Overall this Mercury looks like a great starting point for a rolling project. There weren’t many of these built, but most of the parts can be easily found. Woodie wagon values have skyrocketed in the past few years and we are sure someone would love to have it. We don’t know if it would be a project for us, but we would certainly love to see it once it’s finished! So would you like to have this Mercury or would you invest your money elsewhere?