Mercury gets a mission: support Lincoln

Posted Sat Jul 26 2008 12:56 PM by Nelson Ireson

Rumors of Mercury's imminent demise have run rampant for the past year, with even Jerry York, adviser to billionaire stockholder Kirk Kerkorian, urging Ford to sell the brand. A dearth of updates in the pipeline beyond 2011 appeared to indicate it would die a silent death. But new plans from Ford officials have the brand positioned as an entry-level luxury support marque to Lincoln.

The news of the repositioning should quiet the speculation about the brand's demise. The new role of Mercury as the brand's stepping stone between Ford's consumer-level products and Lincoln's upscale luxury offerings give it renewed life from a strategic point of view.

The shuffle also explains the shortage of known products in the pipeline, as the company works out which models will be appropriate for the brand's new focus. The different demographic the Mercury brand draws could also influence the lineup.

"Mercury brings a younger, more female customer than the Ford brand. We're focusing very much on small, fuel-efficient products," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's global product chief, according to The Detroit News.

Mercury's full-size Sable is therefore likely to face the axe, and hybrid variants of the Milan and Mariner are planned. The move toward smaller vehicles will help Ford's overall desire to shift its product lineup more toward cars as well, giving the brand legs for the future.

Reader Comments

Sat Jul 26 2008 1:04 PM
Gus says

Toyota and Lexus.
Honda and Acura.
Nissan and Infiniti.

And in my opinion:
Chevrolet and Cadillac.
Ford and Lincoln.

People know they're all the same platform anyway...
Sat Jul 26 2008 2:31 PM
rickybobby says

@Gus

chevy also can be looked at like for by saying:

chevy buick and cadillac
ford mercury and lincoln

i dont think there are any other examples of entry level luxury other than buick and mercury
Sat Jul 26 2008 4:40 PM
pcsario says

If you're going to quote Kuzak, I would advise removing the Milan pic from this article. "Lincoln will start with midsized sedans and move up from there.". Once Fusion production ends, the next-gen car won't have a Mercury version.
Sat Jul 26 2008 4:45 PM
Stephen says

Seriously, what luxury options can I get on a Mercury or even a Lincoln for that matter that I can't get on a standard Ford thats fully loaded?
Sat Jul 26 2008 7:22 PM
InkMaster says

Stephen, none at all. All of the brands overlap too much...
Sat Jul 26 2008 10:58 PM
NoNameDenton says

SEAT is VW's entry level sporty luxury, they call it a mini-Audi. I am glad Mercury will survive even with small cars.
Sun Jul 27 2008 2:20 AM
amac says

Bring back the Capri.
Sun Jul 27 2008 8:09 AM
Jim says

If future Mercury's are indeed European Fords made in the US, then there would be little or no overlap with Ford branded vehicles. The would share a common platform, but the presentation of that platform can be entirely different.
Sun Jul 27 2008 8:02 PM
Roy says

Ok, if we strip away the marketing speak, it actually sounds like Ford is for "Nascar Dad" and Mercury will be for "Soccer Moms". When the nest empties (and they downsize to one nicer car) then that will be a Lincoln.
If we just took what they said at face value it would be sheer stupidity. Why? Because, Ford, Lincoln is not remotely equal to Maybach!!! If Lincoln were Maybach, maybe you'd need some sort of luxury stepping stone (Mercedes?). But I've got news for you: Lincoln isn't Maybach, or Mercedes. It's not even Acura. In fact, Lincoln is a Ford model with leather and plastic wood strip on the inside and bit of extra chrome on the outside. So you don't need a stepping stone.
Fortunately, it looks like that's just a CYA description to sell to the dealers. In the end, it sounds like they're going to launch small luxury cars, and that might be pretty smart (hint: BMW is doing it with the One and Mini and Fiat's about to start with the Alfa MiTo). So, if that's what they're doing, do it faster.

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