Per Ivar Kolgrov's 1948 Mercury Convertible

An early photo of Per Ivar's Mercury, taken before he began its radical restyling in the 1960s. At this stage, the car was still in its original light blue paint with stock trim and features. Photo from The Ola Hegseth Photo Collection.

Taken at the Kanonloppet race in Karlskoga, Sweden, in 1961 or 1962, this photo captures Per Ivar and friends having fun around the Mercury. By this time, the car had already undergone some modifications, including the removal of its side trim for a cleaner look. Photo provided by Terje Sæthre.

Per Ivar’s Mercury as it appeared after its initial transformation around 1963/1964. This photo, featured in ViMenn, showcases the car’s radical redesign, including canted quad headlights, a custom tube grille, a removable steel top with a Plexiglas sunroof, and a distinctive look that made it a local sensation in Norway. Photo by Allan Iversen.

Photographer Allan Iversen captured the shots of Per Ivar’s Mercury in front of Frognerparken in Oslo for ViMenn. The photo highlights the car’s custom rear end, featuring six sunken taillights and a bold design that set it apart from most other cars on Norwegian roads in the 1960s. Photo by Allan Iversen, courtesy of Lars-Petter Kolkind.

Photo by Allan Iversen, courtesy of Lars-Petter Kolkind.

Photo by Allan Iversen, courtesy of Lars-Petter Kolkind.

Photo by Allan Iversen, courtesy of Lars-Petter Kolkind.

Per Ivar proudly posing next to the modified engine of his Mercury. Notice the homemade manifold feeding three dual Holley carburetors—a custom touch that helped the 312 CID Ford V8 produce an estimated 300 horsepower. Photo by Allan Iversen, courtesy of Lars-Petter Kolkind.

Photo by Allan Iversen, courtesy of Lars-Petter Kolkind.

A later version of Per Ivar’s Mercury, now featuring shaved door handles for a cleaner look. Push-buttons to open the doors were cleverly hidden in the leather-grain vinyl upholstery mounted on the top of the doors, adding a touch of sophistication to the radical custom build. Photo provided by Terje Sæthre.

Order Today: The Kustomrama Norway Division Supporter T-Shirt.

A screenshot from the 1967 short film "En dag i November", where the car makes a brief appearance. The film captures a day at Youngstorget in Oslo, showing market vendors, drunks, classic cars, and local youth. Click here to watch the full movie on NRK.

A photo of Per Ivar’s Mercury taken after it received 'BL' license plates, indicating it was taken sometime after 1971 when Norway introduced double-letter plates. This version of the car featured four 1959 Cadillac taillights instead of the original six Per Ivar installed. According to Rolf Alexandersen, the Cadillac taillights were added in the 1960s, and "everyone that had something to do with the car recalls the long, sharp taillights."" Photo from The Ola Hegseth Photo Collection.

Per Ivar’s Mercury as it appeared around 1978/1979 when owned by Alf Otto Olsen. The car had received a deep metallic red paint job during Rune Skullerud’s ownership, giving it a striking new look while still retaining its radical custom features. Photo courtesy of Espen Volle.

Photo courtesy of Espen Volle.

Photo courtesy of Espen Volle.

A photo of the Mercury shared by Knut Byklum on Facebook in January 2020. According to Knut, this was the coolest car in town' back in the 1970s, turning heads with its radical custom styling. Photo courtesy of Knut Byklum.

A rear view of the car from the 1970s, shared by Knut Byklum on Facebook. Photo courtesy of Knut Byklum.

The remains of the once-iconic custom as they sat in 2013. By this time, the car had been stripped down, with much of its original custom work either missing or in need of restoration.

The remains of Per Ivar’s old Mercury as they sat in August 2015 after being purchased by Espen Volle. Espen, who also owns Levi Lundring's 1949 Mercury convertible, another iconic Norwegian custom car, hopes to locate the missing parts and restore this important piece of Norwegian custom car history. Photo courtesy of Espen Volle.

Photo courtesy of Espen Volle.

Per Ivar’s Mercury as it sat in 2023. Espen has made notable progress in bringing the iconic Kolgrov Mercury back to life. The front and rear are starting to take shape again, reflecting the car’s original splendor and its place in Norwegian custom car history. Photo courtesy of Espen Volle.

Photo courtesy of Espen Volle.

The flyer for the 13th Coupe Devils Rod & Kustom Bonanza in Norway featured a nod to Per Ivar’s legendary custom Mercury. The show took place June 30 – July 2, 2023, at Bruvollen in Blaker, celebrating traditional hot rods and customs with a tribute to one of Norway’s most iconic custom cars.

