Leo Lyons’ custom 1950 Mercury, the “Ultra Modern Merc,” was an idol of custom cars in the 60’s. It appeared on the cover of magazines like “Custom Car,” and could be spotted at numerous West-Coast American car shows.
Lyons’ Merc car was declared one of the 1960’s top ten customs in the 1961 Trend Book on Custom Cars. But regardless of all the success and attention from American enthusiasts, Lyon only made one as it took nearly ten years to build. The vehicle was thought to be timeless and innovative, until only a few years later when it went missing.
For the past 50 years, nobody has had the chance to see the iconic custom-built Merc, until it appeared in Los Angeles and was returned to its creator, the now 83-year-old Leo Lyons, and shown on Jay Leno’s Garage.
While the video for Jay Leno’s Garage has not currently been released, auto aficionados will still have the honor of seeing the custom legend in the duPont REGISTRY showroom in St. Petersburg, Florida. After its trip through Los Angeles, the car was purchased by Geoff Hacker and taken back to Tampa.
Until its initial restoration back to the cover car form, the vehicle will be waiting within the walls of the duPont REGISRTY. It can only be admired by the public through a scheduled appointment or during the monthly duPont REGISTRY Cars and Coffee event.
The next duPont REGISTRY Cars and Coffee will be hosted on Saturday, Oct. 19 from 7:00 a.m. until 9:00 a.m., where this one of a kind custom classic can be seen. All automotive aficionados are welcome to attend. It will be the first public debut for Leo’s Custom in 50 years.
