Thursday 3rd June 2010

Ford Axes Mercury Brand

Struggling US brand Mercury is down, and it won't be rising

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Once Mercury made some nice cars...

Ford's Mercury semi-luxury brand is to be wound down by autumn this year, the US car maker announced yesterday.

The 21st century hasn't been kind to US marques, with the so-called 'Big Three' of Ford, GM and Chrysler mercilessly shedding sub-brands and offshoots in a bid to survive.

But while most European brands have been sold off (Jaguar, Land Rover, Aston Martin, Volvo and Saab), US marques have been culled. In this way the world has seen the recent demise of Saturn, Oldsmobile, Hummer and Pontiac. Now Mercury joins that list.

...now - er - not so much

Mercury has hardly been an inspirational brand in recent times, however. Its entire range now consists of barely warmed-over rebadged Fords, and sales have dwindled from their 1978 peak of 579,498 units to just 92,299 cars last year - so perhaps its death is more of a mercy killing.

Still, now is probably the appropriate time to doff a cap the 71-year-old marque's more impressive performance offerings, of which the 1967 Mercury Cougar (top pic) has to be a highlight.

We've posted a selection of some of Mercury's more interesting and muscular creations below. Let's remember the brand that way...

[soad]

Love the first classic car photo on top right. Off to google more details.

Those old school american muscle cars sure look good!

[sootyrumble]

Love the grilled over headlights so cool :-), American muscle cars just look amazing

[aka_kerrly]

soad said:

Love the first classic car photo on top right. Off to google more details.

Those old school american muscle cars sure look good!

couldnt agree more. There really is something special about the styling of 60s/70s US muscle cars and 'fastbacks'

dave

[anonymous-user]

Steve Miller - "Mercury Blues"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAXyMcUP6UU

"Had my money
I tell you what I’d do
I would go downtown
Buy a Mercury or two
Cause I’m crazy ’bout a Mercury
Cruise up and down this road
Up and down this road
I’m goin’ to buy me a Mercury
And I’ll cruise up and down this road
Up and down this road"

[Frimley111R]

Given the state of the range and the dwindling sales I am surprised that they took so long to ditch it. Some nice old stuff but the brand/range died a long time ago. Mercy killing? Too right.

[r11co]

Most notable memory of Mercury for me was Diana Rigg driving one in the James Bond Film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

[mackie1]

There's a lovely light blue Cougar that attends Classics on the Common every year. Lovely thing. Think posh Mustang.

[Twincam16]

Surely you can't celebrate Mercury without the '49 Club Coupe:



It's a shame really - Ford could have used it to attack BMW, leaving Lincoln as a Rolls-Royce challenger. Instead, they decided to sell Lincoln out, shifting downmarket until Mercury became pointless.

A sad end, but one that's been lingering for years.

[Smartass]

It had to go really. They haven't made a memorable car since the '70s and recent models just devalue the memory of the old ones.

[Riggers]

Twincam16 said:

Surely you can't celebrate Mercury without the '49 Club Coupe:

True enough. So come on then: what else did I miss out? (My knowledge of US cars from the 40s and 50s is rather shaky, I'll freely admit.)

[V88Dicky]

First Pontiac, now Mercury.


Sad times

[Stu R]

Ahhh the Mercury 8, one of my favourite looking cars ever once they've had a few bits of 'hot rodding' done

[B10]

Obviously Ford have been suffering from Mercury poisoning.

[anonymous-user]

IMO not particularly sad or any great surprise? Saturn, Oldsmobile, Hummer, Pontiac and Mercury haven't made anything decent in years. You cant trade on history alone.

[qube_TA]

I thought this brand had been culled years ago.

Still find it odd that the US had so many brands that essentially made identical products (usually on the same production lines) to do nothing but compete with each other.

[ptopman]

I think their latest models like the MKS and MKX are quite good looking in their own way.

Wait, those are from Lincoln and not Mercury? Nothing to see here, move along then...

More seriously, my only experience came from a summer way back then when we rented a car to see the eastern coast of US. We got a Ford Taurus or its Mercury equivalent (Sable) and it was alright I suppose, I don't remember much about how it was to ride in it.

What I do remember is that when we got a flat tyre, we were given a new car. This time the car was swapped for its sister model (so Mercury Sable if we started with a Taurus or vice versa). What was amazing is that now our luggage would no longer fit the trunk! You'd figure that the trunks would be perfectly identical to keep costs down.

I still have no idea why Ford would build two so very similar vehicles that cannot have helped broaden the car's appeal to some different market and yet still destroy economies of scale.

[Black S2K]

qube_TA said:

I thought this brand had been culled years ago.

Still find it odd that the US had so many brands that essentially made identical products (usually on the same production lines) to do nothing but compete with each other.

You could argue the same about VAG, although admittedly the brands are better differntiated.

Remember too that the Japanese had different ranges for differing dealer chains.

It's counter-intuitive, but it does seem to increse sales for little additional cost. IF you do it right; cf. Lexus (right) and Acura (wrong). SEAT ought also to have been killed years ago, too.

[rob.e]

Riggers said:

Twincam16 said:

Surely you can't celebrate Mercury without the '49 Club Coupe:

True enough. So come on then: what else did I miss out? (My knowledge of US cars from the 40s and 50s is rather shaky, I'll freely admit.)

The basis for the "lead sled" type custom (there's one in "gone in 60 seconds"):

[unpc]

Black S2K said:

You could argue the same about VAG, although admittedly the brands are better differntiated.

Are they? Some models perhaps. To my eyes VAG are in the same leaky boat of too many brands doing the same job.

Edited by unpc on Thursday 3rd June 16:55

[mikeyv]

BMC/BL were the same in the 60s/70s.

Minis were branded, Morris, Austin, Riley and Wolseley, the Farina saloons were Austin, Morris, MG, Riley and Wolseley, then later the 1100 came in Austin, Morris, Riley and Wolseley.

The Rootes group also had Hillman Minx/Hunter, Singer Vogue, Sunbeam Rapier and Humber Sceptre versions of the same basic car.

I'll stop there, I'm starting to bore myself