Matt Townsend ranks the 3 greatest 1949-51 Mercury customs of all time

Matt Townsend runs Townsends Customs & Hot Rods, a custom body shop in Riverside, California that specializes in restoration and customization of classic cars. In November of 2017 Matt had 17 1949 - 1951 Mercury customs under his belt, so we asked him what his All-Time Top 3 1949 - 1951 Mercury Customs are. "My three in no particular order, and which is very hard to narrow to just three:"

Bob Hirohata's 1951 Mercury – The Hirohata Merc

Bob Hirohata's 1951 Mercury Club Coupe was restyled by Barris Kustoms for Bob Hirohata. The first version of the build was completed in 1952.

"This Merc has always caught my eye, mostly for just the color combo. When you really start studying it is when you notice all the custom touches. I Like how the hood and front grille surround were formed together, the custom-made grille, and the Buick trim flows perfectly with the fadeaway body line. I'm not a huge fan of hardtops, probably because I hate doing them, but I can't ever imagine this car with a post and having the same eye-catching appeal to me. The custom 1/4s and the Lincoln taillights wrapping up the rear end complete the car."

Nick Rogers' 1951 Mercury - "Ruggiero"

Nick Rogers' 1951 Mercury was restyled by Matt at Townsends Customs & Hot Rods and Bill Ganahl at South City Rod & Custom. The build was completed in 2013, making its debut at the 2013 Grand National Roadster Show.

"For a modern build, this one is my pick. This was a close toss up because I really like Mercury Charlie's Nadine as well. My favorite color is blue, so that makes me gravitate toward this one. These particular builds I give credit to all the builders out there today because we don't have the luxury of customizing a brand new car! We get to deal with rust, broken bolts, dented panels and everything else that goes with a 60+ year-old car. This 51 oozes elegance and simplicity to me. The body mods are subtle and let the love of a Mercury's body lines speak for themselves. Just enough chrome in the right places and the attention to detail throughout the whole car. The look of the chopped down guards that give accent to the bumper yet not interfere and disturb the look of the Desoto grille. The Packard spear adds that simple touch to highlight the side profile. My opinion it will be one of the iconic mercs down the road for its day. "

Mandy Holder's 1951 Mercury

Mandy Holder's 1951 Mercury Convertible of Springfield, Illinois. Mandy's Mercury was restyled by Bob Maisenbacher and Barris Kustoms.

"I have a sweet spot for convertible Mercs, and 51's if you can tell....I fell into the love for Mercs kind of late when I was 25 or so and my first Merc was a 50 moredoor that I Carson topped, so I'm always drawn to the convertibles. I had never heard of Mandy Holder until I stumbled across a picture of his Merc and did some digging while searching out convertibles. I love the chopped and Carson topped lid on this Merc, the Pontiac trim which you would swear it was made for a Merc with how it fits so well with the body line. I love the two-tone color, the split front bumper and custom grille, the later merc 1/4's and the Packard taillights on those 51 tail fins to cap it off."

"My dream Merc to have other than my own build if I get time to do one, would be to find the Holder Merc and restore it back to all its glory if it still exists..."