First hybrid Mariner up for charity

The first sale of the Escape Hybrid in a Mercury suit will be up for auction to benefit Heal the Bay, a Santa Monica-based environmental group dedicated to improving water quality along California's coastline. The auction will be held at the group's annual "Bring Back the Beach" dinner June 2 at Santa Monica Beach. The Mariner Hybrid was pushed ahead by almost a year to reap in the recent hybrid sales push. The Mercury duds give the truck a little more panache than the Escape offering.