Most Valuable Mercurys of All Time

While the demise of Mercury might be a big deal on a slow news day before a holiday weekend, let’s face facts: If people truly cared about the brand, Ford wouldn’t be putting it out to pasture. Those who do have deep emotional attachments to the marque tend to be car collectors, those folks who remember when the Roman god of speed was still featured prominently on the cars. That affection is nothing to sneer at, as enthusiasts have driven the values of some antique Mercury models into the six figures. Here’s a list of the top five, with pricing information sourced from Hagerty’s Cars That Matter.

Valued at: $365,000

Resembling the popular “Woody” station wagons of the time, the Sportsman Convertible was a great idea. But sales were slow, making this rare bird -- only 205 sold -- the most valuable Mercury extant.

Valued at: $113,000

The first new post-war design, the ’49 Merc was loved by contemporary hot-rodders for both its looks and powerful flathead V8. The novelty of a two-door Woody wagon makes it unsurprising that this model is now highly prized.

Valued at: $112,000

The Turnpike Cruiser (pictured on the left) was the top-of-the-line Mercury model. Designed to improve the brand’s image, it was loaded with “futuristic” power features including a pushbutton transmission. The convertible was originally designed as the 1957 Indianapolis 500 pace car, and positive public reaction gave Ford reason to put it into production.

Valued at: $155,000

The Comet was just a cheap compact sibling to the Ford Falcon, but when fitted with a V8 engine it became the high-performance Cyclone. Holman Moody was Ford’s racing team, and it built just a handful of drag race cars, which scrapped the standard V8 in favor of Ford's 427-cubic-inch racing engine.

Valued at: $112,700

The Cougar was the “Mercury Mustang,” a larger, plusher pony car. Only two Cougars were built with Ford’s baddest big-block V8, making this among the rarest of muscle cars.