A Far Too Brief History of Mercury

#mercury
This is a Far too Brief History of Mercury
Established as the Ford mil-line brand between Ford and Lincoln, and intended to compete with Buick and Oldsmobile, Mercury struggled with division reshuffling, platform sharing, and a general lack of focus.
While creating some appealing cars, I believe that on their cancellation the auto world shrugged their collective shoulders.
Chapters
Start 00:00
Formation: 01:15
Launch '38: 02:22
40's: 02:45
'49 Mercury: 03:45
50's: 04:19
60's: 07:28
70's: 09:33
80's: 12:33
90's: 15:52
2000's: 18:55
Cancellation: 20:49
Epilogue: 21:12
Note/Edit - I erroneously said the Capri was smaller than the Pinto. I mis-spoke, it was slightly larger.
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[@talis84]

Yeah, Ford never figured out if Mercury should be a "nicer Ford" or a "cheaper Lincoln"

[@johnnymason2460]

Mercury was treated unfairly by Ford. It needed to have an identity of an upscale brand like Buick and Chrysler. It failed because Ford gave up on it. Ford really needs to bring Mercury back to push Lincoln back up to its previous perch as a true luxury brand like Cadillac and Lexus.

[@AllCarswithJon]

I think Lincoln rivals Cadillac and Lexus. I'm not sure a revival of Mercury as a competitor of Acura (for example) would work. :)

[@johnnymason2460]

@@AllCarswithJon Lincoln used to be compared to Cadillac. Not lately. Right now Lincoln is more of an Acura challenger. That's not right. Lincoln should have RWD/AWD sedans and crossovers, the Navigator, and some hybrids and maybe a couple of electric vehicles.

[@americanrambler4972]

@@johnnymason2460 Do you remember that when Lincoln came out with the Navigator, it set Cadillac back on its heels? It made such an impact that GM management went and yanked the top spec GMC Yukon Denali from GMC to make the Cadillac Escalade and screwed up the GMC market positioning lineup for a few years? Apparently it pissed off the GMC folks and their plans to become the premium truck brand and they basically were told to go pound sand. They were not going to be allowed to have the top truck. That was reserved for Cadillac.

[@johnnymason2460]

@@americanrambler4972 GMC really is no longer necessary. Cadillac deserved to have the top luxury SUV. Period.

[@danr1920]

I think Lincoln is now what Mercury should be.

[@kermitefrog64]

My first Mercury was the 1977 Monarch. I currently have the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis LS and this is an incredible car.

[@jamescash1879]

I've always wanted one of the Mercury pickup trucks from the 60s and 70s I know they were just rebadged F-series trucks but that white Mercury lettering on the tailgate just really did it for me

[@VictorySpeedway]

The 1957-1960 Mercurys were probably more different from Fords than at any time in their history. In those days, Mercury was seen as the "Crazy Uncle" of Ford Motor Company. Look at the wild styling of those cars. Roof scoops with radio antennas in them? Whoa! And the original "Turnpike Cruiser" fender skirts! The interiors were a precursor of the Jetsons. After 1960, Mercury reverted to a badge-engineered Ford. And so it went 'til they turned the lights off at the Mercury Division. Farewell, Mercury.

[@rahulmandala4930]

Also the Eliminator Cougars! Also had a little more luxury too!

[@jerryparks6123]

The turnpike cruiser Mercury's had the slanted rear power windows TOO !

[@mikeweizer3149]

@@jerryparks6123 So did the 1963-66Montery and 64-66Parklane Breezeway

[@LynxStarAuto]

Yeah those Turnpike Cruisers were pretty wild and unique.

[@CJColvin]

What about the Comet, Cyclone, and Cougar as well as the Mercury M100?

[@THEDonnyB]

Mercury was awesome. I'm a GM guy and a huge Pontiac fan. But I can admire a good Mercury. The Cyclone of the late 60s and early 70s is among my favorite cars of that era.

[@lukeknowles5700]

Great job. I don't blame you for all the times you said "And once again, Mercury revised their lineup." I blame Ford executives. You must be exhausted from tracking all the changes they made, year after year after year.

[@briankay4713]

As an European car enthusiast, I find your American car histories incredibly interesting Jon. Keep them coming 👍👍👍👍

[@AllCarswithJon]

Golly I appreciate that! I like some European cars, but I just have limited experience with them.

