Ford Motor Company has announced it will discuss with its board of directors in July a proposal to end the 71-year-old Mercury brand as another victim of the turbulent times for automakers.
Mercury sales have been hard hit during the recession, although the brand had a 20 percent increase in sales for the one-year period ending at the end of April. Overall, Ford sales for the same 12-month time frame were up 26 percent.
Mercury currently offers just four models: Grand Marquis, Mariner, Milan, and Mountaineer. No new products have been announced, and both the Grand Marquis and Mountaineer are not expected to return next year.
The New York Times has reported Mercury’s dealers have to go expect and announcement in October regarding the brand’s future.
AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES
Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars
In Mercury does cease, it will join recent casualties, Pontiac and Saturn.
Ford in recent years has also sold Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. As such Ford Motor Company may soon have only two brands: Ford and Lincoln.
Article Last Updated: June 2, 2010.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
A sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004.
In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida.
An author and contributor to many newspapers, magazines and online publications, co-hosted The Weekly Driver Podcast from 2017 to 2024.
