Cruise Along in Your Classic 1949, 1950, or 1951 Mercury or Lincoln with the Brewtown Cruisers Mercury Car Club in Wisconsin
For the classic Mercury and Lincoln fans of Wisconsin, a club that is sure to be a favorite is the Brewtown Cruisers Mercury Car Club. The Brewtown Cruisers Club focuses on Mercury and Lincoln models from the years 1949, 1950, and 1951, whether the cars are stock, modified, restored, or customized. With exciting events and car shows, members can enjoy year round fun and soak in all the historical facts about their most-loved automobiles.
About the Brewtown Cruisers Mercury Car Club
The club was founded in 1980 in the state of Wisconsin to honor Mercury and Lincoln automobiles that were produced from three specific years – 1949, 1950, and 1951. It's a non-profit organization that welcomes every style of cars from these particular years. Members are required to own a model from one of these years to join. The club hosts an annual car show and donates the show proceedings to a charity of choice each year.
Members get together to attend events in several states including Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, and Iowa. As they cruise to events in their unique cars, they always draw attention.
The club was founded by Ron Maleu when he decided to get a small group of Mercury fans together for a Saturday cruise. The first cruise was held at the Nite Owl Drive-In on the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The cruise was so successful that Ron was inspired to start a club that would be dedicated to Mercury and Lincoln models from those three years. The club started with 10 members, who became charter members of the club.
The club's by-laws were formed and an official name was chosen - the Brewtown Cruisers Mercury Car Club. Ron Maleu became the club's first president; he was president for nine years and then became vice president for five years. The club has grown over the years, and new members are always welcome. Club operations are conducted by elected officers including a president, vice president, treasurer, and secretary.
Why Those Particular Mercury and Lincoln Models?
The club honors Mercury and Lincoln models from three specific years (1949, 1950, and 1951) because these are the only models in Ford history when the two cars shared a common body style. The Mercury was introduced in 1939 basically as a Ford with a longer wheelbase, more detailed appointments, and a larger engine. For the post WWII model lineup, Ford wanted to produce six lines of cars including a small and big Ford, small and big Mercury, a standard size Lincoln called the Zephyr, and a Continental.
When Henry Ford II became president of the company after WWII, he felt six car lines were not needed and sent the small Ford model to France. The company redesigned a model to take the place of the big Ford. The big Ford model actually became the Mercury, while the Zephyr became the "baby Lincoln." There was also a Lincoln Cosmopolitan, which made four total model lines of Fords that year. These three years brought about uniqueness for Mercury and Lincoln, so the club specializes in these only.
Membership Benefits
Members of the Brewtown Cruisers Club enjoy events and activities throughout the year along with meetings and car restoration help. Annual dues are required to join as well as ownership of one of the recognized cars. Those who are not residents of Milwaukee may also join. The club publishes a monthly newsletter called the Mercrews News, which keeps all members, locally and abroad, up-to-date with club happenings.
Thrilling Club Events
The club hosts an annual car show in May at the Nite Owl Drive-In located on East Layton Avenue in Milwaukee. There are usually 50 beautiful classics present along with DJ music and entertainment, and other fun stuff. The club hosted its 25th show in 2005.
Other events members can attend with the club include MSRA's Back to the 50s, Merc-Deuce ReUnion, Kustoms of America's Tater Town Mashionals, Kustoms of America's Mid Central Nationals, Midwest Lowriders Car Show, Spud City Nationals, the James Dean Run, Kustom Kemps of America's Leadsled Spectaculars, and the Ducktail Run.
The Brewtown Cruisers Club Website
At the club's official website, one can find information and history on Mercury and Lincoln models, resources, events information, and a great photo gallery. There's a history section on Canadian models, in which the "Meteor" or "Monarch" nameplates are explained. Members can submit photos of their cars to be posted at the site. The site offers many photos from past events as well. A list of club officers can be found at the site along with membership information. The club's site provides links to various websites of interest including magazines, other clubs, nostalgia sites, parts vendors, associations, and museums.
With the Brewtown Cruisers Club, Mercury and Lincoln fans that enjoy cars from this unique time period will discover many treasures along the way.
