2008 Mercury Mountaineer- Company History
Mercury, a part of the Ford Motor Company is a brand name in the automobile industry It is basically a domestic automaker founded in 1939 to market near-luxury cars that is somewhat more upscale than the entry-level Ford and luxury Lincoln models. The name Mercury has a Roman Mythological meaning that means "messenger of the gods". The Mercury brand is known for high performance that was briefly revived in 2003 with the Mercury Marauder. Mercury is conceived as a balance of luxury and afford-ability that has definitely proven a versatile and enduring brand over the years.
Henry Ford's son, Edsel Ford was the one to come up with the idea of creating an additional brand within the Ford hierarchy.
| |
|
|
In the mid-1930's, management at Ford Motor Company began to identify a gap in product line between the everyman Ford Deluxe and the premium Lincoln Zephyr. Edsel Ford wanted a distinctive style along with innovative features and better capabilities vehicle. The first car under the brand name of Mercury was Mercury Eight that was introduced in 1939. It was very different from similar Ford with its 95-horsepower engine that offered 10 more horses than the Ford V8. The Mercury was a huge hit with more than 155,000 units sold by the early 1940s. During World War II, the production work of Mercury was stopped but after the war, it was realigned more closely with Lincoln. |
|
|
|
|
During the 1950's, Mercury was able to make a distinct place in the automobile industry for its style, performance and cutting-edge technology with a dash of glamour. From the late 1950s, through the 1960s and early 1970s, Mercury began to come out from the influence of Ford and introduced different looking models in the market like the Turnpike Cruiser, Park Lane, Cougar and Marquis. But during the late 1970s and early 1980s the brand joined hands with Ford again and its image suffered as a result. During that time people were looking for smaller vehicles with improved fuel efficiency. To meet the demand of the consumers Mercury introduced vehicles like the Capri and the Bobcat to fill this need. Mercury enjoyed success with the 1986 launch of the Sable, a fraternal twin to the Ford Taurus whose sleek, aerodynamic lines served to diminish drag and improve fuel efficiency. It sales peaked at 580,000 in 1978 and again at over 480,000 in 1993.
The past few years have been challenging for the Mercury brand due to the changing taste of consumers and a lack of differentiation between Mercury and Ford vehicles. The Mercury brand is used in the United States, Mexico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, the Middle East and Japan. In 1999, Mercury models were renamed as Fords in both Mexico and Canada. The current models manufactured by Mercury are Mercury Grand Marquis, Mercury Mariner, Mercury Mariner Hybrid, Mercury Milan, Mercury Montego, Mercury Monterey and Mercury Mountaineer. Some very recent models include Mercury Marauder, Mercury Cougar, Mercury Villager and Mercury Sable.
Critics believe that Mercury is near its end, but Ford seems intent on keeping the brand and Edsel's original vision alive. Lineups of Mercury vehicles are small, but the brand remains a respectable pick for buyers seeking luxury vehicles that are born and bred in the U.S.A.
Home
Models/Prices