If Buick, why not Mercury?

[Retired Guy]

As a long time Mercury owner, it still breaks my heart that Ford killed the Mercury Brand. It wasn't making money or some such nonsense. How come other companies can have their cake and eat it too like General Motors with the Buick brand!

 

GM kept Buick and look at them now! Great looking vehicles! And they have Cadillac to compete with! I think we sunk the boat on this one. I'm trying to keep my current Grand Marquis until I can't drive anymore unless I see some new Mercuries in the future. We gave up too easily, in my opinion giving up that sector to GM, Chrysler and foreigners.

[PREMiERdrum]

Would you be happy with the Ford brand held back as much as Chevrolet is to artifically keep room for Buick?

 

The arguments for an against have been made her ad nauseum. It boils down to the cost to maintain unique products, market them, and support a stable sales channel for them, while trying to balance their place inbetween Ford and Lincoln. Why go to all that trouble when you can be just as successful (sales wise) selling higher-trimmed Ford models, without the added headaches?

 

Mercury of the '50s and '60s was great. Unfortunately, it "died" long before the plug was pulled.

[92merc]

As a long time Mercury owner, it still breaks my heart that Ford killed the Mercury Brand. It wasn't making money or some such nonsense. How come other companies can have their cake and eat it too like General Motors with the Buick brand!

 

GM kept Buick and look at them now! Great looking vehicles! And they have Cadillac to compete with! I think we sunk the boat on this one. I'm trying to keep my current Grand Marquis until I can't drive anymore unless I see some new Mercuries in the future. We gave up too easily, in my opinion giving up that sector to GM, Chrysler and foreigners.

GM is definitely the mold you don't want to follow. They way they are spending money, you won't have to worry long about that comparison.

 

I miss Mercury. But the Ford Platinum and Titanium lines have been filling what the Mercury line used to fill. And then some...

[Dave-S]

I have also owned Mercurys and have a particular fondness for the Mercs from the 50's. But my Mercury Sable was clearly a Ford Taurus Clone so it doesn't surprise me that Mercury is gone. Buick is still around for a lot of reasons but the biggest one is their huge presence in China where they are the top luxury seller in the country. But Olds and later Pontiac got the hatchet for the same reason Mercury did..

Edited January 27, 2015 by Dave-S

[AlRozzi]

I still have a couple Mercurys at present but I've driven mostly Ford brand and one Lincoln (have had about 35 vehicles).

 

I don't believe Ford could and never did actually differentiate a Mercury brand from Ford brand to a point where it made sense to keep it.

 

Don't forget, when Mercury was alive in the '60s, '70s and '80s, Lincoln had anywhere from either one, two or three vehicles in the lineup. The effective result was that Ford really had only two brands then as Lincoln was basically a model or two.

 

Therefore it makes more sense to run two brands - Ford and Lincoln - which have much separating them, rather than to have two brands which are nearly the same.

 

That said, if Ford were to have a third brand, I could think of one that might make sense; it is called, well, it began life as GP, but now ends in eep.

 

Then again we are all well aware of the Willys curse, so...

 

 

(had to edit because I did not capitalize Lincoln in paragraph three and I feel that could have made the appearance of making Lincoln less significant. Not my intention at all!)

Edited January 27, 2015 by AlRozzi

[grbeck]

The last time Mercury really had an image distinct from Ford was in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Cars like the Cougar, Marquis and Colony Park really did seem like a step up from their Ford counterparts. But once we hit the late 1970s, it seemed as though Mercury went back to being a Ford in disguise. And on the smaller models - Zephyr, Lynx, Topaz, Mystique - the disguise wasn't too convincing.

 

Hardly anyone thought that Mercury was a "step up" from Ford by 2000.

Edited January 27, 2015 by grbeck

[Fgts]

There was enough room for Mercury. The Mariner, Milan was good sellers Merc could had gone with Tracer for a sporty compact above Focus in certain bodystyles and yes a return of the Cougar.

 

A awd, 275-300 2.3 EB, 6-speed Milan wouldn't stepped on the Fusion/MKZ toes at all.

[fordmantpw]

There was enough room for Mercury. The Mariner, Milan was good sellers Merc could had gone with Tracer for a sporty compact above Focus in certain bodystyles and yes a return of the Cougar.

