In 1937, Edsel Ford began work on Mercury in contrast with Lincoln-Zephyr and DeLuxe Ford, Mercury was developed as a completely new brand. For 1938, De Luxe Ford became a sub-marque of Ford, offering a higher-price V8 car with a model-specific interior and exterior trim. For 1936, Lincoln-Zephyr was introduced as a sub-marque of Lincoln, giving the line a V12 car competing against the LaSalle and Buick, the Chrysler Airstream and Airflow, and the Packard One-Twenty. To address the gap between Ford and Lincoln, Ford Motor Company launched its own version of the late 1920s General Motors Companion Make Program, leading the company to expand from two nameplates to five by the end of the decade.

In contrast to the Ford V8, the Model K was among the most expensive vehicles built and sold in the United States, rivaled in price by the Cadillac V-12 (and V-16), Duesenberg Model J, and the flagship lines of Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce. In contrast to the comprehensive line of brands from General Motors (seven) and Chrysler Corporation (four), Ford offered its Ford Standard/DeLuxe V8 range and the Lincoln Model K. In 1935, Ford offered only its namesake brand and the cars of its Lincoln Motor Company division. ĭuring the mid-1930s, under the leadership of Edsel Ford, Ford Motor Company discovered that it needed to expand its brand footprint to match its largest competitors. Mercury remains an active, registered trademark of Ford. The final Mercury automobile, a 2011 Mercury Grand Marquis, was manufactured at St.

Through the use of platform sharing and manufacturing commonality, Mercury vehicles shared components and engineering with Ford or Lincoln (or both concurrently), serving as counterparts for vehicles from both divisions.įollowing an extended decline in sales and market share for Mercury, Ford announced the closure of the division at the end of 2010. Lincoln-Mercury also served as the sales network for Continental (1956–1960), Edsel (1958–1960) and Merkur (1985–1989). Competing against Buick and Oldsmobile from General Motors for decades, the brand also competed against Chrysler's namesake brand (following the closure of DeSoto).įrom 1945 until its closure, Mercury formed half of the Lincoln-Mercury Division of Ford, which served as a combined sales network (distinct from Ford) for its two premium automotive brands.

Created in 1938 by Edsel Ford, Mercury served as the medium-price brand of Ford for nearly its entire existence, bridging the price gap between the Ford and Lincoln model lines. ' Historical Illustrations From Brochure Collection of Steve Hayes.Mercury is a defunct division of the American automobile manufacturer Ford Motor Company. ' Response of the Office of Chief Counsel Division of Corporation Finance.' ' GM Repays Treasury Loan in Full, TARP Repayments Reach $186 Billion GM Repayment of Remaining $4.7 Billion in Debt Comes Five Years Ahead of Maturity Date.' ' Remembering The Pontiac.'Įuropean Automobile Manufacturers Association. ' The Quiet Revolution Charges On: First Ever GMC Hummer EV.' History Division United States Marine Corps. ' Hummer Sale to Tengzhong Cannot be Completed.' ' Lincoln Takes Top Luxury Brand in AutoPacific Awards Navigator Earns Top Vehicle Overall.' However, the popularity and corresponding sales of Ford-branded vehicles had left the Mercury brand weak, with many of its loyal customers electing to drive Ford models. Mercury was originally created to offer Ford customers a premium vehicle.

Ford ended the production of the model in the fourth quarter of 2010. Mercury is a brand of The Ford Motor Company ( F) that was in existence for a little more than 70 years. As a result, the automobile industry has been forced to streamline its production at times in order to respond to such a dynamic business climate, leaving some brands behind.Since personal vehicles were invented, in 18, the automobile industry has faced different obstacles, from rising fuel costs and changes in consumer spending habits to increased volatility in raw materials pricing.The Ford Motor Company's Mercury brand and General Motors's Hummer, Pontiac, Saturn, and Oldsmobile brands have all been discontinued.Some car brands associated with even the largest, most successful car manufacturers have been challenged in terms of sales and have had to be discontinued.

Mercury cars