Mercury Is DEAD

[kro10000]

http://www.blueovalnews.com/index.php?c ... icleid=803

 

Can't say I'm surprised, since they've been brought down to pure badge engineering. Still it's pretty sad to see a company with such a proud heritage die this way.

[jpdocdave]

i think its smart, they don't need all the lines. i think that was a huge problem for gm, you could buy the same car with 4 or 5 different badges on it, how can they all do well?

 

now ford can offer a standardized version, and even a high end ford version, and then a decked out lincoln. they had mercury as a mid level for many years now, when you could buy a ford lets say explorer, with all the options, and its the same vehicle.

 

its smart to offer a high end model, but you don't need 5 models of one vehicle like gm did.

[knever3]

I think that Ford saw the writing on the wall years ago. They have been downsizing slowly selling off all the niche brands. Aston Martin, Land Rover and Volvo were all sold off. Now Mercury dropping nearly 80% of it's sales has gone. I think it's great because that will set Lincoln apart from it's Ford owner.

 

Maybe they will make a REAL Lincoln Blackwood now!!!!!!

[jpnjim]

I don't get the rush to COMPLETELY drop a name.

Same with Mopar dropping Plymouth, and GM dropping Oldsmobile & now Pontiac.

 

 

Why the need to completely abandon the name when you drop it as a product line?

 

 

 

You can still ditch all the superfluous (expensive) tiers of executives that catered to the brand,

but instead of burying the name, and any benefit you might get from it,

use the names as they were intended:

 

Plymouth

'Plymouth' could have been retained as the entry level & fleet version of select lines:

like the cargo-minivan they currently offer, maybe a 2wd sedan delivery version of the Nitro/Libby, and even a Caliber with very select available options sold as a Plymouth Valiant.

 

Cop & taxi Chargers could also be moved the the Plymouth line,

fleet only Chargers = Plymouth Belvederes.

 

The difference would be ZERO overlap in lines,

And the name would still exist if the situation ever improved, and they wanted to again expand their line.

 

Moving low end sales to fleet only, or minimal options only would also streamline the build process for the sales with the lowest profit margins (Base Minivans/Calibers, etc)

 

 

Oldsmobile

 

OK, I'd probably let this one die (sorry to any Olds freaks :D ).

 

Pontiac

 

Camaro is a Chevy line, so is Corvette,

Die hard Pontiac nuts probably won't like the idea, but Pontiac could've been kept around, and restructured to be part of Chevy.

That would give you a crack at (finally) making a new Pontiac Firebird, or even JUST a high end Trans-Am version.

That would also be an end-run around the corporate restriction surrounding Corvette (Pontiac ALWAYS wanted their own version of that).

A 2011 Pontiac flavored Firehawk Banshee would give GM all the free press they could handle.

 

Pontiac had created a better looking Vette in the 1960's (Banshee), but GM wasn't interested:

 

 

Mercury

This name also has value, even if they only kept it around for a single line,

 

Crown Vics are pretty much fleet only these days,

keep it that way, release the replacement that's been worked on (awesome lines by the way )

 

But only available to the public (non-fleet) as a 'Mercury Marauder'.

 

Give a run for the money against the Chargers, 300's, Camaro's & Challengers, while keeping the name around for a single, high profile vehicle. :yes:

 

& by calling it a Marauder, it gives the perception of special, limited edition, etc etc. (Compared to releasing the above vehicle as a Crown Vic, or LTD :ack: )

[jpnjim]

Also found this cop-chop of the above car here:

http://forums.officer.com/forums/showth ... lice-car...

 

 

And after making sure I spelled Marauder correctly (with google),

I know really want an 03-04 Marauder. :drool:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Marauder

[Incommando]

http://www.blueovalnews.com/index.php?categoryid=12&p2_articleid=803

 

Can't say I'm surprised, since they've been brought down to pure badge engineering.

 

When were they ever anything else?

 

I am sorry, but to me that last Maruader was such a wasted opportunity... They should have been much more than they were.

