HARRY ROBERTSON AND HIS FASCINATION

Harry Robertson of Richmond, B.C., is fascinated with the big mercury’s of the 1950’s, especially the 1957 Mercury and Monarch series called the “Big M”, when the car manufacturer sponsored the popular Ed Sullivan show on T.V.

Harry’s interest has spanned the spectrum of lovingly restoring them (and presently owns three) to driving them in Demolition Derbies at Callister Park in the 1960’s when you just had to have the biggest, strongest car of all!

I.C.B.C. just bestowed the biggest honour of all by placing Harry’s latest restoration project, a 1957 Monarch Turnpike Cruiser, on the cover of the 2000 calendar. Over 400,000 copies have already been distributed and there are less than 100 copies left in head office. Pick one up at your Auto Plan agent’s office.

Now Harry can turn his attention to getting the car ready for the annual Vancouver Motorsport Show on March 3, 4 & 5, 2000 at the Pacific Coliseum. In a bit of irony the Coliseum is located directly across Renfrew Street from Callister Park, the scene of 48 demolition derby events over five years, from 1966 through 1970.

Harry Robertson saw a 1957 Mercury Turnpike for the first time at a Prince George car dealership when he got out of the army in 1956. He was impressed with the appearance and size and that impression is still with him 44 years later.

From 1967 through 1987, over a span of 21 years, Harry entered 159 cars in demolition derbies. He has 129 trophies, which is a testament to how good a driver he actually was. The size of the car ranged from a Morris Oxford, in a small car demolition derby, to a big Lincoln for a heavyweight match. One of his memory highlights is a race in which his car rolled over but he still won the event. Another highlight is when he had one of the 29 Mercuries, all in one giant event, which is an all time record.

Harry entered a total of eight Mercuries of his 159 cars. Most of his cars were 1953 Chevs when they were plentiful and later 1963 Fords when they were plentiful, cheap to buy and strong enough for the competition at that time.

When fellow racer Angelo DeMitri got married in 1989, Ron Blizzard and Harry Robertson were also at the wedding and they all drove older Mercury cars. The three had all been top drivers at Callister Park and later at the P.N.E.’s World’s Largest Demolition Derby series from 1972 through 1987. They decided right then and there to form a car club for Mercury owners and they did. It now has 51 members.

Harry, and his wife Loreen, have been married and lived in Richmond for 30 years. They have a daughter Diane and a son Steve (from Loreen’s previous marriage) and a son Lance. Diane and her husband Gary have two daughters. Loreen is a car enthusiast also and goes to most of the car events with Harry. She is the proud editor of the “Big “M” Car Club” monthly newsletter.

When Harry needed a part for his original black 1957 Mercury, he ended up phoning a supplier in Detroit. This person told him about a person in Michigan who had a Mercury car for sale and was only the second owner. Harry said no, he had more than enough cars (5 or 6 at that time) and besides that other car was 2,000 miles away. The guy persisted, but Harry resisted.

Eventually, after four phone calls, it was mentioned in an offhand remark that it was too bad as the car was Canadian and Harry was Canadian. Canadian? Harry’s interest immediately picked up. Yes, it was originally from Ontario and from the original owner. Harry asked the agent if it was a Monarch, it was, and the seed was planted.

Harry and his friend, Doug Smith, both took a week off work. Doug’s truck and race car trailer were on their way across the country to bring back a car, sight unseen.

The car was exactly what Harry wanted. He brought it home and spent the next several years and $20,000.00 restoring it to perfection. The story doesn’t end there though. After it was on the road, curiosity got the better of Harry and he decided to check on the original registration to see if he indeed was the third owner of a 44 year old car. He was!

In fact, the original owner purchased the car from Brown Bros. Ford in Vancouver before moving to Ontario. Harry has travelled 4,500 miles to find an unusual car that had been in the same city as him for so many years. It is like his demolition derby experience at Callister Park at the P.N.E. Pait and now in a custom automotive show at the same facility. Very ironic.

With three cars now all restored and in the garage, what keeps Harry busy? Well, he has now discovered automotive memorabilia and is busy collecting. Collecting Mercury memorabilia, of course. He has found a 1957 Mercury pocket lighter, copies of the Ed Sullivan show Mercury commercials on VCR tape, die cast Mercury cars and plastic Mercury models. Harry has even gone the route of having scale model craftsman, Jack Johnson, replicate all three of his 1957 Mercury and Monarch cars in exact detail and 1/24th scale.

In 1957 the manufacturers and car dealers liked to display the latest, prestigious models on the showroom floor on turntables, Harry is just finishing his own turntable. But not for his big toy, but his small toy. He has taken the centre out of a duplicate air cleaner and installed an old record player turntable in it, so he can put a die cast Mercury on it to rotate during the Vancouver Motorsport Show.

See this avid Mercury car enthusiast from March 3, 4 & 5, 2000 at the Vancouver Motorsport Show at the Pacific Coliseum.