What was the point of Mercury?

[Rollo]

http://www.ford.com/doc/20100602_customer_letter.pdf
You may already have heard about an important announcement we made recently to end production of Mercury branded vehicles by the end of this year.

Given that Ford under its own badge has a very long sporting pedigree extending into rallying, F1, Touring Car racing, NASCAR et al. and that Lincoln is really Ford's luxury brand in the US, my opening question remains:
What was the point of Mercury?

Mercury didn't really seem to have much of a reason to exist at all. It appeared to be little more than a badging exercise, but for what reason? What was the rational behind creating the brand in the first place?

[Hondo]

Just another level of choice to satisfy the buyer. Mercurys were generally more luxurious than Fords but cheaper than Lincolns. In the beginning, there were often major differences between the divisions of GM, Ford and Chrysler. As corporate inbreeding set in, the differences became not much more than badges and trim packages and it made poor economical sense to keep all the divisions open. At one time you could pay a couple of thousand for a Chevrolet Cavalier or pay bunches of thousands for a Cadillac Cimarron and have, for all practical purposes, the same car except one was a Cadillac. Bragging rights.

[veeten]

Mercury was the mid-level arm of Ford Motor Co. It's similar to what Buick presently is to GM (with the closure of both Oldsmobile and Pontiac), for those that wanted more than the Chevrolet models but couldn't afford Cadillac. Mid-level managers and professionals usually bought them.

[Easy Drifter]

For many years we had in Canada Meteors and Monarchs. The Meteor was a Ford with different trim and a few different options.
The Monarch was a Mercury with the same sort of differences.
At one time the bottom line Pontiacs in Canada were just Chevs with slightly different trim etc. We also had the proper Pontiacs.
The idea was to give Cdns. a 'Cdn.' car and it worked to some extent.
Even today a GMC Pickup or Van is the same as a Chev except for trim and nameplate.

[Bob Riebe]

Mercurys were, for a long time, larger than Fords, giving them a distinct market.

Back then people did not have to buy a truck or an ute to haul things, having a slightly larger car could make a big difference to a family.

As was said before, it was similar to how Buick was ranked in GM but with gradually less and less separation over the years.

The Ford Motor companies MEL engine was the last one that was never used in a Ford. It was strictly for Mercury, Edsel, Lincoln.

[airshifter]

The Ford Motor companies MEL engine was the last one that was never used in a Ford. It was strictly for Mercury, Edsel, Lincoln.

I heard that for years from a number of sources, but the Ford Thunderbirds used one of the MEL engines for a couple of model years.

Some of the old Mercurys were very unique to their age, and quite impressive iron. A few years back there were several older cars at a show down at the beach. I was completely shocked when one of the guys fired the car. Big lopey cam sounding, and he swore it was all bone stock.

[Bob Riebe]

I heard that for years from a number of sources, but the Ford Thunderbirds used one of the MEL engines for a couple of model years.

Some of the old Mercurys were very unique to their age, and quite impressive iron. A few years back there were several older cars at a show down at the beach. I was completely shocked when one of the guys fired the car. Big lopey cam sounding, and he swore it was all bone stock.
You are correct, but the T-bird was not simply just part of the Ford line, it was unique to itself, at least for awhile.

If you look at some race results back in the fifties to early sixties, often the engine will be listed as Thunderbird, or Lincoln V-8s not Ford.

[Bob Riebe]

I heard that for years from a number of sources, but the Ford Thunderbirds used one of the MEL engines for a couple of model years.

Some of the old Mercurys were very unique to their age, and quite impressive iron. A few years back there were several older cars at a show down at the beach. I was completely shocked when one of the guys fired the car. Big lopey cam sounding, and he swore it was all bone stock.
You are correct, but the T-bird was not simply just part of the Ford line, it was unique to itself, at least for awhile.

If you look at some race results back in the fifties to early sixties, often the engine will be listed as Thunderbird, or Lincoln V-8s not Ford.
The racing T-birds before Ford canned the program, were written about as having Lincoln V-8s.

[Mark]

It doesn't serve any useful purpose except for when it was studied in order to prove the Theory of Relativity.

[Mark in Oshawa]

All Marketing.....and in today's world, kind of silly....

I do know this much, out of the Big 3 American makers, it is Ford that seems to have had their poop in a group the best.....

[schmenke]

Mercurys were, for a long time, larger than Fords, giving them a distinct market....

