New Mercury to be called Tracer

[RichardJensen]

And are you currently medicated? :P

Yeah. I didn't think the SHO hit the market until the '89 model year

[ausrutherford]

Autoline daily is saying that a redesigned Milan may be at NY.

[Mark B. Morrow]

Tracer isn't too bad...

 

Reaching into the wayback machine, they could of called it...

 

Monterey (1950–1974, 2004–2007)

Villager (1999-2002)

Colony Park (1957–1991)

LN7 (1982–1983)

Lynx (1981–1987)

Zephyr (1978–1983)

Bobcat (1975–1980)

Monarch (1975–1980)

Comet (1960–1977)

Commuter (1957–1968)

Meteor (1961–1963)

Montclair (1955–1968)

Turnpike Cruiser (1957–1958)

Park Lane (1958 - 1968)

:stats:

 

 

I think Turnpike Cruiser and Meteor are due for a comeback.

[silvrsvt]

Anyone who looks back fondly at any American sedan built in the 1980's is in serious need of a psychological evaluation.

 

What about the Taurus?

 

I liked my 86 Escort GT too...and thought that my 98 Mustang GT wasn't much of an upgrade from it either (from the interior space on it)

[silvrsvt]

Autoline daily is saying that a redesigned Milan may be at NY.

 

Why? didn't it just get redone or are they changing the styling to make it fit better with the upcoming Tracer?

[mackinaw]

Yeah. I didn't think the SHO hit the market until the '89 model year

 

You're right, it was 1989. Hard to believe it was 21 years ago.

[syrtran]

Anyone who looks back fondly at any American sedan built in the 1980's is in serious need of a psychological evaluation.

To be nit-pickingly technical, all the Ford cars built in the '80s, except convertibles, t-tops,and the Probe, were sedans (they have full window frames on the doors).

 

And, yes, I still look fondly at my '85 1/2 Mustang. And I think Tracer is a perfectly fine name for a little Mercury. You can make up your own mind as to my need for a psych evaluation.

Edited February 16, 2010 by syrtran

[syrtran]

Why? didn't it just get redone or are they changing the styling to make it fit better with the upcoming Tracer?

Let's hope so. The googly-eyed look of the current Milan isn't wearing well.

[2b2]

If they're really** going to make some changes on the Milan soooooooooo soon

AND to co-ordinate with the tRACER...

doesn't that sound like a new offensive/push for Merc?

doesn't it??

someone tell me it's not just me :hyper:

 

 

**still think just someone either in the article or sourced for the article is confused

[BORG]

Let's hope so. The googly-eyed look of the current Milan isn't wearing well.

 

I'm really conflicted on the 2010 Milan update. I really like the front-end (not sure why other's don't), but I think the rear-end was a huge step backwards from the previous design.

 

And I highly doubt the Milan is getting any sort of update this soon.

 

Tracer is a good marketable name, but my Grandmother had a Tracer way back in the day (circa 1992), and I can't help but evoke those images when I hear that name. Not that it was a bad car, but you wouldn't call the Focus an "Escort" today and think better of it would you? Fortunately, I don't think most of the consumers of this car will remember anything about the old Tracer, or care about it if the new car is particularly attractive.

 

There is also some sense of brand equity with the Tracer name, it's more easily associated with Mercury since you still see them on the road and most people old enough to buy a car have some faded memory of a Tracer.

 

I still remember that the 1991 Escort debuted without a notchback. Only Mercury got the notchback as the Tracer. Once Ford realized their mistake, they released a version of the Tracer.

[mettech]

Was the Tracer a Mazda 323?

[BORG]

Was the Tracer a Mazda 323?

 

The original Tracer was a rebadged version of the Ford Laser model already sold in Asia and Australia, which was itself a restyled Mazda 323.

 

Ford replaced the hatchback-only Tracer in 1991 with a twin of the Ford Escort, based on the Mazda 323's B platform. The Tracer LTS

[atvman]

In all honesty, the vast majority of people out there have no idea that the Tracer ever existed. I hope this car is great, Mercury needs a statement car.

[NickF1011]

In all honesty, the vast majority of people out there have no idea that the Tracer ever existed.

 

Then why bother to re-use it?

[WC Man]

I remind everyone who is compaining about the "'80's" name that Civic is a 70's name and Corolla is a 60's name, and they are the best selling compacts in the country. Tracer is a good name.

 

Anyone who looks back fondly at any American sedan built in the 1980's is in serious need of a psychological evaluation.

 

As opposed to those crisp handling cars of the 50's, 60's, & 70's? Oh but they had power right? Nothing like 200 hp from a 400 cubic inch V-8 dragging a 6000 lb. car around!

 

Look, I'm not saying they didn't build good cars in those decades, but the ones you see carefully preserved today were the rare best of breed, not the cars most people drove. And the racecars were mostly modified. The Honda Accord V-6 can take a lot of "muscle cars" in factory form. For every Ford Boss Mustang, there were a couple hundred crappy Ramblers put on the road. For every Bel Air hardtop, chevy sold 20 sedans.

 

If we looked at the cars of the '80 based only on cars like the 5.0 Mustang, IROC-Z, and Buick GSX, we would imagine a world where every working Joe was drag racing from every stoplight. The reason so many people remember cars from those decades fondl is they never actually had to drive them.

