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Ford likely to kill Mercury brand?

 
9 1,777 views Feb 8, 2008

Ford likely to kill Mercury brand?

Ford likely to kill Mercury brand?

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As we have been reporting for over a year, Ford’s Mercury brand is in dire straits. An ageing fleet, dying sales and lack of image is causing the Blue Oval’s middle brand to slowly wither away. However Ford seems defiant that the brand will survive, but fails to mention how it will manage to do so. Jim Farley, vice president of FoMoCo, said at the Chicago Auto Show recently, “its role is changing, but we're not going to compromise Mercury.” However he also stated, “No doubt Lincoln and polishing up the Blue Oval is absolutely our priority.”

According to Bloomberg News, CEO Allan Mulally has been quoted saying that while Ford is committed to Mercury the company is studying exactly “what we want to do with all our brands.” It seems obvious that Lincoln is much more a priority to Ford right now, especially as its sales grew 9.1% last year in comparison to Mercury’s sales decline of 6.9%. Some industry experts describe Mercury as a ‘franchise on life support’ and believe that the brand could face the axe within four years, sighting the main reason being that Mercury cars have simply been rebadged Ford models for too long. Chrysler has just announced it plans to remove many of its badge-engineered vehicles so the decision wouldn't be unprecedented.

Averaging just eight car sales a month per franchise - the lowest since 1960 - it seems highly likely that the Mercury brand will join Oldsmobile as just another automotive name of the past.



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Comments (9)

  1. By chris Posted: 2/8/2008 8:43am PST

    Considering ford's admittedly lofty goals for lincoln, namely that they want to take on Caddy for world domination, I expect mercury to take the place of today's lincoln. It won't happen in this product cycle, but it will happen.

    As the article states, Mercury has been badge engineered from fords since the 60s. Mercury's were reskinned fords before the idea really made any sense financially. they were the softer cousin of fords, more often aimed at women. they were fords with wood trim interiors and what not.

    if you take a look at what lincoln is today, they are what mercury SHOULD BE. their MSRP's begin where ford's msrps end. mercury is just an overlap brand. but if lincoln is going to compete with caddy, ford will need a saturn or buick of their own. but lincoln is going to have to move way up market before this happens. Ford's just rebadging mercs to keep the name in peoples heads until the time is right.

    ...thats my view, thoughts, and maybe delusions. anyone agree?
     
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  2. By Keith Posted: 2/8/2008 9:01am PST

    I really hope this doesn't happen. One way to help them is if Ford took the Taurus X and turned it into the Meta One for Mercury. Ford could just drop the Taurus X and Mercury would have a car of its own. Get their own version of the Miata with unique styling inside and out. And most important stop just being a Ford with a Mercury badge and have their own styling. Make a unique version of the Mazda 3 wagon and remake the Sable to look very futuristic. Lastly one thing that would keep them very relevant is if Ford used them as a Hybrid/Diesel power-plant division only. The Prius has proven that unique styling and one unique power plant can go along way.
     
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  3. By chris Posted: 2/8/2008 10:18am PST

    keith; the same argument has been brought up a couple times now; bring euro fords here and rebadge them as mercs just like saturn takes opel... its a good idea, or at least it was a good idea until the american dollar took a swan dive. There would be no profit in bringing euro-fords here as mercs and i'd argue they would cannibalize lincoln given the type of vehicles lincoln has here.

    I dont have a problem with platform sharing; i like the fact that caddy can sell the same engineering as a chevy and make it that much better that it is a luxury car. I wish ford could move everything up market to take on GM that way. I don't think theres much need for individual and unique platforms between brands. I guarantee the average consumer has no idea that the taurus is a volvo s80 or that the fusion is the old mazda 6.

    once you reskin a car like that, most people cant tell.

    as far as hybrids are concerned, I dont really agree with the idea of making one brand your hybrid brand with hybrid only models. clearly the prius is a sales phenomenon BECAUSE you know its a hybrid; where as the escape is just another truck from the most polluting american junk brand ever right? I think its additudes like that that need to change, and it wont happen if there are "clean cars" and "clean brands".
     
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  4. By Derek Posted: 2/8/2008 10:47am PST

    This is a profoundly dumb article. Ford has said repeatedly it is not killing Mercury, but nobody believes them. The Mercury provides exactly what its customers want, gussied up Ford's! It doesn't cost much to do this, and it's profitable. The L-M dealers cannot survive without the Mercury volume, and the Ford assembly plants can't survive without the Mercury volume either. So PLEASE stop writing BS about how Ford is likely to kill Mercury. It's not happening. Not now, not any time in the near future.
     
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  5. By Nick Posted: 2/9/2008 11:45am PST

    I never saw the usefulness of having Mercury, it's cars weren't really that different from Ford's lineup. I'd rather just see a different trim option on the Ford vehicles take the place of Mercury's models.
     
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  6. By Jonas Posted: 2/11/2008 11:10am PST

    Being a performance enthusiast I think they should do a re-issue of the 67' styled Cyclone. A modern, retro-looking body much like what Ford did with the new Mustang or what Dodge is going to do with the Challenger.

    Leather buckets, console shifter (auto or 6 spd), vintage-esqu gauge treatment, good wheel/tire combo, tuned exhaust, power everything, Mach sound system, and a 300 hp version of the 4.6 V8.

    Hey I would probably buy one at least! Maybe I will build one of those for myself. :-)
     
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  7. By Barry Posted: 3/11/2008 6:11pm PDT

    I have always been a Mercury fan. But todays Mercurys look too much like a Ford. I have a 57 and a 65 and there is a huge differnce in them from Fords. They should redo them and give them their own styling and bring back the Cougar and Marauder and people will probably buy but put in fuel efficent engines.
     
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  8. By Sable_Owner Posted: 3/14/2008 11:12am PDT

    Ford is definitely killing Mercurey. Ford Motor Corp. approached the owners of the dealership I used to work for and told them that:

    1. Mercury will be gone before 2010.
    2. All Lincoln vehicles will be sold at Ford dealerships. (No stand-alone Lincoln dealerships.)
    3. The dealership I worked at was too close to other Ford, Mazda and Volvo dealerships, so they are out of luck. Even though they've been around since the begining of Mercury, Ford forced the owners to sell back the franchise.

    I guess the Way Forward is to screw over the people that stuck with you through it all.
     
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  9. By Pete Posted: 6/17/2008 12:41pm PDT

    The Mercury brand can be revived, its exactly what was being said about Cadillac in late 90's. The Cadillac brand didnt have much to offer at that time it was just a buick for men, it took the struggling brand quite some time but it was able to revive itself with the introduction of the CTS, and the Redesigned Escalade. In a recent article it was stated that Mercury has/had intentions of reintrodicing a New Cougar which would be based off the Messenger Concept. This would be in 2010-2012 around the time where the Redesigned Mustang will debut which would give Mercury the perfect chance to hopefully restablish itself. Now I know that it will take more than one model to revive the brand, but Mercury is too important to the Ford Lincoln-Mercury brand.

    Mercury has the potential to restablish itself in the autmotive industry, It was just recently announced as the Highest Ford Brand in Initial Quality, Mercury landed right behind Toyota at No. 6 where as its more luxurious sibling Lincoln came in No. 15 and Ford at No. 8.

    When the brand was purchased by FoMoCo in the 1930's it was the Brand for people who wanted more than a Ford but who couldnt afford a Lincoln. The brand must be doing something right if its recieving Numerous awards from J.D powers, Ford just needs to work on making Mercury and Individual rather than its twin sister.
     
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