Mercury Dead, Lincoln Lineup to Expand

[630land]

Ford might as well toss Lincoln into the garbage too. Lincoln has never met it's potential either. It was never a Cadillac (or Lexus or BMW or ....) fighter.

 

Really, just make it "ONE FORD" and be done with it.

 

This really pisses me off. Mercury was squandered for the last 10 or 20 years. This is Ford's fault. They could have done so much with the Mercury brand. When they ditched PAG I had hopes they'd invest in new products for their "lost brand." The only reason it was lost is my their own neglect.

 

They basically lost a company that produced 500,000 cars a year. That's inept......maybe Ford shouldn't be in business either.

 

 

Mercury was never a separate "company" ever!. It was always simply a badge on a Ford car. A these "better" cars were MADE AT THE SAME FACTORIES!!!! 500K sales was 32 years ago, long before the target buyers were born. Ford only made 93,000 Mercs last year, and they filled rental fleets.

 

booo hooo. Most who are 'pissed off' are not new car buyers, but hobbyist who just like looking at old cars.

 

Oh and one more thing, Ford is doing great business now and making $$$, and NO BAILOUTS! So, they SHOULD be in business!

[630land]

now Ford can sell more Fusions, Escapes and others to over take the imports. There are a lot more buyers under the age of 30 who Ford can capture to make up for the old timers that 'will never buy a Ford since they dropped Mercury'.

Edited June 2, 2010 by 630land

[ironhorse]

Lincoln had better improve,or it's on the road to extinction too.

[twintornados]

June 2nd, 2010....another day that will live in infamy ....good bye Mercury . I still have my 1976 Montego MX....shes a classic beauty.

[timmm55]

Mercury was never a separate "company" ever!. It was always simply a badge on a Ford car. A these "better" cars were MADE AT THE SAME FACTORIES!!!! 500K sales was 32 years ago, long before the target buyers were born. Ford only made 93,000 Mercs last year, and they filled rental fleets.

 

booo hooo. Most who are 'pissed off' are not new car buyers, but hobbyist who just like looking at old cars.

 

Oh and one more thing, Ford is doing great business now and making $$$, and NO BAILOUTS! So, they SHOULD be in business!

 

BASICALLY I said.

 

Losing 400,000 sales is pathetic. Especially when there was loyalty.

 

Really!!!!!! I didn't know Mercury was made on the same assembly lines by Ford! <HEAVY $#@& Sarcasm!>

 

 

Just like GM "lost" Oldsmobile and Pontiac. Another brilliant marketing move...so they made Saturn LOL.

There are a lot of Pontiac (and Olds, Saturn and Hummer) owners who fled GM after they abandoned them, The same will happen to previous Mercury fans. No, there weren't many buyers recently. Why? Because there wasn't ahny PRODUCT. 2 sedans and 2 SUVs.......geez wonder why people weren't lining up? Ford made Mercury into an OLD person's car.......... by neglect.

 

Oh, and since so many people here are talking about "youth" as some kind of a savior............how will that help Lincoln?

Edited June 2, 2010 by timmm55

[twintornados]

I hope they get rid of the gawd awful "bow wave" grille on the Lincoln product....guess I will be buying another Ford Fusion afterall....not a bad thing mind you, but was finally getting ready to reward myself for being....well, me!

[Deanh]

Lincoln had better improve,or it's on the road to extinction too.

?...are you oblivious to how far they have come in a mere 5 years?

[Deanh]

I hope they get rid of the gawd awful "bow wave" grille on the Lincoln product....guess I will be buying another Ford Fusion afterall....not a bad thing mind you, but was finally getting ready to reward myself for being....well, me!

they dont need to get rid of it, but they sure need to refine it and give it a dose of elegance.....the ONLY iteration I have seen that was perfectly in scale and execution was on the MKR concept........the production versions look clunky and over-raught....I do have hopes for the version on the upcoming MKX though....

[kstwister]

Not necessarily. After all, I would imagine that she was under contract with Ford Motor Company, not Mercury. Would love to see her do some Ford ads alongside Mike Rowe. Sort of that 1-2 "All-American" punch.

 

Now for me the real question is this, would Jill do ads in the bikini shown above? I'd buy that for a dollar!

 

In all seriousness though, the fate of Mercury is a sad one but in these times it is necessary to keep aware of the greater good. Right now, that means Ford's continued profitability and as Fields puts it, focus on the customer. The rest will take care of itself.

 

RIP Mercury.

[focus05]

Again, the whole point of this is to raise awareness and value of the Lincoln brand. Ford cannot invest in both brands - it costs billions to really make a brand viable. Mercury doesn't even have the following of GMC or Buick, so they are starting from a lower base, which is why you see GM trying to rescue those brands while Ford is trimming even more. But, frankly, if I were GM, I would have cut those brands as well and focused on dragging Chevy upmarket a bit (it is not held in nearly the same regard as Ford now). But at least they have people other than employees and rental fleets buying their vehicles.

