Mercury XM-800 ... Redemption!!!

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I know of no clearer picture of the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ than the automotive restoration hobby. Exhibit A: One of the coolest concept cars ever to come out of Detroit - the 1954 Mercury Monterey XM-800.



The XM-800 had a long and chequered history, and had fallen upon hard times. It eventually wound up on eBay, where it had the good fortune to be "adopted" by Tom Maruska of Duluth, Minnesota. These photos illustrate that the XM-800 had undergone a "fall from grace" ...





But Tom acted as a "redeemer" for this rare, fine automobile, and has restored its former glory. Here is his YouTube video about the car:



Eliot and I had the great good fortune to have seen this car "in person" last weekend at the Concours d'Elegance at Meadowbrook. Here are a couple of pictures of the "redeemed" XM-800.





Here is Eliot with the XM-800:





Notice how freely the rear treatment was "borrowed" by the designers of the later Studebaker Hawk!