Paul Taylor, of Delphos, owns this 1947 Mercury Coupe, a car that helped put America on the road following World War II.
Jim Krumel | For The Lima News
DELPHOS – Something different.
That’s what Paul Taylor of Delphos wanted two years ago when he began looking for a classic car.
“There are a lot of classic cars out there. I wanted something you didn’t see all the time and something that was in good shape,” Taylor said.
When he came across a 1947 Mercury Coupe, he knew he had found what he wanted.
“It had just under 36,000 miles on it and was well taken care of … didn’t need any body work.” Taylor said.
The 1947 Mercury Coupe helped usher in what is now known as the “Golden Era of Automobiles” – a period spanning from 1946 to the mid-1970s. For three years prior to that – from 1942 to 1945 – the government froze the sale of consumer vehicles as part of its World War II efforts. Instead, automakers were building tanks, trucks, airplanes, Jeeps and torpedoes.
Eager to get America back on the road after the war, companies such as Ford, General Motors and Packard produced some of the most iconic American automobiles. Today, a 1947 Mercury Coupe is valued between $22,500 and $40,400, according to J.D. Power automotive research.
When Mercury came out with its Coupe in 1947, the average price of a new car was $1,864, according to the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis. That same year, median family income was $3,031.
Today, the average price for a new car hit $48,008 in March 2023, according to Kelly Blue Book. That’s more than a 30% jump from the year before. The median family income is $80,850, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis.
GET YOUR CAR FEATURED
The Lima News publishes photographs of vintage cars, 20 years or older, free of charge in Real Wheels. It is easy to get your car featured:
• Mail: Real Wheels, Newsroom, The Lima News; 205 W. Market St., Suite #100A; Lima, OH 45801.
• Email: [email protected]
• Include: Photograph of your car; year of car, make and model; how many years you have owned the vehicle; car’s history; best memory of car; your name, address and telephone number (the phone number will not be published).
If you have further questions, contact The Lima News newsroom at 419-222-6397 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays.
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