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Mercury Dead by 2012
SANTA MONICA, California — Although Ford officials still won't confirm the impending death of Mercury, supplier sources tell Inside Line that the midlevel luxury brand has no products planned after the 2012 model year.
The last model standing is likely to be the Milan midsize sedan as it will get a midcycle refresh early next year along with the Ford Fusion. Other models like the Sable, Grand Marquis and recently refreshed Mariner will continue until roughly the 2011/2012 model year as well.
None of this comes as a surprise, as Mercury has been absent from the auto show scene for quite some time. When Lincoln revealed the MKT crossover concept at this year's Detroit auto show, there was no mention of a Mercury version.
It was much the same story when a photo of the next-generation Ford Taurus leaked out last month. Ford's CEO Alan Mulally confirmed that a new Taurus was on the way for 2010, but said nothing about a Mercury version.
In a subsequent interview with Automotive News, Mark Fields, Ford's President of the Americas, was equally evasive about the future of Mercury. "We've laid out a strategy to focus a lot of our efforts going forward on the Lincoln side of the franchise," Fields said when asked about Mercury. "That's where a majority of our focus is going to be, and Lincoln will become the dominant portion of the Lincoln-Mercury franchise, which is a flip from the history."
What this means to you: Even Mercury advertising babe Jill Wagner can't save a brand that has no support from its parent company. Another all-American brand bites the dust in 2012. — Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Edmunds Inside Line
The last model standing is likely to be the Milan midsize sedan as it will get a midcycle refresh early next year along with the Ford Fusion. Other models like the Sable, Grand Marquis and recently refreshed Mariner will continue until roughly the 2011/2012 model year as well.
None of this comes as a surprise, as Mercury has been absent from the auto show scene for quite some time. When Lincoln revealed the MKT crossover concept at this year's Detroit auto show, there was no mention of a Mercury version.
It was much the same story when a photo of the next-generation Ford Taurus leaked out last month. Ford's CEO Alan Mulally confirmed that a new Taurus was on the way for 2010, but said nothing about a Mercury version.
In a subsequent interview with Automotive News, Mark Fields, Ford's President of the Americas, was equally evasive about the future of Mercury. "We've laid out a strategy to focus a lot of our efforts going forward on the Lincoln side of the franchise," Fields said when asked about Mercury. "That's where a majority of our focus is going to be, and Lincoln will become the dominant portion of the Lincoln-Mercury franchise, which is a flip from the history."
What this means to you: Even Mercury advertising babe Jill Wagner can't save a brand that has no support from its parent company. Another all-American brand bites the dust in 2012. — Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Edmunds Inside Line
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