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Motor Authority - blog Category: Mercury

  • Mercury dumping large vehicles, new compacts on the way

    Mercury dumping large vehicles, new compacts on the way July 27th, 2009 ByJeremy Weber Jeremy Weber, Author, July 27th, 2009 Jeremy Weber 2 Comments

    Mercury dumping large vehicles, new compacts on the way Ford's juggling of its two luxury brands Mercury and Lincoln has seen the Blue Oval attempting to figure out where to place them in the market--and while Lincoln will be going more upmarket, Mercury is expected to get rid of its larger models and focus on smaller mid-sized cars and crossovers. Expected forthcoming decisions to get rid of large cars such as the Mercury Grand Marquis sedan and the Mercury Mountaineer SUV will be part of a larger Blue Oval strategy to make the company’s cars smaller and more fuel efficient.

    More importantly, at least in terms of the company’s future viability, is that the consolidation of Mercury... Ford's juggling of its two luxury brands Mercury and Lincoln has seen the Blue Oval attempting to figure out where to place them in the market--and while Lincoln will be going more upmarket, Mercury is expected to get rid of its larger models and focus on smaller mid-sized cars and crossovers. Expected forthcoming decisions to get rid of large cars such as the Mercury Grand Marquis sedan and the Mercury Mountaineer SUV will be part of a larger Blue Oval strategy to make the company’s cars smaller and more fuel efficient. More importantly, at least in terms of the company’s future viability, is that the consolidation of Mercury nameplates will see a greater preponderance of cars sitting on Ford's global platforms, which should be good for the Blue Oval’s bottom line. With the Grand Marquis expected to be dumped in 2011 and the Mountaineer SUV disappearing a year earlier, Mercury will be able to focus on a new compact car based on the Ford Focus. The Mercury model will be sold as a four-door sedan and production is expected to begin by the end of 2010 or early 2011, reports Automotive News. In 2013, Mercury's Milan mid-size vehicle will be moving on to Ford's global mid-size platform, which will also underpin the Ford Fusion, Ford Mondeo and Lincoln MKZ. This move should bring production costs down for Ford and also allow it to ship these products globally. Finally, Mercury will also be a getting a redesigned variant of the Mercury Mariner crossover at the end of 2011. This car is expected to sit on Ford's global small-car platform, which remains front-wheel-drive. Read More

  • Historic 1952 Jaguar C-Type race car set for Pebble Beach auction

    Historic 1952 Jaguar C-Type race car set for Pebble Beach auction July 20th, 2009 By Viknesh Vijayenthiran Viknesh Vijayenthiran, Author, July 20th, 2009 Viknesh Vijayenthiran 1 Comment

    Historic 1952 Jaguar C-Type race car set for Pebble Beach auction A historic 1952 Jaguar C-Type race car that was driven to victory in 1952 by the legendary Phil Hill to claim the Jaguar C-Type's first North American racing victory has joined the starting lineup for RM Auctions Sports & Classics of Monterey event, to be held between August 13 and 15 in Monterey, California.

    The rare C-Type, designated XKC-007, was one of just 53 examples built and one of the first Jaguar C-Types delivered to America. Shipped to New York in 1952, this example was immediately driven to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where it, along with XKC-009, made their competitive racing debuts as part of the company's North American sales... A historic 1952 Jaguar C-Type race car that was driven to victory in 1952 by the legendary Phil Hill to claim the Jaguar C-Type's first North American racing victory has joined the starting lineup for RM Auctions Sports & Classics of Monterey event, to be held between August 13 and 15 in Monterey, California. The rare C-Type, designated XKC-007, was one of just 53 examples built and one of the first Jaguar C-Types delivered to America. Shipped to New York in 1952, this example was immediately driven to Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where it, along with XKC-009, made their competitive racing debuts as part of the company's North American sales pitch for the model. It was at this meet that the XKC-007 made Jaguar history when the eventual World Champion driver, Phil Hill – then just 25 – drove it to victory in The Sheldon Cup. Under the sponsorship of Charles Hornburg, the Western U.S. Jaguar distributor, and with Phil Hill back behind the wheel the car went on to achieve further success at Torrey Pines that same year. The XKC-007 passed through the hands of numerous owners over the following years and has since been fully restored. Presented in period correct condition, it notably displays the signature of Phil Hill and retains its original, numbers matching engine. Throughout its racing career, the car was never crashed.Phil Hill’s 1952 Jaguar C-Type race car Read More

  • Ford says no to dealer cuts, consolidation

    Ford says no to dealer cuts, consolidation May 19th, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, May 19th, 2009 Ralph Hanson 3 Comments

    Ford says no to dealer cuts, consolidation On Monday Ford made it clear that it had no plans to consolidate Lincoln and Mercury dealerships with existing Ford-brand outfits, and today it has come out against any big cuts in its dealer networks. The Blue Oval's franchise owners will be glad to hear it, as they've seen their compatriots at General Motors and Chrysler brands prepare for massive cutbacks.

