twintornados Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Hopefully, Ford may find a place for Mercury after all....lets hope for the best for the division that Edsel built.... Link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 So with Volvo out of the picture, I hoper Ford relaunches Mercury products as a viable alternative to those slow selling Volvos...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TStag Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 So with Volvo out of the picture, I hoper Ford relaunches Mercury productsas a viable alternative to those slow selling Volvos...... Selling in how many markets? With how many bespoke models? Or are you thinking basically rebadged Ford's in the US only for as long as Ford can get away with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Ford and Mercury/Lincoln product lines and dealerships are already established in North America. Ford has a far better chance of making a profit out of value adding products like Mercury/Lincoln than anything out of high over head Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover for that matter. Jac Nasser's PAG is gone, I couldn't care less what happens to any of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ausrutherford Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 They will, and that was before the sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snooter Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 i see no point in mercury...it should go to the annals of history...rebadged fords are all they are with a few more options added in....i think monies should be directed at lincoln and if you do not agree with ending mercury just skelonize the division for lincoln until things radically improve... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2b2 Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) Thanks for posting this, twintornados & swipe right-sizing - luxury alternatives - heck MANY kinds of alternatives are all a perfect fit for Merc - hope Fomoco knows this - HOPE we don't have to wait another 12 months to HEAR/SEE SOMETHING!!!!! Global-Mercury can start with Edited December 24, 2009 by 2b2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) Mercury is one of those brands Ford has let fall into disrepair but now that PAG and Mazda are gone, Ford can develop value adding products for Mercury starting next year with Gen III Focus products and further on Fusion/Mondeo twins. A lot of Mercury's ills stem from lack of marketing and lack of models to actually sell, Euro Ford variants could allow that diversity and avoid direct competition. I would like to see them try some practical and quirky models to make them different to Ford, maybe a cabriolet Focus, Ka, Mondeo, C-max and Kuga to name a few. Heck throw in a Falcon. Edited December 24, 2009 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sullynd Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) i see no point in mercury...it should go to the annals of history...rebadged fords are all they are with a few more options added in....i think monies should be directed at lincoln and if you do not agree with ending mercury just skelonize the division for lincoln until things radically improve... A Mercury sale is a sale for Ford. You cannot assume someone who would buy a Mercury would buy a Ford if Mercury didn't exist, after all, someone who buys a Mariner or a Milan has to be aware of the Ford counterpart and have made the decision to purchase the Mercury instead. Edited December 24, 2009 by sullynd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) A Mercury sale is a sale for Ford. You cannot assume someone who would buy a Mercury would buy a Ford if Mercury didn't exist, after all, someone who buys a Mariner or a Milan has to be aware of the Ford counterpart and have made the decision to purchase the Mercury instead. Exactly, 90% of their 83K sales YTD comes from three vehicles, Grand Marquis, Milan and Mariner. all of those vehicles sold at higher price points than their Ford originator vehicles. Edited December 24, 2009 by jpd80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Throughout Mercury's history the brand has done better when it has been highly differentiated from Ford and worse when its offerings have been very thinly disguised Fords. If Mercury is to continue and succeed it needs to be more than a grille, badge and taillight job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron W. Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Throughout Mercury's history the brand has done better when it has been highly differentiated from Ford and worse when its offerings have been very thinly disguised Fords. If Mercury is to continue and succeed it needs to be more than a grille, badge and taillight job. +1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwford Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Now that Volvo is gone, Lincoln can finally move upmarket, and hopefully get its own RWD/AWD platform for its next generation a la Infiniti. Then Mercury can move up also and use common platforms with Ford to help amortize the costs. If you go to ford.com and click through to other countries, you would be surprised at how many countries Lincoln and Mercury are already sold in, sometimes right next to FoE models. