The 1930s were when Ford engineers began working on a car that would offer more features and style than other Ford products. When the car was nearing its completion in 1938, Edsel Ford, as well as Ford sales manager Jack Davis, decided to launch a brand new name for the top-end range of vehicles to distinguish it from the standard Ford Blue Oval products and Lincoln high-end automobiles. This was the moment that Mercury was born.
The cars from Mercury will compete with mid-level models that are offered by GM, Dodge, and Chrysler’s DeSoto and would fit between those of the Cadillac lineup. Mercury offered a space between our luxurious Ford V-8 and the Lincoln Zephyr V-12.
The son of Henry Ford, Edsel was the one who chose Edsel as the brand name of the new line. Mercury is the god of winged wings that governs commerce from Roman mythology and is a symbol of reliability, speed, skill, and eloquence. Ford’s plan to build the Mercury brand was to improve speed, ride, handling, and stopping distance, as well as internal noise, as well as enhanced appearance.
Its first version, 1939’s Mercury 8, sold for $916. A 95-horsepower V-8 engine powered it. Over 65,000 units were manufactured in the initial year. The models included a two-door and four-door car, a convertible sports, and a town car. Two years after Mercury launched, America entered World War II, and production was stopped. After the war was over, around 1945, Mercury became a part of Lincoln, so it was that the Lincoln-Mercury Division was born.
The year 1949 was when Mercury released the initial of their “new look” integrated bodies, which quickly became a favorite of the hot rod generation. Film buffs were able to see James Dean’s customized version of the 1949 Mercury Series 9CM as James Dean drove a stripped-down vehicle in the 1955 film the classic Rebel Without a Cause.
The 1950s were a time of more contemporary styling and innovation, including the first fixed sunroof/moonroof, which was featured on the 1955 Mercury Sun Valley with an unobtrusive Plexiglas top. In 1957, the Mercury increased in size, length, wider, and more powerful due to what was known as “Dream Car Design.” Mercury was at its peak as a premium brand thanks to models such as those of Montclair, Monterey, and Turnpike Cruiser.
In the 1960s Ford Division “Total Performance” era, Mercury brought speed and performance through vehicles like the S-55 and Marauder and found success in the race. In 1967, the Cougar was launched and was Mercury’s take on the Ford Mustang. In the 1970s, we saw the introduction of the Grand Marquis, Mercury’s best-selling nameplate. Mercury sales reached their peak in 1978 with an all-time high of 580,000.
Mercury’s reputation for quality had a brief revival in 2003 with the reintroduction of the Marauder, which was based on a modified Grand Marquis which shared a platform with the Ford Crown Victoria. But as the popularity of Ford’s mid-brand declined and sales began to rise, Ford’s decision was made to stop selling Mercury in Canada in 1999, even though there was a chance that the Grand Marquis was still marketed in Canada with the Mercury badge until 2007. The production of Mercury vehicles was stopped in all markets throughout the 4th quarter of the year, and the last Mercury vehicle, a Grand Marquis, rolled off the production process on 4 January 2011. Ford eliminated its Mercury brand in the year 2011 after the company focused its engineering and marketing efforts exclusively on the Ford and Lincoln brand names.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a multinational business headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, that is dedicated to creating a better world in which everyone is able to explore and follow their dreams. Ford’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation is a combination of existing strengths, innovative capabilities, and constant communication with customers to enhance the experience and build customer loyalty. Ford produces and provides new, essential Ford trucks as well as sport utility vehicles, commercial vehicles, cars, and Lincoln luxurious vehicles, in addition to connected services. In addition, Ford is establishing leadership positions in the field of mobility solutions, such as self-driving technology, and offers financial assistance through the Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs approximately 182,000 people across the globe. For more information about the business as well as its products,d Credit is available at corporate.ford.com.