    The latest word comes from James Farley, Ford's director of North American sales. He doesn't see the need to cut huge swathes of Ford's dealer population, and criticized GM and Chrysler's actions as 'abrupt and unplanned', reports the Detroit News.

    Ford's more luxury oriented brands,... On Monday Ford made it clear that it had no plans to consolidate Lincoln and Mercury dealerships with existing Ford-brand outfits, and today it has come out against any big cuts in its dealer networks. The Blue Oval's franchise owners will be glad to hear it, as they've seen their compatriots at General Motors and Chrysler brands prepare for massive cutbacks. The latest word comes from James Farley, Ford's director of North American sales. He doesn't see the need to cut huge swathes of Ford's dealer population, and criticized GM and Chrysler's actions as 'abrupt and unplanned', reports the Detroit News. Ford's more luxury oriented brands, Lincoln and Mercury, are often sold alongside each other in the same dealerships. But while Ford was previously encouraging certain Lincoln and Mercury dealers to consider also selling lesser Blue Oval models, company execs now want to keep most of its Lincoln and Mercury dealers exclusively selling the upmarket models – especially in metro areas. Ford is tipped to be in the process of selecting around 50 markets in which to keep Ford-branded vehicles out of its luxury dealerships. Speaking with Automotive News, Farley explained that the carmaker is working with dealers to see what the best "footprint" is and whether certain markets should be chosen to "have exclusive dealers" as Ford's product plan continues to roll out. However, Ford's product plan in relation to Mercury remains fairly unstable, with many considering the brand to be almost dead, and with sales levels tanking many Lincoln and Mercury dealers are keen to sell Ford models as well to expand their offerings. This would see the number of combined Ford-Lincoln-Mercury dealers increase. At the moment, the growth rate of the number of triple-brand dealerships is hovering at close to 20%, while exclusive Lincoln and Mercury dealers have fallen in numbers by over 40% in the past 3 years. This trend makes sense for both dealers and Ford as it puts less pressure on the carmaker to support its dealers should the Mercury brand be axed, which means the new policy not to consolidate dealers will likely change. Read More

  • Last Mercury Sable to roll off line Thursday

    Last Mercury Sable to roll off line Thursday May 18th, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, May 18th, 2009 Ralph Hanson 1 Comment

    Last Mercury Sable to roll off line Thursday As General Motors sacrifices and sells off about half of its brand portfolio and Chrysler downsizes through bankruptcy, Ford has stayed above the fray. But with the end of production of the Mercury Sable coming this Thursday, talk of the brand's potential demise has come back to life.

    Early in 2008, rumors of Mercury's elimination circulated as news of the lack of new models beyond 2011 broke. Now, the potential for such a decision seems even more realistic as Mercury's lineup has shrunk to just four models, two of which - the Grand Marquis and the Mountaineer - are also slated to stop production soon.

    With no future model outlook and its... As General Motors sacrifices and sells off about half of its brand portfolio and Chrysler downsizes through bankruptcy, Ford has stayed above the fray. But with the end of production of the Mercury Sable coming this Thursday, talk of the brand's potential demise has come back to life. Early in 2008, rumors of Mercury's elimination circulated as news of the lack of new models beyond 2011 broke. Now, the potential for such a decision seems even more realistic as Mercury's lineup has shrunk to just four models, two of which - the Grand Marquis and the Mountaineer - are also slated to stop production soon. With no future model outlook and its current lines dying off, Mercury's future doesn't look bright. The Milan and its hybrid variant are the only two thoroughly modern Ford-family products under the brand right now, and with Ford (Fusion) and Lincoln (MKZ) already featuring their own versions of the same platform, it's not likely that the Mercury variant is adding much to the party. On the other hand, with Ford using Lincoln to firmly grasp the high end of the market and the Blue Oval logo itself to push further into the economy market with the U.S. launch of the new Focus and Fiesta impending, keeping Mercury around to focus on the mid-range may not be a bad idea. Read More

  • Ford saves $1.2 billion in warranty costs through improved quality

    Ford saves $1.2 billion in warranty costs through improved quality February 3rd, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, February 3rd, 2009 Ralph Hanson 2 Comments

    Ford saves $1.2 billion in warranty costs through improved quality Saving money has become as important, or even more so, than making it in recent months for many carmakers. There just aren't enough buyers actively seeking new cars, so cutting costs is the only way to improve one's position. Today Ford announced it has saved $1.2 billion in warranty costs over the last two years thanks to improved quality cars.