 

A awd, 275-300 2.3 EB, 6-speed Milan wouldn't stepped on the Fusion/MKZ toes at all.

 

But why? What is the point? It would essentially be the exact same car as Fusion with a different trim level. With the added cost of maintaining the additional brand, you're stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

[fuzzymoomoo]

I remember hearing something about the tracer making a comeback right before they pulled the plug on Mercury.

[akirby]

Just look at Ford sales and profit margins and it's obvious they didn't need Mercury. Especially if you're using the GM as the poster child. Bad example.

[twintornados]

I am a huge Mercury fan, but fact is, the reason Mercury existed was no longer there....Ford expanded into more luxurious trim levels making Mercury irrelevant. Mercury was needed in the '30s, '40s and up to the 70's...but into the '80s and and right up to where the plug was pulled...the reason for Mercury became less and less clear....the fact that the Ford is making profits and retaining the former Mercury owners is proof that Ford did the right thing. I predict that in 10 or so years, you may see Mercury "return" as a trim level for Ford vehicles above Titanium...

[grbeck]

I remember hearing something about the tracer making a comeback right before they pulled the plug on Mercury.

I remember seeing a photo of the concept vehicle that was supposed to represent Mercury's version of the current Focus. It was in a book by Publications International (the same outfit that publishes Collectible Automobile). It did look somewhat different from the Focus, but, again, it was only a concept vehicle, not the production version.

Edited January 27, 2015 by grbeck

[fuzzymoomoo]

I remember seeing a photo of the concept vehicle that was supposed to represent Mercury's version of the current Focus. It was in a book by Publications International (the same outfit that publishes Collectible Automobile). It did look somewhat different from the Focus, but, again, it was only a concept vehicle, not the production version.

If that was the same thing I saw, then yeah, that's the one. From what I understand is it was well on its way toward production when Mercury got the axe. There was a couple of articles I saw as well

[rmc523]

As a long time Mercury owner, it still breaks my heart that Ford killed the Mercury Brand. It wasn't making money or some such nonsense. How come other companies can have their cake and eat it too like General Motors with the Buick brand!

 

GM kept Buick and look at them now! Great looking vehicles! And they have Cadillac to compete with! I think we sunk the boat on this one. I'm trying to keep my current Grand Marquis until I can't drive anymore unless I see some new Mercuries in the future. We gave up too easily, in my opinion giving up that sector to GM, Chrysler and foreigners.

 

Buick was kept because of China. There's no real reason for it to have survived otherwise. Yes, you can say 'oh sales have improved and they have good looking products now.' I don't think anyone would argue that. But I believe the same jump/retention of Ford customers with the closure of Mercury would've happened with Buick customers going into improved Chevy products had they eliminated Buick.

 

But why? What is the point? It would essentially be the exact same car as Fusion with a different trim level. With the added cost of maintaining the additional brand, you're stepping over dollars to pick up pennies.

 

Yeah, not to mention it would step on the toes of the MKZ above it.

 

I remember seeing a photo of the concept vehicle that was supposed to represent Mercury's version of the current Focus. It was in a book by Publications International (the same outfit that publishes Collectible Automobile). It did look somewhat different from the Focus, but, again, it was only a concept vehicle, not the production version.

 

It'd be cool to see that. Is there any way to now?

Edited January 28, 2015 by rmc523

[atomcat68]

The explanation is really not why Ford dumped Mercury but more why GM kept Buick. Both Mercury and Buick were weak brands in the USA, but Buick was a huge brand in China where it is viewed as a prestige brand. The last Chinese emperor was driven around in a Buick. Mercury had no presence outside the USA (it wasn't even sold in Canada). And what little presence in the market was dwindling.

 

When the auto market was recovering after the big crash, Mercury had .2% of the market and the Ford brand increased market share by 2 percent. The Increase was ten times larger than Mercury's whole market share! It was then clear that Mercury was a wasted effort for Ford. Buick on the other hand recovered more after the death of Pontiac and Saturn, which made it the recipient of Opel models which were being developed anyway for other markets and no longer had Pontiac (Solstice) or Saturn (pretty much the whole lineup at that point) to place them.

 

Buick could also be paired with GMC with less overlapping models than Mercury with Lincoln.

