1947 Mercury Series 79M Marmon-Herrington 4×4 Wagon

Offered by Worldwide Auctioneers | Auburn, Indiana | January 23, 2021

Mercury’s immediate pre- and post-war models consisted of the “Eight.” They are often referred to by their series name, and 1947’s was the 79M. You could go downtown and buy a Mercury or two. Or five, as that’s how many body styles of the 79M were offered, including a station wagon.

The wagons were rare. Only 3,558 were built for the model year. They were all powered by 3.9-liter V8s rated at 100 horsepower. What makes this one special is also the reason this one looks so incredibly badass. Two words: Marmon. Herrington.

Marmon-Herrington was the successor to the Marmon Motor Car Company. Walter Marmon teamed up with Arthur Herrington to create this new company, and they bought the old Duesenberg plant in Indianapolis to make the magic happen (part of this building can be seen in one of our rotating header banners). Their business was focused on turning station wagons into 4x4s. It started in the 1930s, and they were popular in the 1940s for turning cars like Ford wagons into mid-century monster trucks.

Ford even sold them through their dealerships. The price included a whopping 100% markup. Meaning this car would’ve cost $4,414 when new. Only three 1946-1948 Marmon-Herrington Mercurys are known to exist. This one was once part of the Nick Alexander collection and is now selling at no reserve. Click here for more info and here for more from this sale.

Update: Sold $346,000.