PLYMOUTH, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Plymouth man is preparing to display his rare 1963 Mercury Monterey at the annual Woodward Dream Cruise this weekend, and the car comes with an extraordinary tale of spite and preservation.
Watch Carli Petrus's video report:
John Magnusson purchased the unrestored Mercury Monterey in Fraser, Michigan, in 2019, completely unaware of its unique history until he joined a Facebook group for owners of the same model.
FULL INTERVIEW: John Magnusson talks about his Mercury Monterey and the Woodward Dream Cruise
"It was built in Iowa, a couple got married in '63, they divorced in 1964, and she hid this car for 36 years," Magnusson said.
According to Magnusson, the original owner's ex-wife concealed the car in a garage for decades, eventually selling it to a collector after her ex-husband passed away.
"It was just spite," Magnusson said.
Beyond its remarkable backstory, the car itself is exceptionally rare.
"Come to find out it's one of 1,203 made, four doors that have an S55 package, but even better than that, it has a Y in the VIN number, and it gives a cheaper version, it gives you a two-barrel single exhaust, and there's only 50 of these built," Magnusson said.
This rarity makes Magnusson particularly excited to showcase his vehicle at the Woodward Dream Cruise for the first time.
"The entire area just booms, just because of what that area means, being Woodward Avenue, it's amazing," Magnusson said.
Magnusson's participation in the annual event carries special significance after he survived a heart attack just six months ago.
"The shock of having that done that quickly and you had no warning just opened my eyes and said start having fun start doing stuff you like, enjoy what you're doing and if you don't enjoy doing it, change it and do something else, and I enjoy doing these cars, this is fun for me," he said.
The Mercury Monterey originally sold for about $5,000 in 1963. Magnusson paid $18,000 for it in 2019, and today it's being appraised at almost $60,000. But for Magnusson, the value goes beyond monetary worth.
When asked if the car is priceless to him, Magnusson replied, "For me it is, yeah. It's just something different that I don't think I'll ever let go."
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