[probowler]

I didn't realize Mercury was a "luxuary" brand. I thought it was just rebadged ford vehicles "because.....why not?"

 

Never seen the inside of one, but all they ever looked like to me was an extra-"chromy" Ford

[PREMiERdrum]

There were Mercury versions of Focus, Fiesta, and C-Max (right?) ready to go as the "new" Mercury vehicles, with the brand's newfound "focus" (pun intended) on building exclusively B- and C-segment vehicles so that Lincoln/Mercury dealers had a good selection of fuel misers on the lot.

 

The only image I've ever seen of the proposed Tracer is this...

...but I thought it was determined to be a photoshop. I do know that the Tracer concept existed and they were working on a public debut when the plug was pulled. The Concept C's warm reception gave Mulally the evidence needed to finally convince the family that the Mercury brand had to go.

 

It should be noted that I do not believe anybody but Mulally would have been able to sway all the necessary stakeholders to pull the plug. Just days before the announcement, in late May of 2010, I had sources in no uncertain terms refuting the rumor that Mercury was about to be offed... nobody inside the glass house thought it would happen.

 

It should also be noted that former "car czar" was adament that GM should emerge from BK with only the Chevrolet and Cadillac brands. Buick was allowed to survive solely on the brand's success in China, and GMC because GM's ridiculous accounting practices at the time showed GMC models "printing money" for them. IIRC, GM also (unsuccessfully) petitioned to save the Pontiac and Saturn brands, as both had "significant" investments made into their coming product lineups.

[atomcat68]

I think this is the only insider picture of the Mercury Tracer.

[fuzzymoomoo]

I remember GM was DESPERATELY trying to find a buyer for pontiac and Saturn. Roger Penske was very close to buying Saturn then the deal fell through

[LincolnV]

The Concept C's warm reception gave Mulally the evidence needed to finally convince the family that the Mercury brand had to go.

 

The Concept C got a warm reception? it seems like it appeared on the show circuit and then that was it.

 

I'm glad they never produced it. it came out around the same time as the MKT concept and I think it would have been another case of "nice concept" - "strange looking" production model. I think Lincoln has fixed a few things in the design studio since.

[rmc523]

There were Mercury versions of Focus, Fiesta, and C-Max (right?) ready to go as the "new" Mercury vehicles, with the brand's newfound "focus" (pun intended) on building exclusively B- and C-segment vehicles so that Lincoln/Mercury dealers had a good selection of fuel misers on the lot.

 

The only image I've ever seen of the proposed Tracer is this...

 

...but I thought it was determined to be a photoshop. I do know that the Tracer concept existed and they were working on a public debut when the plug was pulled. The Concept C's warm reception gave Mulally the evidence needed to finally convince the family that the Mercury brand had to go.

 

It should be noted that I do not believe anybody but Mulally would have been able to sway all the necessary stakeholders to pull the plug. Just days before the announcement, in late May of 2010, I had sources in no uncertain terms refuting the rumor that Mercury was about to be offed... nobody inside the glass house thought it would happen.

 

It should also be noted that former "car czar" was adament that GM should emerge from BK with only the Chevrolet and Cadillac brands. Buick was allowed to survive solely on the brand's success in China, and GMC because GM's ridiculous accounting practices at the time showed GMC models "printing money" for them. IIRC, GM also (unsuccessfully) petitioned to save the Pontiac and Saturn brands, as both had "significant" investments made into their coming product lineups.

I saw that image in a quick Google search, but figured It was a photoshop. And if it wasn't, then there certainly wasn't any purpose to keeping Mercury around for products like that.

[grbeck]

It'd be cool to see that. Is there any way to now?

I couldn't find the image on Google. The photo was in one of those Publications International books that gave a year-by-year account of the domestic auto industry and its products from the 1920s through about 2011. (It specifically mentioned that Mercury was being discontinued, so it was published after the announcement by Ford). I now wish I had bought the book instead of just browsing through it at Barnes & Noble.

 

The photo was at the end of the book, and the photos posted on this thread are not of that particular car. The Mercury in question was a concept car that was apparently never released for the show circuit. The book did specifically say that it was to be Mercury's version of the new Focus. It was much more than today's Focus with a Mercury grille and badge.

