http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/ Autoblog Comments for http://www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 7:51PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 7:53PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 7:53PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/
When (and if) Ford can make Lincoln back into a viable brand is when Ford will finally put Mercury where it belongs - to sleep.]]>Feb 11th 2008 7:53PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 7:56PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 8:14PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 8:02PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 8:03PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/
Here, you get two choices:
a) No Oldsmobile.
b) No Chevy, Olds, Pontiac, GMC, Saab, Saturn, Caddy, Opel, Vauxhall, Holden or Hummer.

Pick one. ]]>Feb 11th 2008 8:45PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 8:10PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/
Mercury needs to be a Saturn / Pontiac alternative.

Buick and Lincoln are correspondent. Lincoln has been surpassed by Cadillac.

Killing Oldsmobile and Plymouth were desperate measures that would NOT have meant the death of the parent companies, if they had been handled right. Mercury is not in that place yet, either.

GM could have kept oldsmobile, if they had done it right, although GM has MANY more brands than FoMoCo remains holding now, and GM's house is more crowded.

Chrysler COULD have differentiated Plymouth, but they would have had to work on it, and make it different than a Dodge and Chrysler middle-child.

Ford's rhetoric is empty until they SHOW THE PRODUCT.

Even concept cars with Mercury badges... Lincoln has gotten ALL of the most recent concepts that haven't been absolutely tied to Ford, like the GT and Mustang.

MKR, MKT, MKX, MKS, all have gone to Lincoln, and Mercury has bubkus.

A 5-door, low-roof, sleek sport sedan (4-door coupe oxymoron thing) with RWD and AWD, and 3-door to take a FoMoCo product right into G35's teeth with a twin-turbo EcoBoost engine.

They could take it right across G8 GT with a modular V8 option in a lighter chassis. Of course a mainstream non-turbo V6 for the masses, and regulation appeasement.

Mercury, with that sort of a power player has something that Ford doesn't have, and Lincoln can't support with a softer luxury image.

Sell it as a Comet (special-edition Marauder), and Cougar (special edition Cougar Eliminator)

THEN, import some of the new chassis compact cars and the S-Max sporty people-mover, and maybe continue a re-badged Ford SUV, as they have in the Mountaineer and Mariner, if absolutely necessary.

They need a UNIQUE product, that neither Ford nor Lincoln has, nor fits, and that segment is near-lux PERFORMANCE. Not retro muscle, and not glitzy luxury, but a unique mix of performance and premium style.

That isn't Buick. That is straight across Saturn and Pontiac's bow, and aimed at the Japanese premium brands, like Acura, and the lower, sportier ends of Infiniti and Lexus.]]>Feb 11th 2008 9:38PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/
Ford is smart not wasting and tarnishing their European cars on dead brand like Mercury. Not only would it likely be unprofitable, we would all nitpick them for stuff like cupholders once they got here.

And why would any smart automaker want to fight another brand like Buick that is also dead? That wouldn't be a sound business plan.]]>Feb 11th 2008 8:20PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 8:28PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/
The Taurus X should become a Mercury as soon as the Flex hits the floor, and it should be upgraded to take on the Buick Enclave.

They should have a new Grand Marquis worthy of taking on the Genesis, the 300, and Buick.

They should be bold in their design, and offer premium interiors (and they need to be exclusive...as long as you can tick the same boxes at the Ford dealer, that's where you're sales will go).

]]>Feb 11th 2008 8:46PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 8:47PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 8:47PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/
If the answer is no, then do them in and pocket the savings. Sometimes you have to let go customers if those customers are actually costing you money.]]>Feb 11th 2008 9:08PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Feb 11th 2008 9:11PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/Uh,Cougar.no wait,better not call it that.times have changed and so has the meaning of 'Cougar'.Gee that would be a tough sell especially in light of Merc's appeal to women!
Well maybe Lincoln can give it a shot with the Mustang platform and do a retractable hardtop since the Thunderbird's not around anymore
Just seems to me they could get more milage out their Mustang platform with some upscale version.]]>Feb 11th 2008 9:13PMhttp://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/11/ford-committed-to-mercury-brand-not-to-new-mercury-products/
+1]]>Feb 11th 2008 9:34PM