The 1948 Mercury Convertible restyled by Per Ivar Kolgrov of Oslo, Norway, is recognized as one of Norway’s first custom cars. Per Ivar, a butcher by trade began customizing the Mercury around 1961–1964. Once completed, the car became a local sensation, as few could comprehend how such a radical custom had been approved by the Norwegian vehicle licensing department.

Acquisition and Early Modifications (1961–1964)

When Per Ivar acquired the Mercury, it was in poor condition, with rusted panels, a deteriorating interior, and a worn-out engine. The car was originally painted light blue. He commenced the build by replacing all the rusted panels. After addressing the rust issues, he moved on to repairing and replacing mechanical components such as the front suspension and driveshaft.

The customization process involved significant body modifications. The rear section, including the fenders and trunk, was cut down. The stock taillights were replaced with six round taillights sunken into the rear fenders. These were trailer lights purchased at a gas station. The backup lights came from a Dodge Dart, and the parking lights were sourced from a 1957 Ford. The stock rear bumper was removed in favor of chromed pipes. As a result of the rear modifications, the gas tank had to be raised slightly.

At the front, Per Ivar cut down and modified the fenders to accommodate canted quad headlights from a 1964 Fiat 1500. The stock grille was replaced with a custom-made tube grille featuring chrome and copper inserts. To further enhance the design, the car was fitted with a removable steel top that featured a Plexiglas sunroof and rear window. Green Plexiglas was used for the sunroof, and the top was upholstered in leather-grain vinyl.

Inside, the car featured a 1957 Ford dashboard, a 1958 Ford steering wheel, Mercedes-Benz front seats, and a white and teal Ford Crown Victoria back seat. The powertrain included a 1956–1957 Ford 312 CID V8 engine, which had been bored out and fitted with shaved heads for increased compression. Per Ivar fabricated his own intake manifold, equipping the engine with three dual Holley carburetors. According to a feature in the Norwegian magazine ViMenn, the engine was estimated to produce 300 horsepower. The drivetrain included a 1954 Jaguar Mark VII transmission, and the front end was lowered by an inch for improved handling.

The entire build took a little over a year and cost approximately 10,000 Norwegian kroner. Per Ivar worked on the car in his free time while maintaining his job as a butcher. When the build was completed, the Mercury was painted white.

Further Modifications and Ownership Changes (1965–1970s)

When ViMenn featured Per Ivar's Mercury, the car was still undergoing refinements. Following the magazine feature, he shaved the door handles and added leather-grain vinyl upholstery to the door tops, where he concealed push buttons to operate the doors.

In 1968, Jan Henrik Syversen of Oslo purchased the Mercury from Per Ivar. By around 1969–1970, the car was owned by Leif Erik Westgård.

Photographs from The Ola Hegseth Photo Collection show the car bearing "BL" license plates. Norway introduced two-letter license plates in 1971. By this time, the Mercury had been updated with four 1959 Cadillac taillights, replacing the original six round lights. According to Rolf Alexandersen, the Cadillac taillights were added in the 1960s and were a well-remembered feature among those familiar with the car.

Subsequent owners included Rune Skullerud, who repainted the car in metallic red. In 1976, Knut Hafsengen of Oslo acquired the Mercury. However, he encountered legal issues with the Norwegian authorities due to modifications made to the car’s X-member frame.

Around 1978–1979, the car changed hands again, this time being purchased by Alf Otto Olsen of Drøbak. Olsen later sold it to Knut Amundsen, who eventually passed it on to Alf Bendiksen of Bergen.

Later Years and Restoration Efforts (2009–Present)

By July 2009, the car was listed for sale on AutoDB, located in Bergen, Norway, with an asking price of 150,000 NOK. The seller had owned the vehicle since the early 1980s.

In the summer of 2015, Espen Volle of Enebakkneset, Norway, acquired what remained of the Mercury. By then, only the body shell remained, and most of the original parts were missing. The seller was unaware of their whereabouts. Espen has since been actively trying to locate the missing components, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact Kustomrama at mail@kustomrama.com.

Upon acquiring the car, Per Ivar told Espen that he ran a 1956 Ford rear axle in the car. Espen found that it had been heavily modified over the years. An independent front suspension had been installed, and various larger, more modern engines had been swapped in. The once-removable top had been welded to the body, with the seams leaded over.

Espen’s ongoing efforts seek to restore and preserve this iconic Norwegian custom car, which remains a significant piece of the country’s early custom car history.

Magazine Features and Appearances

American Cars of Southern Norway Newsletter No. 4 - 1979
V8 Forum Norway Nr.2 - 2009