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looking for info on 1948 Mustang


BornTooLate

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I'm looking for any information on a Mustang sedan made in the seattle area in about 1948, when i was younger i was looking through some pages of a book, most of the book was missing but it appeared to have most of the images were from automotive brochures and while i liked most of the cars one that caught my attention was one named mustang that looked sort of what would now be a late model olds silouette minivan with the body reversed to the back window was the windshield, i know this is not much information to go on but anything at all would be helpful

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the year was not a typo, the car manufacturer (had read this before but forgotten details) was Mustang Engineering Corp. of Seattle Washington. What little text i've found says it was a six passenger sedan and say it was in 1948 i've only found mention in two of the books i've looked in and there is very little in either one

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There's a short paragraph (see below) on them in the <span style="font-style: italic">Standard Catalog of American Cars 1946-1975</span>, but no photo. It states a total production of 1, original price of $1250, and describes it as a 2-door station wagon seating 6. It had a 162 cubic inch 4 cyl Hercules engine (59 hp, 6.8:1 compression ratio) with a Warner 3 speed manual tranny and a wheelbase of 102 inches. It states:

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> This was a uniquely styled car. Or at least was unique until the Fiat 600DMultipla fastback station wagon appeared 8 years later. Design by Roy C. McCarty, formerly the service manager for the Lincoln-Mercury Div. of Ford, it had an aluminum body and a sloping back, like a 1940's GM sedanette. It was a six passenger vehicle, seating two in front and four in the back bench seat. The engine was int he rear. </div></div>

I recall there was a pencil drawing of the Mustang in Tad Burness' <span style="font-style: italic">Auto Album</span> (1966) book and a bit of the same information.

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I found a pic in one of my books. I'll post it as soon I get it scanned.

But first some info:

MUSTANG (1949)

Roy C. McCarthy

Mustang Engineering CO. Seattle and Renton, Washington.

4-cyl Hercules Engine

59 HP (still, beats new Ford Fiestas wink.gif)

65 MPH

No Dealerships, Factory orders only

Aluminum Body

102" Wheelbase

5.50x15" Tires.

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Here:

mustang_resized.jpg

Sorry about the quality. I had 2 minutes time to get the scanner from the closet, plug it in, and scan the pic before my 2,5 year old son rushed in grin.gif

So, if you want a better one, please let me know.

Oh, yeah. And this is from Tad Burness's Monstrous Car Spotter Guide (A must for automobile enthusiast!)

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BornTooLate...Welcome to the AACA Forum.

Do yourself a favor and try the AACA Library & Research Center. This is a function within the AACA, of which, retains an enormous amount of automotive research data. (Click on AACA Library on the main page and there is a self-explanatory information request form to fill out.)

or, a direct contact:

AACA Library & Research Center

P.O. Box 417

501 W. Governor Road

Hershey, PA 17033

Attn: Kim Miller, Librarian

kmiller@aacalibrary.org

Ph: 717-534-2082

Regards,

Peter J. <img src="http://www.aaca.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Shame on you , you members of AACA grin.gif

Look what I found:

http://aaca.org/meetresults/hagerstown2004.pdf

Check the page 2:

1949 Mustang................William P. Stubbs, Woodbridge, VA

!!!

laugh.gif

Does any body in AACA has info about this one (or the owner?)?? It would be a nice to see a photo of one that has survived!! </div></div>

That was a Mustang motorcycle - I think this guy is talking about the one off Mustang car.

Bob

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Oops... Just showing my youth and inexperience. Knowing how the Ford Mustang didn't come out until April, 1964 I thought it was a typo. We all do that sometimes. Actually I'm surprised that Ford used the name on a car that had already been used. .....learn something new every day.

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  • 6 years later...
Guest sarracen

Sorry for my late posting...I just found you!

If anyone is looking for information on the Mustang Engineering Co. you can check with the Renton Historical Museum in Renton, WA. This is where the Mustang was manufactured...in a leased Boeing facility. They have some information, but not a lot. They do have copies of newsapaper articles, ads etc from 1948/49.

As to Ford. I believe that Mustang sued Ford in the '60's regarding the use of the name. Ford may actually have so info in their archives, but I'm guessing that hold that pretty tight. I don't have any info as to the result of the suit, other than MEC went away.

I would certainly be interested in more details. And especially interested in any survivor of the Mustang that may have survived!

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  • 1 year later...
Guest daveysm

I actually have an order form for the 1948 Mustang !

When I locate it I will post

The car looked like a VW Bus in the front , and was 'teardrop' shaped in the rear

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I believe all the Mustang mania started with the WWII P51 Mustang fighter plane. Do trademarks expire after seven years like patents? There have been several model names over the years that have been discontinued by one manufacturer and picked up by another years later.

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  • 10 months later...
Guest Tmccarty

My husband's grandfather owned this company and built this mustang, we have the blueprints, advertisements, stock certificates, pictures, etc. Not a lot of stuff, but some pretty interesting reading if anyone is interested. We have been looking for one of these cars that might have survived, I believe that he only made 12 of them. If anyone has anymore information on where one might be we would be very interested.

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Amazing what a simple enquirey on these forums can turn up. From "did anyone ever hear of this car?" to "we have the blueprints" in 21 posts.

Simple enquiry indeed, and from a post that is 7 years old! It amazes me that we still have threads on file from that long ago, plus a search program that allows it to be found! Cool!!!:D

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  • 2 months later...
Guest dreks

I'm going through my fathers papers (finally - he died in 1997) and found this order form-advert. I have no idea why he had it except we had friends in Seattle. post-91954-143141796411_thumb.jpg

post-91954-143141796392_thumb.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
the people at Ford might not have known as it appears to nave been a very small number of cars made and most likely none made it out of Washington state let alone all the way to Michigan

Even so, the name should have been registered with the trademark - copyright office and/or patent office too. Ford legal and research teams are supposed to be on top of these things.

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My husband's grandfather owned this company and built this mustang, we have the blueprints, advertisements, stock certificates, pictures, etc. Not a lot of stuff, but some pretty interesting reading if anyone is interested. We have been looking for one of these cars that might have survived, I believe that he only made 12 of them. If anyone has anymore information on where one might be we would be very interested.

Since you only have one post I am hoping you still read this thread. Yes, could you post some pictures of the car's workings? I would be interested in knowing if it had a separate frame (chassis) and what it looked like? Thanks for the offer!

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Guest Tmccarty
Since you only have one post I am hoping you still read this thread. Yes, could you post some pictures of the car's workings? I would be interested in knowing if it had a separate frame (chassis) and what it looked like? Thanks for the offer!

Hi, Below is a link to most of the paperwork and pictures that I have, you are more than welcome to look at it. I put it up on a sky drive because the files are to big to try and email. Enjoy.

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=2FFEDE1ABA6D05E3!288&authkey=!AP9y6bK1GsxewUA

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  • 1 year later...
Guest viking7

My step-father was a limited partner in the Mustang in 1948 in Seattle. I have two photos of one of the prototypes parked in front of our home in Seattle. I rode in this car and as a 7 year old was very impressed. It was quite roomy. The front seats could swivel around to face rearward.

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must5.jpg

Stop by and visit the brand new TheOldMotor.com and enter The 1948 Mustang in the search box to view an article filled with photos and information about the interesting car.

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