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June 3rd, 2010, 09:25 AM
http://www.carsforgirls.com/index.php/ford-says-good-bye-to-mercury/
After 72 years, Ford Motor Company has decided to cease production of their Mercury brand by the end of 2010. Unfortunately, last year there were only 92,000 Mercurys sold, which is a drastic decrease from a sales peak of over 580,000 in 1978. Yesterday morning, Ford’s board of directors approved ending the brand as part of a regular annual business review.
Saying good bye to Mercury means that Ford plans to expand its luxury Lincoln vehicles in order to help make up for lost Mercury sales and support Lincoln-Mercury dealers who will suddenly be without a brand to sell. According to Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s product development chief, “Lincoln will have seven new or revamped vehicles in the next four years, including the brand’s first compact car.”
Mercury was conceived as a mid-range brand between the no frills Fords and luxury Lincolns. However, in recent years, there was struggle to differentiate itself. Mark Fields, Ford Americas President says that, “Mercury’s sales make up such a small percentage of North American market share, and that the profile of Ford and Mercury shoppers is so similar, that it makes more sense to focus on accelerating the Ford brand and growing Lincoln.”
Ford currently has 1,712 dealerships that sell Mercurys, however none rely solely on offering simply that one brand. They all sell either Lincolns, Fords or all three brands. However, any time a decision this significant is made, it inevitably means that people may need to worry about job security, especially the dealers. According to Fields, it’s expected that this decision shouldn’t impact Ford’s forecast and there were no plans to lay off any workers at the Dearborn headquarter.
If you’ve recently purchased a Mercury brand vehicle and have concerns about your warranty or service agreement, contact your dealer immediately with any questions.
After 72 years, Ford Motor Company has decided to cease production of their Mercury brand by the end of 2010. Unfortunately, last year there were only 92,000 Mercurys sold, which is a drastic decrease from a sales peak of over 580,000 in 1978. Yesterday morning, Ford’s board of directors approved ending the brand as part of a regular annual business review.
Saying good bye to Mercury means that Ford plans to expand its luxury Lincoln vehicles in order to help make up for lost Mercury sales and support Lincoln-Mercury dealers who will suddenly be without a brand to sell. According to Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s product development chief, “Lincoln will have seven new or revamped vehicles in the next four years, including the brand’s first compact car.”
Mercury was conceived as a mid-range brand between the no frills Fords and luxury Lincolns. However, in recent years, there was struggle to differentiate itself. Mark Fields, Ford Americas President says that, “Mercury’s sales make up such a small percentage of North American market share, and that the profile of Ford and Mercury shoppers is so similar, that it makes more sense to focus on accelerating the Ford brand and growing Lincoln.”
Ford currently has 1,712 dealerships that sell Mercurys, however none rely solely on offering simply that one brand. They all sell either Lincolns, Fords or all three brands. However, any time a decision this significant is made, it inevitably means that people may need to worry about job security, especially the dealers. According to Fields, it’s expected that this decision shouldn’t impact Ford’s forecast and there were no plans to lay off any workers at the Dearborn headquarter.
If you’ve recently purchased a Mercury brand vehicle and have concerns about your warranty or service agreement, contact your dealer immediately with any questions.