Hollywood's Retired 1951 Mercury Eight Is Looking for a New OwnerMercury may be gone today, but the brand once produced some of the most coveted metal for the custom and hot rod scene. While names like the Cougar and Grand Marquis tend to dominate Mercury nostalgia, the model that started it all, the Eight, is quietly one of the most prized canvases for builders. A particularly special example, with a genuine Hollywood resume, has just surfaced at auction.When Mercury arrived in late 1938, it was conceived as a bridge between Ford and Lincoln, and the Eight became the fledgling division's very first car. Slotting neatly between the Ford Deluxe and the Lincoln Zephyr, it launched for 1939 and ran through three distinct generations. The original carried on into 1941 before a thorough redesign, production paused during the war years, and the nameplate returned for a final third-generation run from 1949 to 1951. After that, the Monterey took over the top spot. Every Eight relied on Ford's legendary Flathead V8, which is a big part of why the last of the breed remains a hot rod favorite.This 1951 two-door coupe is best described as a mild hot rod. From across the lot it reads as a tasteful, mostly stock classic, but a closer look reveals a handful of subtle day-two upgrades. What really sets it apart, though, is its time in front of the camera. The car was gifted in 1968 to Ed Spielman, the writer and producer behind the Emmy-winning series Kung Fu, and it went on to appear in two films: the 1974 comedy The Lords of Flatbush, featuring a young Sylvester Stallone, and 1976's Next Stop, Greenwich Village, with Lenny Baker and Christopher Walken.AdvertisementAdvertisementSpielman later commissioned a multi-year restoration that wrapped up in 2014, and the finished coupe earned the Best Touring Car honor at the Ventura Motorsports Gathering Concours. It is easy to see why. The two-tone gray-and-black paint is accented with burgundy pinstriping, the cabin is trimmed in gray leather, and the overall presentation stays refreshingly close to factory. The few modern touches, including 15-inch wheels, disc brakes, and a set of aftermarket gauges, are restrained rather than radical.Under the hood, the original Flathead V8 remains, but it has been rebuilt and bored out from its factory 255 cubic inches (4.2 liters) to 276 cubic inches (4.5 liters). The build sheet includes Ross Racing pistons, a Scat crankshaft, a Holley four-barrel carburetor, and a pair of polished Offenhauser aluminum heads. The result is said to be north of 200 horsepower, a healthy bump over the 110 horsepower the Eight made when new.For anyone drawn to mild customs with a side of celebrity history, this Mercury is currently crossing the block on Bring a Trailer, where it was sitting at a high bid of $10,000 with several days left to run. The car is located in Scottsdale, Arizona.⚡️ Read the full article on MotoriousSign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.