History Enlighten me on this '39 Merc

Saw this car at the NSRA show in OK City yesterday. Everything about this car seemed strange to me, particularly the roof and windows, so I went up and asked the owner. He said it was oem. Admittedly, I'm into the 50's and 60's stuff, but this one I had just never seen or noticed before. Was the guy yanking my chain? I'd swear someone did an awesome job of grafting a Mercedes roof onto it.
Don't know what the topic prefix should have been, but I guess I need a history lesson.

 

It's a 40 Merc, and the body is all stock.

 

It's a stock fuck ugly roof line. They all need to be chopped and reshaped to flow.

 

If you know Fords, the first time you see a '39 or '40 Mercury coupe should have that same affect on you. It doesn't look like the rest of the product line. I think that makes them neat.

The wheels are not stock. I'm wondering how they got Mercury hubcaps to fit on a Ranger pickup wheel, or why?

 

DANG!

chop that thing mow!

 

btt

 

Ugliest car unchopped but one of the coolest with a chop. A really nice restored '40 Merc just sold on EBAY for 22k somebody got a smoking deal. With a good chop they look like this.

 

Beautiful chopped, ugly unchopped.

 

Thanks for the input. A good chop and reshaping as Pocket Nick said certainly makes a huge difference. I certainly wouldn't call them ugly oem though, just in a different class. unchoped = beautiful classic, but chopped, wow.

 

i'm with you. never did like the grille or top on them. probably like the old guys in the '80s who bought the cars with the fake spare on the trunk and a "sim-con-top"--just a way to show off their wealth...

 

The rear fenders were weird on some of them, may have been just the sedans. But an ugly assed car in stock form.