We are the
BREWTOWN CRUISERS

The Brewtown Cruisers Mercury Car Club is a non-profit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Wisconsin in 1980.

The club is dedicated to the preservation and restoration
of all 1949-1950-1951 Mercury and Lincoln automobiles.
Every model and style is welcome including original,
restored, custom and modified.

Ownership of a 1949-1950-1951 Mercury or Lincoln automobile
is a requirement for membership.

Dues are $20 per year. Each member participates in club activities
and functions when and if they desire. We have members
outside the Milwaukee area who are kept up to date on the
club's activities through our monthly newsletter,
the "Mercrews News". Our common bond is our
love for this great automobile.

Each May we host our annual car show at the Nite Owl Drive-In
on East Layton Avenue in Milwaukee. Participation is limited
to 50 cars with members given first priority to attend.
Our regular DJ "Slick Rick" spins 45's late into the evening.
No trophies or awards are given to distract from the good
time get together. All proceeds from the show are donated
to a selected charity each year.

In 2005 we celebrated our 25th Annual show.
Over 30 Mercurys & Lincoln cruised to
The Nite Owl Drive-In for the show.


We attend many events as a group and have cruised our
Mercs to events in Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana,
and Minnesota. Some of the shows we've attended have been
the last 2 Merc-Deuce ReUnions, MSRA's "Back to the 50's",
The Midwest Lowriders Car Show,
Kustoms Of America's Tater Town Mashionals,
Kustoms Of America's Mid Central Nationals,
The Spud City Nationals, The James Dean Run,
The Ducktail Run, and the
Kustom Kemps Of America's Leadsled Spectaculars,
We never fail to draw attention when we
are cruisin' down the interstate.

BREWTOWN'S HISTORY

In May of 1980, Ron Maleu invited a small group of Mercury
lovers to join him for a Saturday cruise to the Nite Owl Drive-In
on Milwaukee's south side.

The cruise was a success. It gave Ron the inspiration to form
a club dedicated to 1949-1950-1951 Mercurys.
That group of ten Mercury enthusiasts became the charter
members of the newly formed club.
After a set of By-Laws were drawn up, a name was chosen for
the club. Since that time we have been known as
The Brewtown Cruisers Mercury Car Club.

Ron Maleu was elected the first President and led the club
for over 9 years. He stepped down in 1989 but remained the
Vice President for 5 more years. Ron's wife Joan was the
founding secretary, serving the club for it's first 9 years.
The current president, Bob Slavens, was elected in 1989
after serving 3 years as Vice President.

Many members have come and gone over the years,
each one having a genuine interest and enthusiasm for the
1949-1950-1951 Mercury Automobile. We have not lost our
love of this special automobile and continue to encourage the
preservation of this great car and the era it represents.
We welcome new members who share our common interest.

MERCURY HISTORY

Since the introduction of the Mercury in 1939, it's identity
has been intertwined with the Ford automobile. Mercurys were
Fords with longer wheel bases, larger engines and richer
appointments. Even today, many models of the Ford and
Mercury line are virtually the same car with different grilles
and tail lights sporting different names.

Planning for their post WWII lineup of cars, the Ford
Motor Company envisioned it's 1949 lineup to be six car lines,
a small Ford, a big Ford, a small Mercury, a big Mercury, a
standard Lincoln (Zephyr) and the Continental. After WWII,
Henry Ford II took over leadership of the Ford Motor
Company and saw no need for 6 car lines. The small Ford
was sent to France where it became the Vedette. The big Ford
was deemed to large to compete, price wise, with the Chevrolet
so a new Ford was hastily design to fill that spot. The larger
Ford became the new Mercury. The proposed Zephyr became
the baby Lincoln, while Lincoln Cosmopolitan completed the 4
car lineup for 1949. Those three years from 1949 to 1951 are
the only time Mercury and Lincoln shared a common body
styling. Because of that fact, we welcome Mercurys
big brother, the 1949-1950-1951 Lincoln into our club.

The Mercury is truly a symbol of the 50's, made into a icon
of that era by James Dean when he cruised a "Mild" custom
1949 Mercury coupe in the movie "Rebel Without A Cause".
The Mercury was reportedly customized by George Barris.
Other then being nosed & decked, it was not chopped
or channeled as many people think.
It was just a "Cool" 1949 MERCURY.