The writing has been on the wall for Mercury for some time. While in the past year there had been some signals otherwise, Ford is getting ready to phase out its 71-year old Mercury brand. Ford’s CEO Alan Mulally and his top lieutenants have finally swayed key Ford family members to the realities that Mercury’s time has come. The Ford board of directors is expected to vote this week and make it final according to wide- reports in the news including the Detroit News and the Wall Street Journal

Mercury sales have dwindled in the past decades as the brand had become nothing more than a trim level for virtually identical Ford cars and trucks. Envisioned as a mid-level brand between Ford and Lincoln, Mercury had some great years in the 1960’s and 1970’s when their models were more differentiated from Fords. But in the age of badge engineering in the 1980’s and 1990’s the brand had lost its identity and really its appeal. “Mercury is a brand that has lost its meaning in the American automotive marketplace and it isn’t worth trying to change that,” Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl stated.

Since Alan Mulally joined Ford, Mercury has only received a couple new models. One was the Sable twin to the Ford Taurus in 2008. That model was dropped in 2009 when the new 2010 Ford Taurus was unveiled. The Mercury Mountaineer will go out of production when the all new 2011 Ford Explorer starts at year’s end. The long in tooth Grand Marquis twin to the Crown Victoria will also cease production this year.

That leaves only the Milan, and Mariner in Mercury showrooms with no other new models on the drawing boards. There was news last year that Ford planned to launch a sporty Mercury coupe based on the new 2012 Ford Focus but word is that project has been cancelled.

What this means to Ford’s recovery is unknown other than the move to close the Mercury brand will enable more focus on Ford and Lincoln products. Dealer reaction in mixed. Ford plans to pare down and combine franchises, weeding out some of the weaker stand alone Lincoln-Mercury stores. With sales having dropped off so much in the past few years even in the face of the current recovery, it is not likely to have a negative effect on the larger bottom line.

The closing of Mercury will add the brand to the scrap heap of other American lines that have closed in the past decade. This includes Plymouth,. Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn, and Hummer.

 

I like the way the writer say "Ford’s recovery" when Ford didn't require a bailout. Ford didn't lose ground or sales. What recovery..??

I don't think anyone will miss Mercury...

 

Whats a Mercury? lol

But I agree, no one will miss it.

 

Got to do what you go to do. Donn't think it will be missed much considering it was catering to those that wanted a luxurious affordable ride.
Just think,Mercury started life in Canada first to introduce Fords vehicle here as they could not at the time use the Ford brand name in Canada.Can't remeber why,but i have read it somewhere,just don't remember where??!!
And nowit's based in the U.S.

 

The recovery of them losing billions of dollars during the downturn/recession and now paying off a huge debt!

 

^^^exactly^^^ oh what Mercury?

 

But Ford still didn't need a bailout.. and in Canada Ford did quite well...('course Canada didn't suffer the recession the US did... still is) much better run company than either GM or Chrysler.

I still think Chrysler should have been allowed to go under. Not one vehicle is recommended except the pickup and only after some years it has now crawled up to average and yet still the worst of the pickups.