Insiders say Mercury closed by 2014

[ShadeTreeMech]

I have to admit a bit of pride in Ford for not accepting welfare from the gov't. Makes me respect them more than government motors and nopar.

As much as I might miss the Mercury brand in coming years, at least Fords aren't as low on the scale as a chevy IMO

[wagonman76]

I am disappointed in the crown vic and marquis going away. Thery had one more engineering feat to conquer, and that was half shafts and independent rear. they finally got a strong steering rack in 2003, the p71 car has been welded everywhere all my cars fail like little kids in an adult world...
it is a real shame. My country: almost a winner, then kill yourself.

Makes me think of when GM killed the Caprice. It seemed they had the market for cop cars and taxis, everywhere you looked.

I have to admit a bit of pride in Ford for not accepting welfare from the gov't. Makes me respect them more than government motors and nopar.

I've always been a GM guy but same here, I have respect for Ford for not taking the bailout.

[Thymeclock]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Moon Unit will be orphaned?!?

No, Frank Zappa may be gone but I think Moon's mom is still alive.

In other planetary automotive news: Our Galaxy is long gone, both the Comet and the Meteor have evaporated, Vega and the Pulsar (no longer stellar) are burned out, Saturn recently has died out, Mercury to follow. (Full story at 11. <LOL>)

Cressida (a moon of Uranus) also fell out of circulation.

We can still see an occasional Eclipse, however.

I'm waiting for someone to do Uranus. (I might be tempted to buy one, based on the name alone.) And if they ever make a Pluto, the no-frills model would have to be named the Goofy.

[Frank Lee]

I think dumping Merc is a smart move, and yet I'll kinda miss it.

Take Moon Unit for example. The differences between it and the Taurus, styling-wise, are so small as to make the whole effort a colossal waste of time and money. Same thing with the Tempo/Topaz- the unlit "light bar" across the front of the Spaz being the only real difference So back in the day they surely didn't put enough effort into differentiating the Mercs from the Fords.

But recently, I think the Merc designs have been fresh and nicely differentiated from the Fords.

Isn't that how it always goes- they put in a great effort right before killing it off (think Fiero, the whole Pontiac division, etc.)

P.S. Moon Unit got it's name because if it was jacked up with mudders it looks like it would make a great lunar rover.

[jkp1187]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Isn't that how it always goes- they put in a great effort right before killing it off (think Fiero, the whole Pontiac division, etc.)

It's probably the phenomenon of "one last push to see if we can get it to work, that way no one can say we didn't try."

I just hope Ford doesn't take a huge bath on closing franchises the way GM did with Oldsmobile. Of course, there probably aren't many (any?) solo-Mercury dealerships (though I know of a Lincoln/Mercury but not Ford dealer in Pittsburgh,) so maybe that'll make it easier for them. (Don't know the particulars of how to shut down franchises.)