$2 Million Merc: The Famous Hirohata Mercury Joins the Galpin Collection
How the famous 1951 Mercury custom went for mega-money at Mecum and who owns it now.
The famous Hirohata Merc, which sold at the Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida, in January for more than $2 million, is now owned by Galpin Auto Sports in Van Nuys, California.
The Mecum Auctions event in Kissimmee drew some astronomical prices in January, with sales exceeding $200 million for the approximately 3,000 cars that crossed the stage.
As always, the Mecum auction in Kissimmee featured many rare and prestigious vehicles from the collector car world. My interest lies with historic rods and custom cars, so when I learned that the Hirohata Merc was to be auctioned, my ears perked up. What I didn’t expect was that this famous custom car would bring the fifth highest price of the auction, at a whopping $2,145,000.
For those of you unfamiliar with this car, the 1951 Mercury coupe now famous as the Hirohata Merc was built for Bob Hirohata by the legendary Barris Kustom shop in Southern California, back in 1952. The car became an instant nationwide favorite on the show circuit and in the magazines of the day. Hirohata sold the car after a few years. Under new ownership, it was damaged in a traffic accident, sold again for a couple hundred bucks, and ended up at a used car lot. It was recognized and purchased for $500 by a teenager named Jim McNiel, and shortly thereafter disappeared. Even out of sight, the Hirohata Merc retained its reputation as arguably the most famous and influential custom ever built.
To most of us, the car was considered lost until 1988 when it was “discovered” in McNiel’s garage, where it had been all along. Rod & Custom magazine sponsored its restoration to its 1952 form and the historic Mercury enjoyed new popularity in museums and at prestigious shows. In 2017, it was added to the National Historic Vehicle Register.
Jim McNiel died in 2018 and his famous car went to Mecum for a new caretaker. On January 15 in Kissimmee, the hammer price for the Hirohata Merc was $1.95 million, nudged above $2 million after buyer’s premiums (auction fees). We consider that a fair price for a car as iconic as this one. Even so, it’s amazing to see that dollar amount, considering that the combined past purchase prices for this 1951 Mercury (including the original dealership purchase) are in the $3,000 range.
The identity of the new owner remained a mystery for almost two weeks. When the Hirohata Merc arrived at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California, on January 27, it was apparent that it is now part of Galpin’s Auto Sports’ vast and varied collection of famous hot rods. The car drew a ton of attention at GNRS. The Galpin Auto Sports collection, its new home, is familiar to viewers of Car Kings, hosted by GAS owner Beau Boeckmann. Car Kings airs on Discovery Channel and streams on discovery+.
