Yet another ailing brand bites the dust.
Proof that the car market is overloaded with excess brands and a confusing of miasma models, the Ford Motor Company has terminated Mercury's long run. Production will end later this year for the four remaining models-Grand Marquis, Mariner, Milan, and Mountaineer. Approximately 1700 dealers currently offering the brand will move on to other endeavors such as Lincoln sales. The hop, skip, and jump through Mercury's history that follows is our fond farewell to the car named after the messenger to the gods.
1937: Against his near-senile father's intuitions, Edsel Ford identified an opportunity for a new brand positioned between mainstream Fords and upscale Lincolns. The hope was to raise the competitive game against GM's thriving Buick, LaSalle, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac nameplates.
Photo Gallery: Mercury's Wings Clipped - History of Mercury - Automobile Magazine