 

Lincoln is not going anywhere. Ford's going to fight hard and long for that brand, and they will probably succeed given the leadership team in place.

 

I've been predicting this for a while. And it was the right business decision to make. I'm glad Ford's placing its bets on the right brands to drive company growth and profitability.

[AlRozzi]

George Pipas, head of sales analysis at Ford, said 53 percent of Mercury customers cross-shop Ford or Lincoln.

 

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20100602/AUTO01/6020400/1148/auto01/Ford-retires-72-year-old-Mercury-brand#ixzz0pjhoynVl

 

47% do not cross-shop F/L. If 1/3 of Mercury sales were fleet in May, of the remaining 6000 montly sales nearly 3000 would have gone to Buick.

 

In all the years Ford had the brands Ford/Mercury/Lincoln/Volvo/Jaguar/LandRover/Aston Martin, Mercury was always #2.

 

There will be some lost Mercury sales to the corporation. I'm just mentioning, not criticizing the decision.

Edited June 2, 2010 by AlRozzi

[twintornados]

The progression of states is:

 

1. Denial – "I feel fine."; "This can't be happening, not to Mercury."

Denial is usually only a temporary defense for the individual. This feeling is generally replaced with heightened awareness of situations and orphaned models that will be left behind after death.

 

2. Anger – "Why Mercury? It's not fair!"; "How can this happen to Mercury?"; "Who is to blame?"

Once in the second stage, the individual recognizes that denial cannot continue. Because of anger, the company is very difficult to care about due to

misplaced feelings of rage and envy. Any division or marquee that symbolizes life or energy is subject to projected resentment and jealousy.

 

3. Bargaining – "Just let me live to see a new Mercury Cougar."; "I'll do anything for a few more years."; "I will give my life savings if..."

The third stage involves the hope that the division can somehow postpone or delay death. Usually, the negotiation for an extended life is made with a

higher power in exchange for a reformed lifestyle. Psychologically, the individual is saying, "I understand Mercury will die, but if I could just have more

time..."

 

4. Depression – "I'm so sad, why bother with Lincoln?"; "Ford Motor Company will surely die... What's the point?"; "I miss my beloved Mercury, why go on?"

During the fourth stage, the dying marquee begins to understand the certainty of death. Because of this, the Mercury customer may become silent, refuse

visitors and spend much of the time crying and grieving. This process allows the dying division to disconnect oneself from things of love and affection. It is

not recommended to attempt to cheer up an individual who is in this stage. It is an important time for grieving that must be processed.

 

5. Acceptance – "It's going to be okay."; "I can't fight it, I may as well prepare for it."

In this last stage, the individual begins to come to terms with their favorite model or that of their beloved car brand.

Edited June 2, 2010 by twintornados

[saintlaz1]

Mercury was never a separate "company" ever!. It was always simply a badge on a Ford car. A these "better" cars were MADE AT THE SAME FACTORIES!!!! 500K sales was 32 years ago, long before the target buyers were born. Ford only made 93,000 Mercs last year, and they filled rental fleets.

 

booo hooo. Most who are 'pissed off' are not new car buyers, but hobbyist who just like looking at old cars.

 

Oh and one more thing, Ford is doing great business now and making $$$, and NO BAILOUTS! So, they SHOULD be in business!

 

Thats a bunch of BS, you never see Mercury at a rental car lot, thats ford's turf. The ford family should be shot for letting this happen not just today but over the past 10 years.

 

Edsel Ford is rolling over in his grave today.

[saintlaz1]

The progression of states is:

 

1. Denial – "I feel fine."; "This can't be happening, not to Mercury."

Denial is usually only a temporary defense for the individual. This feeling is generally replaced with heightened awareness of situations and orphaned models that will be left behind after death.

 

2. Anger – "Why Mercury? It's not fair!"; "How can this happen to Mercury?"; "Who is to blame?"

Once in the second stage, the individual recognizes that denial cannot continue. Because of anger, the company is very difficult to care about due to

misplaced feelings of rage and envy. Any division or marquee that symbolizes life or energy is subject to projected resentment and jealousy.

 

3. Bargaining – "Just let me live to see a new Mercury Cougar."; "I'll do anything for a few more years."; "I will give my life savings if..."

The third stage involves the hope that the division can somehow postpone or delay death. Usually, the negotiation for an extended life is made with a

higher power in exchange for a reformed lifestyle. Psychologically, the individual is saying, "I understand Mercury will die, but if I could just have more

time..."

 

4. Depression – "I'm so sad, why bother with Lincoln?"; "Ford Motor Company will surely die... What's the point?"; "I miss my beloved Mercury, why go on?"

During the fourth stage, the dying marquee begins to understand the certainty of death. Because of this, the Mercury customer may become silent, refuse

visitors and spend much of the time crying and grieving. This process allows the dying person to disconnect oneself from things of love and affection. It is

not recommended to attempt to cheer up an individual who is in this stage. It is an important time for grieving that must be processed.