Edited January 28, 2015 by grbeck

[robertlane]

Would you be happy with the Ford brand held back as much as Chevrolet is to artifically keep room for Buick?

 

 

The closure of Mercury and the spin off of others helped to free up resources for Ford and Lincoln.

 

I remember hearing something about the tracer making a comeback right before they pulled the plug on Mercury.

 

True. They even renewed a few other Mercury trademarks. I can't see them wanted to save the Tracer name from other brands since there's no real equity in it for Ford.

 

 

Buick was kept because of China. There's no real reason for it to have survived otherwise. Yes, you can say 'oh sales have improved and they have good looking products now.' I don't think anyone would argue that. But I believe the same jump/retention of Ford customers with the closure of Mercury would've happened with Buick customers going into improved Chevy products had they eliminated Buick.

 

Yeah, not to mention it would step on the toes of the MKZ above it.

 

 

It'd be cool to see that. Is there any way to now?

 

China is what saved Buick. GM would have rather saved Pontiac over Buick - even Bob Lutz said that over and over again.

 

The explanation is really not why Ford dumped Mercury but more why GM kept Buick. Both Mercury and Buick were weak brands in the USA, but Buick was a huge brand in China where it is viewed as a prestige brand. The last Chinese emperor was driven around in a Buick. Mercury had no presence outside the USA (it wasn't even sold in Canada). And what little presence in the market was dwindling.

 

When the auto market was recovering after the big crash, Mercury had .2% of the market and the Ford brand increased market share by 2 percent. The Increase was ten times larger than Mercury's whole market share! It was then clear that Mercury was a wasted effort for Ford. Buick on the other hand recovered more after the death of Pontiac and Saturn, which made it the recipient of Opel models which were being developed anyway for other markets and no longer had Pontiac (Solstice) or Saturn (pretty much the whole lineup at that point) to place them.

 

Buick could also be paired with GMC with less overlapping models than Mercury with Lincoln.

 

GM is keeping Buick alive via Opel. If it wasn't for Opel, there wouldn't be a Buick.

[bzcat]

 

The closure of Mercury and the spin off of others helped to free up resources for Ford and Lincoln.

 

 

True. They even renewed a few other Mercury trademarks. I can't see them wanted to save the Tracer name from other brands since there's no real equity in it for Ford.

 

 

China is what saved Buick. GM would have rather saved Pontiac over Buick - even Bob Lutz said that over and over again.

 

 

GM is keeping Buick alive via Opel. If it wasn't for Opel, there wouldn't be a Buick.

 

Pretty much.

 

Buick survived GM bankruptcy for 3 main reasons:

 

1. It is GM's main brand in China, so there is marketing value (in China) to keep the brand alive in the US.

2. GM couldn't shed enough dealers even with bankruptcy, so you make lemonade with lemons... pair up Buick with remaining GMC dealers who are owed compensation for losing Pontiac.

3. Money for product development for Opel and Buick China are going to be spent anyway... so a Buick line up in the US is essentially free in the sense that money is not going to be saved for not having it around.

 

Ford didn't have any of these dynamics with Mercury:

 

1. It wasn't sold outside the US, not even Canada.

2. There was no independent Mercury dealers to eliminate. Some Lincoln-Mercury dealers were not pleased but it was relatively cheap for Ford to give them a Ford franchise to compensate for the loss. And many Lincoln dealer walked away in much better position as a result. Everyone is happier than before.

3. There wasn't a parallel model development for foreign markets that would readily pay for a US line up of Mercury under "One-Ford".

Edited January 28, 2015 by bzcat

[rmc523]

I couldn't find the image on Google. The photo was in one of those Publications International books that gave a year-by-year account of the domestic auto industry and its products from the 1920s through about 2011. (It specifically mentioned that Mercury was being discontinued, so it was published after the announcement by Ford). I now wish I had bought the book instead of just browsing through it at Barnes & Noble.

 

The photo was at the end of the book, and the photos posted on this thread are not of that particular car. The Mercury in question was a concept car that was apparently never released for the show circuit. The book did specifically say that it was to be Mercury's version of the new Focus. It was much more than today's Focus with a Mercury grille and badge.

 

That's unfortunate that you don't have it. I wonder if it can be found somewhere