Many lives of one car

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This Mercury has served many masters and survived rough Finnish roads and harsh climate. More than once it was doomed to oblivium but somehow it is still around and looks now better than new.

Back in 1951 a large paper mill in northern Finland ordered a new car for the company's CEO. A handsome dark blue Mercury Sport Sedan was a natural choice: not too plain, not too flashy. Thanks to the strong Ford organization, availability of parts and service even in remote areas was not an issue.

The car obviously served the boss and his chauffeur well but in 1958, when it was sold, it was already considered a high mileage vehicle at the end of its useful life. Despite that, the second owner used it for many years as a daily driver. Later it was bought by a member of a large farming family. Still a good looking set of wheels, the Mercury drew a lot of attention from locals who were used to much smaller and less glamorous vehicles.

Eventually the owner exchanged a bit tired Mercury for his brother's moped. After that things went rapidly downhill: the Mercury served as a party seeking vehicle in rural areas. A major transmission failure finally ended its adventures. It was left at the front yard of the last owner where it was always admired by young Mr. Isokaski.

As the years passed, Mr. Isokaski finally managed to buy the car. By then the Mercury suffered from rust and decay but it was still basically a strong and straight piece of steel. The new owner parked the car in a barn and being a busy entrepreneur, forgot it there for decades.

When he decided to restore the Mercury almost 30 years later, he was shocked how much it had suffered in the barn. The car had sunk in the soft soil foundation and almost the whole floor and lower parts of the body and chassis were corroded away.

But Mr. Isokaski proved to be a genuine Finn and refused to give up – no matter the expenses and effort required. After years of painstaking restoration by one of the leading metal fabricators in Finland, the elegant old Mercury returned to life and to its original glory. Many parts required intensive searching around the USA, but some items, like the orginal AM radio, were found from local sources. Now it gives pleasure to Mr. Isokaski and his whole family.

text: Kimmo Koistinen / Mobilisti

photos: Matti Ouvinen / Mobilisti

Read the whole story in the latest Mobilisti magazine. Finnish only, though. www.mobilisti.fi

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