 

5. Acceptance – "It's going to be okay."; "I can't fight it, I may as well prepare for it."

In this last stage, the individual begins to come to terms with their favorite model or that of their beloved car brand.

 

I am on 2 right now!

[BORG]

Mercury isn't going away, it's being rebranded "Titanium" .

[AlRozzi]

At least I won't have to deal with the Tracer name again. Once was enough.

[twintornados]

Mercury isn't going away, it's being rebranded "Titanium" .

But you can't replace the "Titanium" label with "Mercury".....

[charly]

Bring back the Monarch

monarch ad.bmp

[TStag]

Does Ford's plan for Lincoln really inspire confidence? I mean does the following statement fill you with hope or fear?

 

'Ford is expanding its Lincoln lineup with seven all-new or significantly refreshed vehicles in the next four years – including its first-ever C-segment vehicle'

 

What do 7 all new or refreshed cars translate into in reality? And will the C-Segment vehicle really only be a rebadged Focus with a bit of leather and chrome?

 

Once Mercury does vacate all those Lincoln dealers won't many dealers be fatally weakened?

 

I can't help but wonder if Ford is really just working it's way round to a cull of Lincoln. If Ford can get dealers to fold by themselves then presumably this will avoid Ford having to compensate as many dealers if it does kill of Lincoln.

 

Sad to see any car brands go this way. As a Triumph fan I hope the real Mercury fans really cherish their cars now.

[saintlaz1]

Does Ford's plan for Lincoln really inspire confidence? I mean does the following statement fill you with hope or fear?

 

'Ford is expanding its Lincoln lineup with seven all-new or significantly refreshed vehicles in the next four years – including its first-ever C-segment vehicle'

 

What do 7 all new or refreshed cars translate into in reality? And will the C-Segment vehicle really only be a rebadged Focus with a bit of leather and chrome?

 

Once Mercury does vacate all those Lincoln dealers won't many dealers be fatally weakened?

 

I can't help but wonder if Ford is really just working it's way round to a cull of Lincoln. If Ford can get dealers to fold by themselves then presumably this will avoid Ford having to compensate as many dealers if it does kill of Lincoln.

 

Sad to see any car brands go this way. As a Triumph fan I hope the real Mercury fans really cherish their cars now.

 

 

I do. I wasnt planning another Milan since i wanted a coupe but not im leaning towards getting a new one.

[mackinaw]

.......and will the C-Segment vehicle really only be a rebadged Focus with a bit of leather and chrome?

 

This is the one thing I'll be watching. Will Ford have enough gonads to give us something bold like the Lincoln C? Or will the new C-class vehicle be a watered-down (up?) Focus with a new grille and tail lights?

Edited June 2, 2010 by mackinaw

[RangerM]

I'm not sure where there is overlap between Ford and Lincoln, that FOMOCO will find success.

 

Using Toyota/Lexus as an example, is there a Toyota model that would be considered nicer than a "lesser" model Lexus (ES350 - Avalon), or vice versa, that sells in any quantity?

 

Does the A4 sell substantially better than the Passat or vice-versa?

 

I'm not sure that Lincoln can be successful selling a "premium" Focus, when a well-equipped Fusion could presumably be had for the same (or less) money.

 

There needs to be more exclusivity on the Lincoln side. Maybe it would be ok to have a Focus-based Lincoln if a really special model (SVT?) were available? But could Ford do it profitably?

[nycplayboy78]

You can rent Mercury's at Hertz. Hertz specializes in Ford rentals. The Grand Marquis is a premium model rental at Hertz....

 

 

Thats a bunch of BS, you never see Mercury at a rental car lot, thats ford's turf. The ford family should be shot for letting this happen not just today but over the past 10 years.

 

Edsel Ford is rolling over in his grave today.

[SVT_MAN]

I have to say this is a sad day for me. I have many fond Mercury memories in my life. My first car was a 1989 Mercury Sable LS. My second car was a 1995 Mercury Sable LS. If Mercury has to go away for Ford to survive, I understand. However, it seems silly to me that Ford has squandered this brand for years claiming that Mercury was not going away only to pull the plug when it looks like Ford is back on the upswing. The sheer brand equity in the Mercury badge alone should be enough to garner some attention. I still know people who will not buy a Ford but will buy a Mercury.

 

If you ask me, Lincoln is the more screwed up brand between Mercury and Lincoln. Look at all the money invested in Lincoln and the small return on investment (if any). I don't know. I don't want either Lincoln nor Mercury to go away. I can't imagine Lincoln Mercury dealers are too happy about this.

[J-150]

Thats a bunch of BS, you never see Mercury at a rental car lot, thats ford's turf. The ford family should be shot for letting this happen not just today but over the past 10 years.

 

Edsel Ford is rolling over in his grave today.

 

 

 

Suck it up buttercup.

 

Mercury was only ever added as an additional option from the days when Ford had 25% of the market. As an answer for GM having so many divisions.

 

Those days are gone.