[mnkyboy]

 

Pontiac

 

Camaro is a Chevy line, so is Corvette,

Die hard Pontiac nuts probably won't like the idea, but Pontiac could've been kept around, and restructured to be part of Chevy.

That would give you a crack at (finally) making a new Pontiac Firebird, or even JUST a high end Trans-Am version.

That would also be an end-run around the corporate restriction surrounding Corvette (Pontiac ALWAYS wanted their own version of that).

A 2011 Pontiac flavored Firehawk Banshee would give GM all the free press they could handle.

 

I don't care much for GM but i have always liked Pontiac

 

 

 

 

Sucks about Mercury,I'm in a local Falcon/Comet club and thats all the Comet guys are talking about. their cars are gonna be orphans

[Automan2164]

Also found this cop-chop of the above car here:

http://forums.officer.com/forums/showth ... lice-car...

 

 

And after making sure I spelled Marauder correctly (with google),

I know really want an 03-04 Marauder. :drool:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Marauder

 

Jim, a cheap alternative to the marauder is the crown vic police interceptor. Same drivetrain and programming. They move for a car of that size. Most can be picked up for less than 2 grand. We auctioned one last year that was an 05 with 80k, good shape, and ran flawlessly. Only sold for 1500.

 

Rob L.

[jpnjim]

http://www.blueovalnews.com/index.php?categoryid=12&p2_articleid=803

 

Can't say I'm surprised, since they've been brought down to pure badge engineering.

 

When were they ever anything else?

 

Stuff sold at Lincoln-Mercury Dealers ONLY:

 

 

 

more recently:

 

and others,

 

but the best vehicle ever sold exclusively at L-M dealers.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jpnjim]

 

Jim, a cheap alternative to the marauder is the crown vic police interceptor. Same drivetrain and programming. They move for a car of that size. Most can be picked up for less than 2 grand. We auctioned one last year that was an 05 with 80k, good shape, and ran flawlessly. Only sold for 1500.

 

Rob L.

 

 

Thanks Rob,

 

I think I take pleasure in owning unusual stuff no one wanted when new (like AMC's & Jeep Pickups ;) ),

which is probably why the Marauder looks so good to me.

 

I looked at a couple of ad's for Marauders,

looks like the same car as what you sold (only older & with a Merc badge) goes for $11-16K. :ack:

 

 

BTW, an 80K mile 05' CVPI for $1500 sounds like a steal to me. :eek:

[Automan2164]

BTW, an 80K mile 05' CVPI for $1500 sounds like a steal to me. :eek:

 

Yep. We used to do a "Sealed bid" and taxi companies used to snatch these things up all the time. It was easy for them to call my boss, ask his opinion of the cars, and they would send checks for 3-4K for the same car I told you about. The bid would close, and there would be a flatbed 5th wheel that loaded up 4-5 of them bound for New York or Chicago. Now, we send all of our cars to a local county auction. The taxi co's won't send out a live bidder, so they don't bid. Leaves it up to the public to buy a car that's viewed as beat-down and battered. Couldn't be further from the truth.

 

Our PD gets new cars every year, the old primaries become secondaries, then pool cars to public works after that. With the constant influx of new wheels, we constantly get rid of pool cars before with TONS of life left.

 

Easy to work on, RWD cars, with few problems, and easy fixes. Since we get cars with sequential VIN's, I have noticed that they get problems in rashes. If one has a fuel pump crap out, better see how many are that year, and be ready for a few more. But, they get around 20+ MPG on the highway, and are durn sexy looking in black with a pushbar.

 

 

Rob L. :drool:

[jpnjim]

and are durn sexy looking in black with a pushbar.

 

 

Rob L. :drool:

 

 

:yes: :agree:

 

 

Tho I'd REALLY like an ex-cop Charger. :drool: :drool:

 

(Though it doesn't seem like they'll be as maintenance free/easy to work on)

[Incommando]

Pantera's are extremely cool with the mid-engined 351 ( for the majority ) and I have driven one, but most of the L-M "exclusives" listed are rebadged imports, so that would kind of go with the badge-engineering thing. The 67-70 Cougar is to Mustang what Falcon was to Comet or Firebird was to Camaro. Same difference. Except of course in 71 or so when Cougars grew huge and became Thunderbirds or became imports in the FWD version, but were still based on a European Ford ( Contour?). The first Carpi's were European Ford's, as well, and the Miata-fighter was an Australian Ford product. No new ground in any of those. Heck, the first Mustangs were nothing new and exciting as hyped: they were re-hashed Falcons. I liked my old '67 Comet Caliente, though.

