Dawn Smith's 1950 Mercury
1950 Mercury 4-door owned by Dawn Smith of Redwood City, California. Dawn helped out a lot on the bodywork on her ride. All the factory trim on the hood doors and deck lid were removed, the car was operated by electric solenoids.[1] The hood was peaked shaved and four rows of louvers were set in a curved pattern. All of the body seams were filled. It featured reversed chrome wheels and three-inch functional side pipes [2] 1957 Chevrolet headlight rims were inserted in the extended front fenders. The grille shell was reshaped and modified with a 1954 Chevrolet grille bar with extra set parking lights installed. Both bumpers were stock Merc units with the center section removed to reveal a rolled pan and license plate mounting. The rear end featured stock frenched taillights.[3] The engine room was completely sanitized. It was painted Emerald green with silver scallops once completed.[1] The interior was completely upholstered in pleated silver Naugahyde with silver-trimmed green carpets, the entire dashboard was covered except the speedometer. The other gauges were not discarded, these were mounted on a flip-up panel beneath the dashboard.[2]
George Barris
George Barris loved to see gorgeous young women driving customs. When he met seventeen-year-old Dawn Smith from Redwood City, California, he found out she really loved her cars.[3]
Trendsetter
In 2020 Larry Ewing told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama that he remembered seeing Dawn's Merc at Dick and Dale's Upholstery Shop late in 1958. "She was in the same high school as me, Sequoia, class of '59. She was out of my league as I was a shy guy and never approached her." According to Larry, Dawn was a trendsetter. "The only female in a male-dominated world at the time." Larry recalled hearing or reading that her dad was killed in WWII, "maybe at Pearl Harbor, and this Merc was in his honor."[4]
Magazine Features
Custom Cars June 1959
Custom Rodder November 1959
Trend Book 189 Custom Cars 1960 Annual
Trend Book 197 Custom Cars 1961 Annual
References
Did you enjoy this article?
Kustomrama is an encyclopedia dedicated to preserve, share and protect traditional hot rod and custom car history from all over the world.
- Help us keep history alive. For as little as 2.99 USD a month you can become a monthly supporter. Click here to learn more.
- Subscribe to our free newsletter and receive regular updates and stories from Kustomrama.
- Do you know someone who would enjoy this article? Click here to forward it.
Can you help us make this article better?
Please get in touch with us at mail@kustomrama.com if you have additional information or photos to share about Dawn Smith's 1950 Mercury.
This article was made possible by:
SunTec Auto Glass - Auto Glass Services on Vintage and Classic Cars
Finding a replacement windshield, back or side glass can be a difficult task when restoring your vintage or custom classic car. It doesn't have to be though now with auto glass specialist companies like www.suntecautoglass.com. They can source OEM or OEM-equivalent glass for older makes/models; which will ensure a proper fit every time. Check them out for more details!
Do you want to see your company here? Click here for more info about how you can advertise your business on Kustomrama.
