Ford Said to Plan End of Forgotten Mercury After Seven Decades

www.businessweek.com ^ | 5-27-2010 | By Keith Naughton

[Red Badger]

Ford Motor Co. is preparing to wind down the Mercury line, created in 1939 by Edsel Ford, after sales plunged 74 percent since 2000, said two people familiar with the plan.

The automaker’s top executives are preparing a proposal to kill Mercury to be presented to directors in July, said the people, who asked not to be indentified revealing internal discussions. Mercury, losing two of four models next year, will be starved of products and promotion, the people said.

Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally emphasized the automaker’s namesake brand as he revived the only major U.S. automaker to avoid bankruptcy. The timing of Mercury’s demise depends on how fast executives can convince the brand’s dealers, who also sell Lincoln models, to close or merge with Ford showrooms, they said.

“Mercury is a forgotten brand,” said John Wolkonowicz, an auto analyst with IHS Global Insight in Lexington, Massachusetts. “Many Americans probably already think it has been discontinued. Mercury was too similar to Ford from the very beginning.”

Mulally also is unloading Ford’s European luxury brands, after the automaker failed to achieve a goal to have them generate one-third of automotive profits. Ford in March agreed to sell Volvo to China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Co. It sold off Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin in the last three years.

Detroit’s Departed

Mercury would join Pontiac, Saturn, Oldsmobile and Plymouth among the departed Detroit brands of the 21st century. Sales will end within four years, one of the people estimated. General Motors Co., as part of its U.S.-backed reorganization last year, sold or closed four of its eight brands sold domestically.

[RightField]

Very similar to one that we owned. My sister and I each had one of the twin beds in the back, and our parents slept on the "gaucho" in the front. Dad strapped our guitars to the underside of the cabinets above our beds, because he said he wasn't going to take up valuable storage with such nonsense. I used to worry that mine would fall on my head while I was sleeping.

1960 Ambassador of the Road Airstream

[DemonDeac]

The 1693 Monterey!

[Crolis]

That’s one of the reasons I bought a 2008 Milan vs. a 2008 Fusion. The Milan had a more conservative look and a few cosmetic improvements which made it more pleasant to look at. LED tail lamps, projector beam headlights. My wife and I managed to find a 5-speed Milan 4cyl Premier. It is fun to drive and gets great economy.

If I was in the market for an Escape, I’d pick the Mariner in an instant. I think it just looks better.

Plus, not that it matters too much, but I’ve always like amber turn signals instead of red turn signals. Mercury has that, Ford doesn’t seem to. I’ve never really figured out why there’s a difference except that the law allows both colors for turn signals.

[RightField]

Wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy .... ahead of its time.
That caption is on the picture..LOL

[JoeFromSidney]

That song was the first thing that popped into my head when I read of the line being discontinued. I've never owned one, though.

[Myrddin]

My wife liked the "ice blue" color of the Mariner Hybrid. The Escape Hybrid wasn't released yet. The sales manager was "jazzed" that Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from Gilligan's Island) was planning to buy that very vehicle. She lives/works in Driggs, ID. Anyway, we signed the paperwork first. I don't care for the "moon roof". It doesn't have a good, automatic close to "sealed" mode. Not fun when it is whistling on the freeway at 75 MPH. The tow capacity is less than the V6. The mileage claims only hold up at sea level with 75 degree weather. Deviate from those ideals and the mileage suffers significantly. Otherwise, I like it. I would buy another, but non-hybrid and without the moon roof. The 4WD and big wheels are perfect for the roads in Idaho.

[reagan_fanatic]

Nummy num num...

[ßuddaßudd]

Yes, I once owned a red ‘87.
Worst car I ever owned.

[Crolis]

We bought our Milan as a certified used Mercury. We don’t like sunroofs either so we were happy to find one without it.

I am not sold on the hybrids. Before we bought the Mercury, we test drove the Prius and thought it was a rather dull and unexciting experience. No complaints so far about the Mercury.

[tubebender]

My daughter drove a 75 or 76 Mercury Capri V/6 that was made in Germany. It was a bullet proof car until some drunk ran a red light and T-boned them and totaled it. I think she had it 5 years...

[CobraJet]

Daughter has a 07 Milan Premier 4 cyl auto. She loves it. My first car was a 66 Mercury Comet 289 v8 stick shift. Drove it all thru high school and college.

[ecomcon]

hee hee...oops

[bert]

.....Sales will end within four years......

Or perhaps sooner now that the announcement has been made

There might not be any buyers

[Flying Circus]

That Cougar was the coupe version of the Ford Contour.

[CapnJack]

What! No more Mercury’s?!?!?!

I love my old ‘99 Grand Marquis! From my cold dead hands will anyone take it.

Grand Marquis, the best value on the road today.

[Charles Martel]

Anyone remember the XR4Ti?

Hell, yes - I owned one. Great car, once the suspension was stiffened up. FoMoCo pulled the plug on the Euro-Ford imports because of impending passive restraint requirements.

[Red Badger]

The salesman at our local Mercury dealership told me it was based on the Mustang when it first came out...........

[Red Badger]

Shame, Shame (1968)
Magic Lanterns

Love was the game
Fool was my name
I thought youd know wrong from right
But you ran to his arms tonight

Shame, shame
We had a good thing baby
Shame, shame
He doesn’t love you baby
Shame, shame
He’ll only break your heart
And leave you standing out in the rain
Shame, shame

I was your clown
But he’d be around
You call him up on your stage
But he’s acting out every page
Shame, shame
We had a good thing baby

Shame, shame
He doesn’t love you baby
Shame, shame
He’ll only break your heart
And leave you standing out in the rain
Shame, shame

I thought youd know wrong from right
But you ran to his arms tonight

Shame, shame
We had a good thing baby
Shame, shame
He doesn’t love you baby
Shame, shame
He’ll only break your heart
And leave you standing out in the rain
Shame, shame

[commish]

Back in the Good Old Days, when cars still looked cool...I HATE today’s nasty little econoboxes

My 2010 Mustang GT said that it would like to take issue with your statement. ;-) hehe

[Flying Circus]

Hope you didn’t buy a car from him. First sign he was lying through his teeth is that car is FWD while Mustangs are RWD.