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edstock Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Originally, Mercury was a long wheelbase Ford, an upscale from the basic-value Ford. Well, maybe Ford cannot justify what it costs to make a vehicle that fits between the Taurus and the MKS, that doesn't look like a Taurus with a Mercury grille. The US dollar and the cost of federalizing EU-made vehicles probably makes their importation impossible. IMHO, the Escape should be replaced by something that looks like a new Escape, and the Kuga should be a Mercury, with a Mercury grille with a full-load Lincoln version, with a Lincoln grille. But like there's VW's and A-4's, there should be a Mercury version of the next Focus, IMHO — if Ford can afford a separate roofline to minimize the badge-engineering look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark B. Morrow Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) Originally, Mercury was a long wheelbase Ford, an upscale from the basic-value Ford. Well, maybe Ford cannot justify what it costs to make a vehicle that fits between the Taurus and the MKS, that doesn't look like a Taurus with a Mercury grille. The US dollar and the cost of federalizing EU-made vehicles probably makes their importation impossible. IMHO, the Escape should be replaced by something that looks like a new Escape, and the Kuga should be a Mercury, with a Mercury grille with a full-load Lincoln version, with a Lincoln grille. But like there's VW's and A-4's, there should be a Mercury version of the next Focus, IMHO — if Ford can afford a separate roofline to minimize the badge-engineering look. Platform sharing is fine as long as the Ford and Mercury don't share sheetmetal. Think Flex/MKT. There is no reason the next generation of FOE cars should not be designed with US Sales in mind from the start. All of the other major european manufacturers (Audi, BMW, Benz, VW, Porsche, Volvo) manage to design their cars to pass both US and EU regs. FOE can do the same going forward. That would substantially reduce the import costs. I agree that the Kuga should be a Mercury but with a different name. Cougar should be saved for the future and Kuga is just too close. Edited December 24, 2009 by Mark B. Morrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelsonlu Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Throughout Mercury's history the brand has done better when it has been highly differentiated from Ford and worse when its offerings have been very thinly disguised Fords. If Mercury is to continue and succeed it needs to be more than a grille, badge and taillight job. But in many ways, that's exactly what the Sable was, and the Sable did extremely well for a decade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joihan777 Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) I was behind a 06-09ish Mercury Milan for a coupla miles today. I couldn't help but notice how attractive the car seemed. It seemed rather svelte yet sporty.... without having to be 'blinged' up. I pictured that kind of style looking at home in the French Riveria.... cool and competant without gawdiness. Doesn't it seem, at least for people not familiar with Mercury's history, that Mercury is in dire need of image/marketing to a new generation of buyers? That Milan seemed like a perfect 'wife' car... stylish without going overboard. Kinda like a lower priced Lincoln. What ever happened to the Mercury lady doing those spokesperson ads? Somehow, that Milan's style seemed smart without the need for extraneous badging. Kinda like: 2009 Mercury Milan= Cindy Crawford. 2005 Cadillac Escalade= Ru Paul. Both use makeup, but one just seems prettier. If Ford means Bold, Solid Value & Lincoln defines American Power & Elegance, Would Mercury mean Understated Elegance & Agility? Edited December 24, 2009 by joihan777 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpd80 Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 If Ford means Bold, Solid Value & Lincoln defines American Power & Elegance, Would Mercury mean Understated Elegance & Agility? Shame there wasn't a new Sable through, could have been a real hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Greene Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 If a person was looking for a nice used large sedan to use as a family vehicle....and drive it til it died....the last generation Sable with 3.5 would be an excellent choice. Huge trunk and interior. In many ways, a more practical vehicle than the new Taurus...larger on the inside, bigger trunk, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmm55 Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Mercurys are my favorite brand to Photoshop, the are rife with opportunities: Marauder X-100 Cougar......several! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmm55 Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Cyclone/Spoiler ................more Sable Capri ??????????? Caliente Comet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_in_va Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 I liked this idea... By rrsportsc1 at 2008-10-06 It would be so easy if Ford got the hatchback versions of the Euro cars and Mercury got the sedans, or vice versa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twintornados Posted December 24, 2009 Author Share Posted December 24, 2009 (edited) Ford could bring the Milan name plate over to a Mercury version of the upcoming Focus and then rename the upcoming EUCD Milan the Sable....just a thought. Edited December 24, 2009 by twintornados Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
06mariner Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 I love that black Comet idea ! That looks pretty sexy. Mercury is going to be in big trouble if Ford doesn't start getting their act together. I can't see how they can survive with just the Milan and Mariner after 2010? How sad are those dealerships going to look! ? COME ON FORD...DO SOMETHING. The dealerships around me are basically giving Mercury's away at this point. They have 1 2009 Mountaineer that has been sitting on the lot for months with approx. $9,000 in rebates (including the lease loyalty rebate)....and no one is buying. It is a damn joke at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmc523 Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 IMHO, the Escape should be replaced by something that looks like a new Escape, and the Kuga should be a Mercury, with a Mercury grille with a full-load Lincoln version, with a Lincoln grille. I completely agree with this idea. Escape retains it's truck-y look, Kuga becomes Mariner, and Lincoln gets a mini MKT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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