I thought that the Mercs were physically the same size, although the Mercs generally had larger (bore?) engine than their equivalent Ford?
I recall the Mercury Marquis sedan had a 429 c.i. lump whereas the Ford LTD had "only" a 400 :uhoh:

[Jag_Warrior]

It doesn't serve much of a purpose now... which is why Mulally has decided to kill it. But at one time it was the cool car brand. Not so much sporty, but sort of a hip/quasi luxury brand. My dad had a couple of Mercurys in the early 50's (before he met my mother). And from what his surviving friends tell me, he was "a man about town" in those cars. It's funny to hear stories from other people and find out that at one time, your dad was cool & hip... likely cooler and hipper than I've ever been. :dozey:

Anyway, back in the day (I hate that phrase... but it does apply here), the Mercs were lower and more stylish than the related Fords. Now they're just Fords with slightly different grills and what not. No real difference. Time to go.

[Bob Riebe]

I thought that the Mercs were physically the same size, although the Mercs generally had larger (bore?) engine than their equivalent Ford?
I recall the Mercury Marquis sedan had a 429 c.i. lump whereas the Ford LTD had "only" a 400 :uhoh:
By that point in time, they morphed/ing into same car, different body panels.

My one grand-father came home once with a new Ford, my grand-mother told him she did not want that damn small Ford, so he had to take it back and exchange it, at a loss, for a Mercury.
Both were the full-size offerings of their lines.

Once reason Mercury was often run in NASCAR in the seventies, was they had a significantly more aerodynamic shape.

[airshifter]

You are correct, but the T-bird was not simply just part of the Ford line, it was unique to itself, at least for awhile.

If you look at some race results back in the fifties to early sixties, often the engine will be listed as Thunderbird, or Lincoln V-8s not Ford.
The racing T-birds before Ford canned the program, were written about as having Lincoln V-8s.

I know the 429 in the early T-Birds were labeled as "Thunderjet". I'm not sure about the other engines. My first car was a '68 T-Bird with the 429, and my father was the original owner. Torque monster of an engine.

I had a friend with a '66, and another friend with a '65. We had a neighbor that was president of some T-Bird club, and lots of variety to be seen. :D

[Hondo]

I know the 429 in the early T-Birds were labeled as "Thunderjet". I'm not sure about the other engines. My first car was a '68 T-Bird with the 429, and my father was the original owner. Torque monster of an engine.

I had a friend with a '66, and another friend with a '65. We had a neighbor that was president of some T-Bird club, and lots of variety to be seen. :D

We had a neighbor that wouldn't pee on a Ford if it was on fire until he saw the 67 Thunderbird. He bought a '68 (same body style) and loved that car. He had the suicide doors. Very cool. Quite swoopy looking for a large sedan.

[Hondo]

The original RX-7 Cougars would give you a run for the money and more than a few drag racers ran them.

[Hondo]

The real point of Mercury was to have commercials where Catherine Deneuve purred "meow" at the end.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Now Fiero..what would you know? You are dumb...Glauistean told me so!!! lmao...

[Hondo]

Now Fiero..what would you know? You are dumb...Glauistean told me so!!! lmao...

Not dumb, merely had a bad or no education. But I can copy my name correctly.

[Tazio]

It doesn't serve much of a purpose now... which is why Mulally has decided to kill it. But at one time it was the cool car brand. Not so much sporty, but sort of a hip/quasi luxury brand. My dad had a couple of Mercurys in the early 50's (before he met my mother). And from what his surviving friends tell me, he was "a man about town" in those cars. It's funny to hear stories from other people and find out that at one time, your dad was cool & hip... likely cooler and hipper than I've ever been. :dozey:

Anyway, back in the day (I hate that phrase... but it does apply here), the Mercs were lower and more stylish than the related Fords. Now they're just Fords with slightly different grills and what not. No real difference. Time to go. :s ailor: You have that right slick

PAXyMcUP6UU&feature=artist

[airshifter]

We had a neighbor that wouldn't pee on a Ford if it was on fire until he saw the 67 Thunderbird. He bought a '68 (same body style) and loved that car. He had the suicide doors. Very cool. Quite swoopy looking for a large sedan.

Mine was the 4 door with the suidice rear doors as well. I always thought that with a slightly lowered roofline and front end they could have been one wicked looking custom.

A lot of those earlier Thunderbirds had some really cool and somewhat unique features. The flip up headlight covers, sequential rear turn signals, wrap around rear seat, suicide rear doors and such were all cool things on the car. Starting in '67 the steering wheel column tilted both up and to the right at about a 45 degree angle when you opened the door, so you could step further into the car and get out easier. Some of the earlier models had a similar feature, but the entire column slid to the right several inches.