 

I spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours in CVPI's for untold miles. I was never impressed. My last was a 2005 ( I am retired now) and they were not fast or quick. I honestly outran a 1992 version light-to-light in a 1990 Festiva in 1992. I outran a 2001 in my CTD dually over about a 1/4 mile. The '05 would only do 120 with a lightbar on it & it it took a l o n g time to get there. I would guesstimate the 1/4 mile time around 17-18 seconds at the fastest.

 

Google Michigan State Police Vehicle testing. You will find that the CVPI has trouble keeping up with the V6 Charger and is a full TWO SECONDS behind the 5.7 Charger in 0-60!!! Mopar has owned the cruiser business in acceleration, top speed, braking, and skid pad since they re-entered the business and showed the world that the CVPI is a kind of a dog.

[dasbulliwagen]

The early Cougar pictured above was not a Mercury only vehicle... it was a rebodied Mustang... all the underpinnings are the same, and the cougar taillights were even used in the shleby cars. Not that it matters that much, though Ive always liked Mercury. When I was younger I always wanted a mid/late '80's Cougar... you could swap a 460 into one of them and keep everything under the hood! What a sleep that would be!

 

The Crown Vics lack of resale value has always made me wonder. I know they are good cars, but you can buy real nice used ones relatively dirt cheap.

 

That CV concept looks good, but reminds me of something.....Like a Chrysler 300! The squared off ends, the high beltline. And I just read an http://www.allpar.com where Ford just raised the price of the police version vics, whereas Chysler has just lowered the price of the Charger police cars. Price is the bottom line for many municipalities when it comes to buying cars. The Chargers don't have that many common problems when it comes to maintinance. There are a few issues, but I would consider them minor in the big picture of the cars reliability. Ive also heard many officers say that the 3.5HO Charger V6 has as good of power as the Crowns V8... the Hemi just blows the vic out of the water!

 

Back to topic.... Merc will be missed, along with all the other casualties of this recession. And just because Ford kills the company, doesnt mean that it gets rid of the name.... maybe someday they will recycle it with something deserving!

[jpnjim]

I know this is semantics,

 

but I will say the first generation Cougars had a 3" longer wheelbase, all unique sheetmetal, and a laundry list of options you could not get on a Mustang.

Since 'badge engineering' usually stops far short of stretching the chassis for more wheelbase, I'd consider it more of a rebody than badge engineering.

 

And although I realize all the first generation ponycars used the same ft suspension, similar body pans/unibody's & drivetrains as their economy based corporate siblings,

I'd stop short of calling Mustang a 'rehashed' Falcon,

first gen Camaro's 'rehashed' Nova's, and AMX/Javelin's 'rehashed' Ramblers.

 

The first gen Baracuda's are tougher to defend against calling them re-hashed Darts,

tho I'd fall back on the 're-bodied' statement (even though Mopar labeled both 'A-body's')

 

This was all back when engineering was done with pad & pencil,

& the quickest way to the showroom floor was to use underpinnings from similar size & weight economy cars.

 

I don't know how to defend that similar cars produced by the same manufacturer could have similar underpinnings, without considering everything a re-badge, or a re-hash.

[Root Moose]

The Crown Vics lack of resale value has always made me wonder. I know they are good cars, but you can buy real nice used ones relatively dirt cheap.

 

Any vehicle sold as a fleet vehicle will have crappy resale. The market is flooded with them. That's not to say they are bad vehicles - I like Crown Vics a lot. There's just a lot of them out there.

 

Chrysler posted in the black the last month (quarter?) for the first time in quite a while. This was due to fleet sales primarily. Look for crap resale at ChryCo going forward.