The 1954 Mercury Monterey Sun Valley known as 'Aunt Bea'

The 1954 Mercury Monterey Sun Valley known as 'Aunt Bea'

(Jeff Giles, KSL.com Contributor)


7 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

Editor's note: This is part of a series at KSL.com featuring some of Utah's coolest cars. If you own a customized vehicle — from sports cars to semitrucks — email jormond@deseretdigital.com with a photo of the vehicle and a brief description for consideration.LOGAN — Before 1954, when it came to a car's roof you only had two options: hardtop or convertible.

When the Mercury Monterey Sun Valley was released that year, it introduced a convertible experience by implementing a plexiglass roof that allowed you to drive in the rain without the fear of your interior, ora yourself, getting wet. It also gave the customer a way to enjoy their surroundings more fully, see the stars in the night sky, and be warmed by the sun on any given day.

This particular model of Mercury was restored by Dennis Jensen, of Preston, Idaho.

At seventy years young, Jensen has been retired for eight years and able to fully put his time into his passion for restoring cars. All of the work on the Mercury, with the exception of a few things like the interior and engine, was done by Jensen. From the frame to the roof, his stunning Sun Valley was put together piece by piece in his backyard body shop.

While Dennis and his wife, Jerri Jensen, currently reside in Preston, they regularly show the car around Cache Valley and up and down the Wasatch Front. It seems like every show they enter, "Aunt Bea" takes either a Best in Show or a People's Choice award, which goes to show what a craftsman Jensen is.

The glass roof on the 1954 Mercury Monterey Sun Valley allows the driver and passengers to take in everything around them while having just enough tint to protect them from the sun. This Sun Valley, named Aunt Bae, was restored by Dennis Jensen of Preston, Idaho. (Photo: Jeff Giles, KSL.com Contributor)
The glass roof on the 1954 Mercury Monterey Sun Valley allows the driver and passengers to take in everything around them while having just enough tint to protect them from the sun. This Sun Valley, named Aunt Bae, was restored by Dennis Jensen of Preston, Idaho. (Photo: Jeff Giles, KSL.com Contributor)

Aunt Bea's name came about one day as Jensen and his business associate, Doug, were in the shop discussing the project.

"I wanted to name the car Superman or Elephant Boy, but out of nowhere came Aunt Bea; and that was it. It just stuck," Jensen said.

Jensen purchased the car four years ago; but according to Jerri, he'd been pushing the previous owner to sell him the Mercury for four years prior to that. He fell in love with the glass roof and the unique nature of the car. The restoration was completed in May 2018, and the Jensen's couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. Originally skeptical of the purchase, Jerri has since fallen in love with Aunt Bea.

The 1954 Mercury Sun Valley was featured on the cover of MotorTrend magazine in January of 1954. This Sun Valley, named Aunt Bae, was restored by Dennis Jensen of Preston, Idaho. (Photo: Jeff Giles, KSL.com Contributor)
The 1954 Mercury Sun Valley was featured on the cover of MotorTrend magazine in January of 1954. This Sun Valley, named Aunt Bae, was restored by Dennis Jensen of Preston, Idaho. (Photo: Jeff Giles, KSL.com Contributor)

It features a 292 Y-block V-8 engine and has the original Merc-O-Matic transmission. The car was only produced in 1954 and halfway through 1955, but in that time 1,787 units were produced.

Jensen has owned a handful of cars throughout his life, but this one is special.

"When he was younger, he would buy a car and fix it up. But usually right after he finished, one of his kids needed braces or something else and he would have to sell it in order to pay for them," said Jerri, "This is really one of the first cars that's truly his."

Dennis and Jerri plan to drive the Sun Valley for many years to come, and hopefully, take home many more Best in Show awards along the way. If you happen to see the Jensen's driving their beautiful car around Cache Valley, give them a wave and appreciate the beautifully crafted glass roof that paved the way for the modern-day sunroof.

Cool Cars:


![Jeff Giles](https://img.ksl.com/slc/2744/274472/27447201\.jpg?filter=ksl/65x65)
About the Author: Jeff Giles ----------------------------

Jeff Giles is a current student at Utah State University and avid car enthusiast. He may be contacted at jeffgiles94@gmail.com.

Photos

Related stories

Most recent Lifestyle stories

Related topics

LifestyleUtah

STAY IN THE KNOW

Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast