mercury
Mercury was an American automotive manufacturing division of the Ford Motor Company. The Mercury marque was pitched as a middle-point for Ford, with its premium/upscale models bridging the gap between Ford’s economy fare and Lincoln‘s luxury cars. This made Mercury comparable to the Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick brands of General Motors, which were priced between Chevrolet economy cars and Cadillac luxury models.
Mercury was founded as part of a Ford Motor Company initiative to establish more brands that could rival the expansive lineup offered by GM. Named after the Roman god, the first model from the marque was the Mercury Eight full-size car which debuted at the 1938 New York Auto Show.
Due to difficulties in modernizing its image and attracting younger buyers, Mercury sales began to suffer in the 2000s. Despite attempts to keep it profitable with new models and advertising campaigns, Ford decided to focus on Ford and Lincoln models, and Mercury closed down in 2011.
Featured Vehicle: Grand Marquis
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Notable Mercury Vehicles:
Cars:
Monarch: A compact car sold as a two-door coupe and four-door sedan
Milan: A midsize sedan named after the Italian city and produced alongside the Ford Fusion
Sable: A range of midsize and full-size cars that replaced the Marquis
Montclair: A range of full-size sedans, also offered in coupe and convertible variants
Marauder: A range of high-performance sports cars
Capri: A range of sports cars and pony cars (muscle cars)
Cougar: A muscle car model alternative to the Ford Mustang
Grand Marquis: A premium and upscale version of the Marquis full-size sedan, and also the last Mercury model ever produced
SUVs and Minivans:
Mariner: A compact SUV and sibling for the Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute
Mountaineer: A midsize SUV and luxury counterpart to the Ford Explorer
Monterey: A minivan that replaced the Villager, originally sold as a full-size car
Villager: The first Mercury minivan model
Consumer Research:
- Comfort: 3 Worst Mercury Models That Spelled Death for the Brand
- Hybrids: It’s Possible to Get a Great Hybrid Car for Under $10,000
- Performance: The Mercury Mountaineer Could Never Compete With the Ford Explorer
- Reliability: Mercury Grand Marquis Rises From the Dead to Make Forbes List
- Safety: Huge Recall: 3 Million Ford, Mercury, Lincoln Vehicles Recalled
- Technology: What Was the Last Car Mercury Made?
