It was 1938. The Great Depression was over for most Americans, Prohibition had been repealed for five years and the future looked bright. A new class of Americans was emerging...the modern middle class, and they wanted nice cars. The executives at Ford needed a brand that could slide into the price slot between low-cost, dependable Fords and high-end Lincolns. Mercury was born.Through the next three decades Mercury models would prove themselves on the road as everything from "baby Lincolns" to full-blown muscle cars. The "50 Merc" became a favorite of customizers and hot-rodders, and the cars gained a respectable reputation as a good quality, well handling, moderately priced car.
Then came the 1970s, the era that closed the door on speed, power, good looks and the thrill of driving. Between new government standards for safety and emissions and multiple gas crisis, the power and styling of American cars got clobbered. Mercury was no exception.The once proud brand started pumping out under-powered little Ford clones like the Capri, and under-powered, fat lead sleds (basically Fords with more chrome and a higher price tag) like the Cougar XR7. The price gap also began to close as Lincoln offered small luxury vehicles in the 1980s, and Ford offered trimmed-up models of their full size line.
Somewhere between the '70s and today, everyone forgot what the Mercury brand was all about. It no longer filled that niche between Ford and Lincoln; instead it just mirrored their models with slightly different trim packages, engine set-ups and design details. Except for the popular Marquis, they got a reputation as being nothing but rental-car material, and the number of retail buyers dwindled.Ford says they have lost interest in Mercury because the public has lost interest. Ford is no planning to beef up efforts on the Ford and Lincoln brands. Although that's probably a good move at this point, there's no denying that Mercury will be missed.