 

The Escort was a good car for its time, the Mazda GLC was excellent. Yes, I still shudder imagining what it was like to drive anything small from GM during the decade, but Ford and Chrysler actually had some decent products out there.

[Fordowner]

 

I remember the Tracer and they are still out there. the Name Tracer works for me. Speaking of grandmothers and Tracers I hope the below woman recovers ok. The name Clarice is forever etched in my mind with Anthony Hopkin's pronounciation in Silence of the Lambs...

 

 

Just before 9 a.m., Clarice ____, 80, was in her Mercury Tracer when she attempted to cross the highway eastbound at Green Avenue, according to Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Chuck Allen.

 

He said ______ drove into the path of a southbound Chevy pickup driven by Eldon R. Sisney, 65, also of Silver Springs.

 

The front of Sisney's truck struck the left side of ______'s vehicle. Both vehicles came to rest off of the highway.

 

I thought the front end on the Tacer was better looking than the Escort's.

 

 

 

Edited February 16, 2010 by Fordowner

[NickF1011]

I remind everyone who is compaining about the "'80's" name that Civic is a 70's name and Corolla is a 60's name, and they are the best selling compacts in the country. Tracer is a good name.

 

I would rather Mercury go back to one of its 60's or 70's names. A lot of 80's names just sound corny. Tracer sounds corny to me. It's not that it's old. It's that it's corny.

 

As opposed to those crisp handling cars of the 50's, 60's, & 70's? Oh but they had power right? Nothing like 200 hp from a 400 cubic inch V-8 dragging a 6000 lb. car around!

 

I never insinuated that 70's sedans were any better. At least in the 50's and 60's, it can be claimed that those underpowered, ill-handling boats had style.

 

Look, I'm not saying they didn't build good cars in those decades, but the ones you see carefully preserved today were the rare best of breed, not the cars most people drove. And the racecars were mostly modified. The Honda Accord V-6 can take a lot of "muscle cars" in factory form. For every Ford Boss Mustang, there were a couple hundred crappy Ramblers put on the road. For every Bel Air hardtop, chevy sold 20 sedans.

 

If we looked at the cars of the '80 based only on cars like the 5.0 Mustang, IROC-Z, and Buick GSX, we would imagine a world where every working Joe was drag racing from every stoplight. The reason so many people remember cars from those decades fondl is they never actually had to drive them.

 

The Escort was a good car for its time, the Mazda GLC was excellent. Yes, I still shudder imagining what it was like to drive anything small from GM during the decade, but Ford and Chrysler actually had some decent products out there.

 

Escort. Decent car. Another terrible name I am glad is gone. And wow, I really hope "IROC" doesn't make a comeback.

[atvman]

Then why bother to re-use it?

I have no clue. It really isn't an exciting or interesting name. I would have figured they would have dug up a name that starts with an M like Monarch or Meteor.

[saintlaz1]

Are we 100% sure its going to be Tracer? and not just a whole new name no one has event thougt of, I guess we will know in a month.

[630land]

Are we 100% sure its going to be Tracer? and not just a whole new name no one has event thougt of, I guess we will know in a month.

 

 

It's not been officially announced by L-M Division. I would think that usiing Tracer means they want to get away from M names. My choice is Comet, but I had a 91 Tracer LTS with the Mazda 1.8L DOHC and a 5 speed manual. [i.e. Escort GT 4 door]

[bzcat]

I honestly think the Tracer name is fine. People bitched about Ford reusing Fiesta in the US as well here. But the fact is that the typical new Tracer (and Fiesta too) buyers will have no earthly idea of the original 80s and 90s model (in the Fiesta's case, the 70s). As to why reuse a name no one knows... well, It's a trademark Ford already owns so it won't cost an a fortune to clear - you have to spend lots of money to research existing use if you want to use a new name - you don't want to go register a trademark only to be told that it has existing use; remember the problem Ford had with Gillette on the Fusion name? And it's a car that is the same size/price point as the original Tracer... so just in case there is an existing use of the name, Ford can defend the mark on continuous use ground.

 

I'm sure Ford probably did some group study and found the Tracer name more relevant than Comet, Lynx, Mystique or Bobcat. The Comet name to me is hopelessly dated (any astrological name has a very 60s space program era feel to it); Lynx is unpleasant to the tongue, and Mystique and Bobcat were probably not even in contention. The only name that could have been better than Tracer is Capri but I suppose Ford has other plans for that name...

[Torrey61]

I just hope that the designers can come up with a new 'signature style' for Mercury. And with the Focus' new "Kinetic design" with the tons of lines and evrything, don't you think the mercury will have to be radically different to fit in with the current lineup?

Edited February 16, 2010 by Torrey61

[Noah Harbinger]

Escort. Decent car. Another terrible name I am glad is gone.

 

I think any vehicle whose name can also be the driver's profession is a good one

[mettech]

 

Could this be the new Tracer?

[2005Explorer]

 

Could this be the new Tracer?

 

If that is it seems like Ford will be taking a similar approach as they did with the Milan and Mariner. In my opinion it has a much more attractive front end and front bumper then the new Focus. I think most of us expect most of the differences to be in the front and rear and in the interior trim. I can't see Ford making the car completely different. It will just be a classier Focus.