It was 30 years ago this summer when Howard Hughes of Winslow, Ind., and selected a 1977 Mercury Marquis.
It was 30 years ago this summer when one of those other men, Howard Hughes of Winslow, Ind., went to nearby Boonville and stopped at the Higgins and Ziemer Ford dealership on West Main Street.
Salesman Les Price showed him around and helped him select a 1977 Mercury Marquis that stretched one inch longer that 19 feet. The champagne metallic Mercury Mr. Hughes selected had a cocoa brown vinyl top and seats covered in a matching fabric, with both front and backseats having pull-down center armrests. The base price of the 4,408-pound sedan was $6,324. Mr. Hughes took delivery of the big Mercury on July 26, 1977.
By March of this year, the well-kept car had been driven 95,000 mostly highway miles and was for sale. That happened to coincide with a search initiated by Bill Shields. “I wanted a big, comfortable car,” he says.
Photographs of the car were sent, questions were asked, and after some negotiations, Mr. Shields purchased the car — sight unseen — on March 6, 2007.
A trucking company that specializes in transporting antique cars picked up the car for the 600 mile journey to Mr. Shields’ Vienna, Va., home. Delay followed delay until after two weeks the car was finally delivered to an anxious Mr. Shields.
The Mercury was exactly as advertised: The 460-cubic-inch V-8 that lay under the expansive engine hood was in very good condition, pleasing Mr. Shields. Despite the output of the massive engine rated at 197 horsepower, the speedometer has figures up to only 85 miles per hour.
Mr. Shields was also happy to find the automatic brake release feature, which releases the parking brake when the transmission is put into gear and the car starts to move, in perfect working order. He says the car is equipped with features including power steering, power disc brakes, power windows, power antenna and an AM/FM four speaker stereo system that he describes as “terrific.”
Driving the car in multilane traffic makes him appreciate the two outside mirrors.
“The cruise control works perfectly,” he says, “and the air conditioner works great.”
Both the two-spoke steering wheel and the dashboard are in such good condition that Mr. Shields has installed covers on them to protect against the ravages of the sun.
On the right side of the dashboard is what Mr. Shields calls “the biggest glove box I’ve ever seen.”
Faux wood trim dresses up the dashboard as well as the door panels.
The full 15-inch wheel covers on the rear wheels are partially obscured by the large fender skirts.
The rubber strips on both bumpers have protected the chrome. The bumper guards also have rubber inserts.
As the warmer summer months arrived, Mr. Shields found that the air conditioner on his new/old car was not functioning properly. After addressing the problem, he reports that the air conditioner now blows cold air. “I used R12,” he said. “Real freon — the good stuff.”
The capacity of the gasoline tank is 24.2 gallons. From that reservoir, Mr. Shields says, “It delivers a smooth, comfortable 11 miles per gallon.”
The quietness of the Mercury never fails to amaze Mr. Shields. “I use it to travel,” he says, “and going down the road in this car is like being in your living room.”
A 124-inch wheelbase contributes to the plush ride. A plaque on the dashboard proudly proclaims: “Ride-Engineered by Lincoln/Mercury”
“I wanted a big, comfortable car, and that’s what I got,” Mr. Shields said. “I was able to get a beautiful car at a bargain price.”
That was the icing on the cake.
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