Reader’s Ride

Readers’ rides make sense. They allow publications to see what their audience is wrenching on, driving around and even dreaming about. As these things usually go, some submissions are better than others. And in 1954, San Bernardino, California’s Bob Aguilera figured his freshly finished Mercury was strong enough to have a shot at the hallowed pages of Rod & Custom.

He started with a ’53 Mercury Monterey that he purchased just about new. There’s no denying that it was a good looking machine, but Bob felt the same hankering as many a customizer past and present: simplify. The cleanup process was a fairly standard one, which started by shaving the emblems and handles as well as frenching the headlights. The grille was relieved of some of its heft while the cumbersome fog lamps were eliminated from the front pan. Mr. Aguilera worked with Dick Richardson to open up the faux scoops to add an extra degree of functionality to the tastefully lowered hardtop.

The biggest attention grabbers on this mild custom, however, were the ’54 Packard Clipper taillights. They provided just enough visual appeal without overpowering the overall flow of the vehicle. Although they’ve been incorporated on the tail ends of numerous customs through the years, they certainly look right at home on this one right here.

Mr. Aguilera claimed to have invested a mere $350 in the customization of his Merc, but that didn’t stop it from being named “Reader’s Car of the Month�? by the Rod & Custom staff in December 1954. “Good taste in automotive design cannot be purchased, so therefore it is priceless,�? they wrote. “Aguilera’s Mercury has this quality. Absence of mud-flaps, wolf whistles, makes the car.�?

This Mercury is a successful custom because it takes what was once complicated and made it simple. It took the fake and made it functional. It smoothed jagged edges and created a continuous movement from front to rear. There’s a rhythm to the design to this car—one that’s appealing regardless of the era.

—Joey Ukrop

Photos by the owner, R&C December 1954