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I promised that as soon as I was able to compile a bit more information on her I would pass it on. Well here we go. As some of you know I stumbled onto a 1957 mercury ambelwagon built on a mercury commuter nine passenger wagon. She has 5274 miles on her and thru a local dealership and the papers that came with her we were able to verify that the mileage is true. The gentleman who looked her over said that she was completely original except for the electric fuel pump that a mill mechanic cobbled up on to her. The tires, battery, brakes, and even the oil filter are still from the factory. She is only missing the radiator and the slide latch that holds the back gate shut. [It is a modified rear gate and window, not a swing out door.]
The original production numbers were according to the Encyclopedia of American Cars. The 1957 Mercury Wagon 122.0" wheel base 77A Commuter 4d, 6 passenger were 11,990 wagons. The 77C Commuter 4d 9passenger 5,752 wagons. I contacted International Mercury Owners Association and they put me in touch with a gentleman who told me that the military used some ambelwagons, but they were built on the ford currier platform. He said that he did not know of many built off the mercury platform do to the cost difference between the ford and the mercury. I spoke to two local gentlemen who worked for wheeling steel when my car and three more were delivered. Mine is the only one to escape the blast furnace. He asked if there was a number 88 on the dashboard. I told him yes. He explained that that was his car. The number was his son’s football number and that is why it is car 88. He went on to say that the cars were stationed in Steubenville Ohio and Mingo Ohio and Follansbee Wv. Mine was used only as a safety inspector’s car and driven only in the Follansbee plant and the town of Follansbee. Allegedly it never left that area. The car was retired in 1978 and put into an old storage building with other decommissioned vehicles and equipment to be pillaged for parts. This is where it sat until around the mid 80’s when the building was torn down and everything went to the Mingo plant to be melted down. The united steel workers union announced a strike days before its demise and the blast furnaces were banked and cooled. The gentleman who I bought her from saved her and even got a clear title to her. He put her in his garage and left her sit. “I can’t cut up or street rod a car with this low of mileage” he said so she sat safely tucked away.
In my search for more on her I met DK Weldingon a retired firefighter from northern wv and he wanted to see the car. He is a gentleman well into his 80’s and a retiree from wheeling Pittsburgh steel. He came up to see the car and said ‘I can’t believe one these escaped the furnace.” He told me that one of the ambelwagon’s appeared in a movie that was shot in the local area, but he could not remember what or when. I have had a few retirees ask if I’m going to leave it stock and put the Wheeling steel logo back onto it. I told them yes. It is a part of this valley’s heritage and the steel pride that is the Ohio valley.
Out of the 5,752 Commuter 4d 9passenger wagons there may have been as fewer as 500 converted by Automotive Conversion Corp. of Michigan and Ontario, but I do not have concrete numbers and fear there is no way to find out. I think I have reached the end of my paper trail so if any of you have some more facts about the 57’s numbers please let me know. As far as my intentions well she is in dry storage and saftly tucked away until I can devote more time to her. When my house is done and the garage is complete I will start on her then.
I have had folks ask what her value is, but that is a complete conversation in its self. I have no clue what she is worth, but my dad is a retiree and he remembers being taking to Ohio valley hospital in one of the ambelagons when he fell from some scaffolding when he worked the pipe shop.
There are many more who know much more than me when it comes to ambelwagons and I know that only what I have personally encountered to be true and that only the numbers count. Any other additional numbers and info will be grately appreciated.
Tom
The original production numbers were according to the Encyclopedia of American Cars. The 1957 Mercury Wagon 122.0" wheel base 77A Commuter 4d, 6 passenger were 11,990 wagons. The 77C Commuter 4d 9passenger 5,752 wagons. I contacted International Mercury Owners Association and they put me in touch with a gentleman who told me that the military used some ambelwagons, but they were built on the ford currier platform. He said that he did not know of many built off the mercury platform do to the cost difference between the ford and the mercury. I spoke to two local gentlemen who worked for wheeling steel when my car and three more were delivered. Mine is the only one to escape the blast furnace. He asked if there was a number 88 on the dashboard. I told him yes. He explained that that was his car. The number was his son’s football number and that is why it is car 88. He went on to say that the cars were stationed in Steubenville Ohio and Mingo Ohio and Follansbee Wv. Mine was used only as a safety inspector’s car and driven only in the Follansbee plant and the town of Follansbee. Allegedly it never left that area. The car was retired in 1978 and put into an old storage building with other decommissioned vehicles and equipment to be pillaged for parts. This is where it sat until around the mid 80’s when the building was torn down and everything went to the Mingo plant to be melted down. The united steel workers union announced a strike days before its demise and the blast furnaces were banked and cooled. The gentleman who I bought her from saved her and even got a clear title to her. He put her in his garage and left her sit. “I can’t cut up or street rod a car with this low of mileage” he said so she sat safely tucked away.
In my search for more on her I met DK Weldingon a retired firefighter from northern wv and he wanted to see the car. He is a gentleman well into his 80’s and a retiree from wheeling Pittsburgh steel. He came up to see the car and said ‘I can’t believe one these escaped the furnace.” He told me that one of the ambelwagon’s appeared in a movie that was shot in the local area, but he could not remember what or when. I have had a few retirees ask if I’m going to leave it stock and put the Wheeling steel logo back onto it. I told them yes. It is a part of this valley’s heritage and the steel pride that is the Ohio valley.
Out of the 5,752 Commuter 4d 9passenger wagons there may have been as fewer as 500 converted by Automotive Conversion Corp. of Michigan and Ontario, but I do not have concrete numbers and fear there is no way to find out. I think I have reached the end of my paper trail so if any of you have some more facts about the 57’s numbers please let me know. As far as my intentions well she is in dry storage and saftly tucked away until I can devote more time to her. When my house is done and the garage is complete I will start on her then.
I have had folks ask what her value is, but that is a complete conversation in its self. I have no clue what she is worth, but my dad is a retiree and he remembers being taking to Ohio valley hospital in one of the ambelagons when he fell from some scaffolding when he worked the pipe shop.
There are many more who know much more than me when it comes to ambelwagons and I know that only what I have personally encountered to be true and that only the numbers count. Any other additional numbers and info will be grately appreciated.
Tom
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