For as long as I can remember (15-20 years), Mercuries have been just rebadged versions of Fords, optioned with higher trim packages and sold for about the same price. That's a pretty inexpensive way to run a car division, but evidently, also a somewhat pointless one.
I'll miss seeing the wider variety of nameplates on the road, but oh well.
Formula - '96 Firebird Formula/Trans-Am 90 day: 19.31 mpg (US)
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It's about time. Say what you will about the dead GM brands, they all had some unique cars and unique versions of each badged engineered car.
Mercs literally just rebadged Ford for decades, since the 80s I think.
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Lets see how far it can go
"All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it. [...] But the man who creates the music is hearing something else, is dealing with the roar rising from the void and imposing order on it as it hits the air. What is evoked in him, then, is of another order, more terrible because it has no words, and triumphant, too, for the same reason. And his triumph, when he triumphs, is ours." -Sonny's Blues
I remember reading that Ford was trying to do this years ago, but the Mercury dealers threatened to sue, so they backed off. I definitely agree with the article when it says 2012 instead of 2014. Whenever I have seen a date on a shutdown plan, it's usually sooner than that.
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What could the dealers actually sue for? All FoMoCo would have to do is not approve of new contracts for dealerships when it comes time to renew, and there's little they could do. It would be dirty, but effective.
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Lets see how far it can go
"All I know about music is that not many people ever really hear it. [...] But the man who creates the music is hearing something else, is dealing with the roar rising from the void and imposing order on it as it hits the air. What is evoked in him, then, is of another order, more terrible because it has no words, and triumphant, too, for the same reason. And his triumph, when he triumphs, is ours." -Sonny's Blues
Last edited by texanidiot25; 05-27-2010 at 08:48 PM..
What could the dealers actually sue for? All FoMoCo would have to do is not approve of new contracts for dealerships when it comes time to renew, and there's little they could do. It would be dirty, but effective.
I think the Ford signs contracts with dealers where it agrees to deliver "X amount of product Y". If Ford stops making Mercuries, it would be in breach of contract.
When GM was in bankruptcy, it was a lot easier to get rid of Hummer/Pontiac/Saturn because they were protected.
But I don't have the legaleze correct. There are people that can explain it better than me.
I think the Ford signs contracts with dealers where it agrees to deliver "X amount of product Y". If Ford stops making Mercuries, it would be in breach of contract.
When GM was in bankruptcy, it was a lot easier to get rid of Hummer/Pontiac/Saturn because they were protected.
But I don't have the legaleze correct. There are people that can explain it better than me.
CarloSW2
I remember it definitely cost GM billions to shut down Oldsmobile at the beginning of the decade, exactly because of those requirements. There are also some very tortuous laws in some states designed to protect franchise owners at the expense of the 'mother' company.
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