Autoblog

Ford's mouthpiece continues to deny there's any plan to smother Mercury with its own pillow, but a Ford supplier has whispered something different in the ear of Inside Line. According to IL and its source, the last Mercury to die will likely be the handsome and likable Milan sedan, which will receive a mid-cycle refresh that shall carry the model through to 2012. The Sable will likely expire in 2010 when the new Taurus rolls out without a Mercury counterpart. Ford rhetoric, however, still holds that Mercury and Lincoln are being repositioned, with Abe's brand taking over as the volume-seller of the pair.

We'd buy the seemingly banal explanation a bit more if there were actually some product in the Mercury pipeline besides the Milan Hybrid, but there's no mention of anything else pending. With suppliers right now securing contracts for those programs that have Job One dates in 2010 and 2012, they might serve as a canary in the coal mine for us. Mercury can't build vehicles without any parts, and if they're not putting in orders now, it will likely be sometime in 2012 that we'll hear some real news about Mercury's future from Ford. Hey, what else are we supposed to think when the last spy shots of a Mercury were back in 2006, hiding the Montego to Sable transition? Thanks for the tip, DC.

[Source: Inside Line, Photo: Blogcrypt.com]

Well look at that, the quarter panel vent from the new Focus can look good! No need to complain yet that this is but another Ford we'll never see, as it may not happen on any continent. Auto Bild has gone to press with shots of a new Mercury Capri concept that is rumored to be the work of an extremely skilled PhotoChopper. We're also unsure if the details they cite about the car being a sub-3,000 pound 2+2 with 140-250 horsepower and a production date of 2012 are fanciful or rooted in truth, but none of that matters. This thing is off the hook to our puppy-dog enthusiastic eyes. Mercury has nothing badass in its lineup, and while it'd be weird to be proffering this car with KISS makeup next to an entire lineup of handsomized Fords, we think it might be a way for Ford to reel in some new blood to the brand. Just don't call it Cougar. Cougars drive Mercurys - though probably while smoking Capris. Call it whatever, just put it on sale.

[Source: carspyshots.net]

Jim Farley will climb aboard at Ford in mid-November, after defecting from his position as Group Vice President and General Manager of Lexus. His role at Ford will be dual-fold. Farley will be heading up the effort to entice people to buy Ford vehicles as Group Vice President of Marketing and Communications. In addition to his MarCom responsibilities, Farley will also be taking on the U.S. marketing, sales, and service for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, a job most recently filled by the retired Cisco Codina. Ford needs to get North American consumers excited about their cars, and having Farley in charge of global marketing and communications as well as US sales makes us think that there will be some connection between the two efforts, keeping the messaging coherent and focused. Being able to see how sales are driven by marketing efforts, and Farley's track record at Toyota and Lexus would make it appear that he's equipped to understand and react to sales metrics. That understanding hopefully bodes well for Ford, and all the rhetoric is exceedingly positive about how everyone all around is excited for Farley to come aboard and make a miracle.

Ford's press release is after the jump.

[Source: Ford]