1955 Merc Wagon
Owned by Robert and Kathleen Oppici
from Port Crane, NY
Good Old Fashioned Horse Trading…
Cars can be found in the strangest places. We’ve all heard one story or another about a barn find. This is one of those stories. A man by the name of Ernie Brown had heard of a car locked away in a barn in New Jersey and decided to take a look-see.
Not having been registered since 1972, sure enough there she sat tucked away in the barn. All stock with a 292, two speed, auto drive tran with 53,275 original miles on her, nestled on top of a saw dust pile on the second floor of the barn … so the story goes. Ernie himself was not interested in the car, but negotiated a deal with the owners anyway knowing that a friend of his was looking for something like this.
This car hadn’t seen the road for 33 years and her condition was most desirable. She was practically rust free. It would be safe to assume the bed of saw dust on which she lay served as a moisture barrier for all those years she sat at rest. Most wagons were used as the family runabout, children’s sticky fingers, dad’s greasy tools, Sunday outings, you name it and a wagon has seen it and it is usually evident. That wasn’t so with this sweet baby blue Merc.
Well, word gets around and Robert caught wind of the car through a friend from their local car club Cruisin Buddies and decided to take a ride and have a look to see for himself what all the talk was about. The man that Ernie brought the car home for was on the fence about whether or not he wanted it and was there when Robert arrived. There they all stood together on a cold miserable rainy afternoon in up State New York looking at the Merc.
Robert had already made up his mind as to his opinion of the car. If the man didn’t want her he would bring her home. But a decision from the other party wasn’t coming forth one way or another. 
After a reasonable amount of time had passed Robert finally had enough of slopping around in the mud and being soaked to the bone with the man’s indecisiveness and finally said, “Do you want it or not?”
A little more hedging from the man, but ultimately Robert was able to purchase the car.
continues
Robert got the car home and off the flat bed, checked fluids and headed right for the garage to get a new battery for her. Surprisingly after more then 30 years of sitting everything worked with the exception of the radio. The Oppici’s treated the Merc’ to a visit with Joe Waffner of American Auto in Cincinnatus NY where all the motor work, brakes and new dual exhaust was done.
She is one of 11,358, has original Gulf Stream Blue and Biltmore Blue colored paint and original interior and is now sporting new white walls. 
It’s been three years since that rainy day in New York that Robert and Kathy Oppici have owned this 8 passenger wagon and are lovin’ every mile with a smile.
I’ve saved the best for last about this ‘55. Maybe it’s because Ernie Brown wasn’t interested in this Merc’ for himself that his negotiations came to be. The story goes that the original owner traded this beauty for 1 horse and a cow or was it 2 cows and a horse? Either way, Equine or Bovine this is one sweet wagon! How’s that for some good old fashioned horse trading. I suppose the original owner preferred the days when milk was 92¢ per gallon and hamburger meat was 56¢ per pound.
Why a Station Wagon… Bob and I always had wagons, we had 6 children and there was plenty of room to fit them all and groceries, too. Once the kids were gone we got the ‘55 Merc 2 door. Now we have 10 grandchildren, 4 of whom visit every summer. They like to go to the car shows with us, so it’s back to a wagon and what’s better then having a brother 1955 Merc to the sister 1955 Merc we already have.
Robert and Kathleen Oppici,
Port Crane, NY
Assembled in Metuchen, New Jersey
February 25th, 1955