| If Buick had bared its teeth in 1949, it was only a | | | | being felt and the '49 to '51 Merc was, and always |
| prelude to the full-frontal attack launched in 1950. | | | | will be one of the customizer's favorite cars. The |
| Many have said they went too far with the | | | | Barris brothers were responsible for its impact by |
| "bucktooth Buick" which had appeared midway | | | | chopping and changing a '51 for owner Bob Hirohita. |
| through the previous year in a new 1950 Special line. | | | | Other features incorporated into his car included full |
| The public, however bought Buicks by the | | | | fender skirts with 1950 Cadillac style fake air scoops, |
| bucketload, pushing Buick up to third place in the | | | | a floating single bar grille, sunken headlights, frenched |
| sales race behind Chevrolet and Ford. Buick | | | | '52 Lincoln tail lights and Buick side trim. It set a trend |
| symbolized success both for itself and for the buyers | | | | which has been repeated on custom cars ever since |
| of automobiles. | | | | and the Hirohita Merc as it has always been known, is |
| Success was also in sight for Cadillac at the unlikely | | | | still around today. |
| venue of Le Mans, where a Caddy-powered Allard | | | | The idea of custom car shows was really beginning |
| came third. Two others also placed in the race: an | | | | to catch on and the first Annual National Roadster |
| almost stock series 62 coupe was tenth and a | | | | Show was held in Oakland on 19 January. The event |
| special-bodied Series 62 was 11th. Surprising results | | | | still takes place and its accolade for America's Most |
| considering their ever increasing size and shape. | | | | Beautiful Roadster remains the most coveted. The |
| Chevrolet had little to offer in 1950 that had not | | | | winner that year was Bill Miekamp with his track-style |
| been avaialble the previous year and all their ad men | | | | roadster built on an Essex chassis with parts from |
| could write about was the fully-automatic Powerglide | | | | four Model A Ford bodies and a 1942 Mercury engine. |
| transmission and a two-door hardtop called the Bel | | | | Another milestone event was taking place in |
| Air. | | | | California, when on 19 June C.J. Hart opened the |
| Mercury could not match Chevvy's one and a half | | | | world's first commercial drag strip at what was the |
| million sales but they did make their millionth | | | | Orange County airport in Santa Ana. Prior to this, |
| automobile that year. What changes they made were | | | | Hart and his friends had raced, up to eight-abreast at |
| small, but a significant addition to the range was the | | | | Mile Square but they were eventually kicked off the |
| Monterey coupe which featured a padded canvas or | | | | US Navy property by the Marines. |
| vinyl top and a custom leather interior. Ford tried | | | | To begin with the competitors at Santa Ana were |
| similar treatment on its special edition Crestliner and in | | | | mainly driving stockers but gradually the dry lakesters |
| so doing won the coveted Fashion Academy award | | | | stopped playing in the sand, got used to a short |
| for the second year. | | | | sprint, and the sport of serious drag racing had |
| The influences of the street trends were certainly | | | | started. |