The Mercury brand was created to fill a gap between high-end Lincolns and entry-level Fords. Brand identity was always a problem for the company--it lasted 72 years without having more than a handful of unique offerings.
Henry Ford's son, Edsel, named the brand after the Roman messenger god. The first cars rolled out of Dearborn, Michigan as 1939 year models. The pre-war cars were strongly identified as upscale Fords, but would become "junior" or "baby Lincolns" following the restart of automotive production in 1945. That year the two brands would be combined to form one division under Ford's corporate umbrella.
Among the most popular vehicles to customize are the first post-war Mercury designs. 1949-1951 Mercury Eights achieved a cult status, helped in part by 1955's "Rebel Without A Cause," starring James Dean. The Eights have become the definitive "lead sleds." Even in their own time they were popular... View more among hot rodders--Sam Barris modified a '49 that same year.
With Ford's corporate-wide restyling 1952, Mercury reverted to a more Ford-like appearance. The cars shared the same base body until 1957, when Mercury received its own body style through 1959. The Comet rolled out in 1960 as a versatile compact car. Four different body styles and two different trim levels were initially on offer. It was based on the Ford Falcon until 1966, when it switched to a midsize model based on the Fairlane. The 1971 revival shared the same platform as the Ford Maverick.
Mercury returned to performance and entered the pony-car war in 1967 with the Cougar--bridging the gap between the Mustang's performance and the Thunderbird's luxury. A GT-E performance package was made available in 1968 and featured a 427-ci 390-hp V8, modified grille and taillight design, stiffer front and rear springs, and more. In 1971, the Cougar became more of a sporty personal car akin to the Thunderbird, although a 429-ci 370-hp Cobra Jet V8 was still optional.
By 1980, every Mercury model had a Ford mate. The entire lineup was badge-engineered. A unique model would return in 1991's Mercury Capri, which was an import from Ford of Australia. The Mercury Villager, launched in 1993, was the result of a joint venture with Nissan and shared underpinnings with the Quest minivan. It was completely unrelated to Ford's Aerostar and Windstar.
The last Mercury model that wasn't a rebadged Ford was the 1999-2002 Cougar. A last performance hurrah by the company was the 2003-2004 Marauder. A modified Grand Marquis, it sported 302 hp as well as a limited-slip differential and aluminum driveshaft borrowed from the Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor. Sales fell short of expectations at 11,052 over the two-year model run.
In 2000, company sales were 359,143, and by 2009 sales declined 74% to 92,299. The final Mercury vehicle rolled off the St. Thomas Assembly production line in Talbotville, Ontario, Canada in January 2011--it was a white Grand Marquis. Instead of going to the company's private collection, it was sold to a fleet buyer. View less
From its inception in the 1967 model year until its demise after the 2002 model year, the Mercury Cougar was a number of different vehicles. The original Cougar was built on the highly successful Ford Mustang...
The Mercury Grand Marquis made its debut in 1983 as a full-size sedan and was in production for 28 years until 2011. Like the Mystique and Tracer, the Grand Marquis was a rebadged version of a Ford model,...
Like its sister model, the Ford Escape, the Mercury Mariner is a compact sport utility vehicle (SUV). Following the success of the Escape, which debuted in 2000, Mercury introduced the Mariner in 2005. As is...
The Mercury Milan is an impressive mid-size sedan that garnered awards from industry and consumer groups alike. First viewed at the Chicago Auto Show in 2005, the 2006 Milan was launched to replace Mercury's...
The Mercury Montego has a storied past that involves two brief production runs. The first run began in 1968 and lasted for eight years before it was discontinued in 1976. The second production was a revival...
The Mercury Monterey began production in 1950 and ran for twenty-four years before being replaced by the Marquis in 1974. Throughout its production the Monterey was available in a wide range of body styles...
The Mercury Mountaineer is a sport utility vehicle that seats seven people. A cousin of the Ford Explorer, but with several more upscale features, the Mountaineer made its debut in 1997. Production ended with...
Because Mercury is a division of the Ford Motor Company, the two often share similar vehicles, such as the Mystique and the Contour. The Mystique was a variant of the Contour, and both were identical 4-door...
In a time where minivans were in demand by busy soccer moms and businesses that catered events, the Villager was Mercury's proposed solution. From 1993 to 2002, Mercury produced the Villager, no more than a...