    Ford, like many of its rivals, has embarked on a savings campaign that involved selling off assets, reducing model development plans and cutting back on advertising. The announcement of the warranty savings illustrates how investments in improved cars can pay off not just in sales figures, but in... Saving money has become as important, or even more so, than making it in recent months for many carmakers. There just aren't enough buyers actively seeking new cars, so cutting costs is the only way to improve one's position. Today Ford announced it has saved $1.2 billion in warranty costs over the last two years thanks to improved quality cars. Ford, like many of its rivals, has embarked on a savings campaign that involved selling off assets, reducing model development plans and cutting back on advertising. The announcement of the warranty savings illustrates how investments in improved cars can pay off not just in sales figures, but in long-term support. Rising to the top of the automotive quality charts hasn't been an easy task, but several consumer ratings metrics have consistently placed Ford's initial quality on par with Honda and Toyota - good company in that regard. “We’ve reached the point where our initial quality is second to none among the full-line manufacturers. We expect that high quality to be reflected in future high-mileage surveys as our new models age,” said Bennie Fowler, Ford group vice president for global quality. Among the best-performing models were the Mustang GT500, which had the smallest number of 'things gone wrong', or TGW's in industry-speak, of all sports cars. Overall, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands reported a 50% lower warranty repair rate than in 2004. Along with the announcement Ford is reaffirming its commitment to quality, noting that the savings are their own reward, and can help Ford move forward with new product development as well. “I see the recent $1.2 billion in worldwide warranty cost savings as a compelling reason to continue down this path,” said Curt Yun, Ford's global warranty director. “Instead of setting aside those funds to fix cars, we’d much rather invest it in exciting product programs for our customers.” Among the most recent of Ford's new products are the Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrids, which recently secured certification as the most fuel-efficient mid-sized cars in America.2010 Mercury Milan and Milan Hybrid2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Read More

  • Ford Fusion Hybrid qualifies for maximum tax credit of $3,400

    Ford Fusion Hybrid qualifies for maximum tax credit of $3,400 January 28th, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, January 28th, 2009 Ralph Hanson 3 Comments

    Ford Fusion Hybrid qualifies for maximum tax credit of $3,400 Tax credits designed to give buyers incentives to buy more efficient cars are anything but new - the Toyota Prius has benefited from similar schemes for several years. Now Ford's Fusion Hybrid, as well as the Mercury Milan Hybrid, qualify for the maximum tax credit as well, giving buyers a $3,400 break on the purchase of either of the cars.

    Since both the Milan and Fusion rely on identical powertrains in very similar packages differentiated only by specification, both cars qualify for the credit. Their fuel efficiency ratings also certified them as the most efficient mid-sized cars in the U.S. with 41/36mpg city/highway ratings, beating the... Tax credits designed to give buyers incentives to buy more efficient cars are anything but new - the Toyota Prius has benefited from similar schemes for several years. Now Ford's Fusion Hybrid, as well as the Mercury Milan Hybrid, qualify for the maximum tax credit as well, giving buyers a $3,400 break on the purchase of either of the cars. Since both the Milan and Fusion rely on identical powertrains in very similar packages differentiated only by specification, both cars qualify for the credit. Their fuel efficiency ratings also certified them as the most efficient mid-sized cars in the U.S. with 41/36mpg city/highway ratings, beating the Camry hybrid by 8mpg in the city and 2mpg on the highway. Toyota disputes the comparison, noting that the Camry is somewhat larger than the Fusion, and arguing that the Prius is more properly the Fusion Hybrid's competition. Whatever the comparison, however, the tax incentive can only do good for the hybrid segment, which has foundered since fuel prices fell from record high levels last year. "We're glad to see our government help promote these advanced, clean fuel-efficient vehicles to the consumer," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's group vice president of global product development. The Fusion's strong fuel economy comes from its all-new hybrid powertrain design, plus several features incorporated into the electronics system, including the new SmartGauge system, an enhanced electronic throttle control and a highly efficient regenerative braking system. For more on the Fusion and Milan Hybrids, read our original coverage here.2010 Mercury Milan and Milan Hybrid2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Read More

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