Hell's Chariot 1949 Mercury Convertible
Hell's Chariot is a 1949 Mercury convertible custom known from the movie Grease. Painted black with flames pouring from the headlights, the car is driven by Leo Balmudo in the movie.
The car was built by Eddie Paul of Customs by Eddie Paul. Eddie built 42 cars for the movie. After Grease it appeared as a primered background car in a junkyard scene in Used Cars with Kurt Russell. It was then painted purple and appeared in the movie Streets of Fire. After that, it disappeared, and how it left the studio lot is unknown.[1]
In 2020 Hell's Chariot was owned by David DeSure and his business partner Scott Byrum. According to him, the Merc is the only surviving car from the filming. David came across the car advertised for sale on Craigslist as a chopped 1950 Mercury in Orange County, California. All the ad said was "1950 Merc custom, must sell." The ad turned out to be phony, but the car existed, and it was the last car remaining in the estate of Bill Papke. David met the executor of Bill's estate, who presented him the car as the "Grease Merc." According to him the car had disappeared 27 years earlier. Bill found it after years of research as it was his favorite Merc of all time. He traced it to a storage warehouse in Southern California, and it supposedly took many years to convince the owner to sell.[1]
David made a deal with the executor of Bill's estate, and he had the Merc shipped to Dan Condon's The Shop in Palm Desert, California for restoration. Dan took over the restoration personally and was commissioned to restore the car exactly back to the way it appeared in the movie.[1] The car was first debuted at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. It became the hit of the show, and according to David the crowd around the car was unbelievable for three days.[2]
Mecum's Monterey Auction
Saturday, August 20, 2022, the Merc is set to cross the block at Mecum's annual Monterey sale. It comes with a notarized letter signed by Eddie Paul, verifying the car's authenticity. The presale estimate is $600,000 - $750,000. Click here to check out the Mecum auction listing.
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 Hell's Chariot 1949 Mercury Convertible.
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.