[@briankay4713]

@@AllCarswithJon no problem mate, i meant a car enthusiast from Europe, England actually... but i know very little about American cars.. your channel enlightens me.

[@stevewilliams3850]

I think the 1966 Mercury Park Lane four door sedan, not the breezeway, is one of the most beautiful cars ever built. The breezeway with this car this year is beautiful, but I think the standard roof is better looking. I knew this family that had a 1966 Park Lane four door sedan. It was beige with a light brown, or tan roof. God, that was such a beautiful car.

[@AllCarswithJon]

I agree it's attractive... but I'm not sure I'd agree with one of the most beautiful ever built. :)

[@stevewilliams3850]

@@AllCarswithJon : Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. That 1966 Park Lane, four door sedan with the standard roof just has a simple classy styling.

[@bobcarlino7280]

When it comes to the '66 Park Lane as a 4-door, your choice was limited to a breezeway sedan or the "standard roof" hardtop. If you wanted a 4-door sedan with the standard roof, you had to go with either a Montclair or a Monterey. It's nice to see that after all these years I've finally encountered someone who appreciates the sheer beauty of the '66 Park Lane 4-door hardtop. All full-size '66 Mercs were attractive, but the Park Lane was the best because of the bodyside molding and because of the ribbed metal panel on the deck lid between the taillights. IMO, it was gorgeous!

[@bobcarlino7280]

Outstanding video! I've been a major Mercury fan for decades. I learned how to drive on my father's '69 and '70 Cougar XR-7 company cars, and regularly drove my younger brothers around in my mother's '77 Colony Park wagon. As for me personally, I've owned four Mercs over the years: a '72 Capri 2-liter; an '85 Marquis Brougham; an '88 Grand Marquis LS; and a 2010 Milan. That Capri was a real enigma...excellent transmission, brakes, and interior, but it consumed driveshafts and struts like there was no tomorrow (and it smoked like a chimney). The Marquis and Grand Marquis were terrific cars...good-looking; supremely comfortable & luxurious; and extremely reliable. The real shining star, though, was the Milan. In my opinion, it could give a BMW 5 series a run for its money...okay, perhaps not quite as powerful, but even with the 2.5 4-cylinder under the hood, the Milan was pretty darn close.

[@bucksdiaryfan]

I think the ultimate decline of Mercury, similar to Pontiac, was that it was the product of a contrived rather than genuine market and ultimately had to give way to a genuine marker created by foreign competition. When American manufacturers had an oligopoly they could afford the luxury of contriving markets that purported to relate to consumer income stratas, but were in reality slightly modified existing models. Once the foreign competition emerged, this contrivance fell apart at the seams and the manufacturers went back to a genuinely competitive model of business

[@kamX-rz4uy]

My wife had a 2008 Mercury Milan. It was a nice car and was a rare stick shift.

[@jimbullock6039]

Great video. As a Ford-Mercury-Lincoln fan all my life, I appreciate your breakdown of all the models over the years. I think the 1954 Mercury Monterey is one of the most beautiful cars that ever came out of Detriot!

[@tdvandy2]

I really hope these history videos get your channel going even further! They are well thought out, well edited, and full of great content.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thank you very much!

[@Trapper4265]

Again, great review! I'm 56 years old, and I have owned 36 vehicles from 1982-2022, but the very first car I ever purchased on my own at the age of 17 was a 1974 Mercury Comet. However, my most memorable Mercury was the 1963 Mercury Monterey sedan that my cousin owned. It had the slanted breezeway rear window and that left hand ignition. Still to this day, retractable rear windows and left hand ignitions capture my attention.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks for sharing! I actually removed some mention of the breezeway rear window from my outline to simplify the video! What a cool memory!

[@BigCar2]

Wow - surprised the Capri was SMALLER than the Pinto! Shows just how small European cars were compared to US cars. Great video - thanks! I now know a LOT more about Mercury.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks for watching!

[@j.kevvideoproductions.6463]

The Capri was not smaller than a Pinto. I owned two of them. It maybe didn't weigh much more than a Pinto, but was definitely longer as well as more powerful. Much better build quality than a Pinto as well, being made in Germany. The exchange rate and collapse of the dollar is what killed importation of Capri's. They were good cars.

[@platinumuschannel]

I distinctly remember helping my mother look for a new car back in around 2008-2009 and we compared the fully-loaded Ford Fusion to a basic Mercury Milan, both of the same model year. The only two differences were styling and an $800 difference in price tag. Is offered absolutely no functionality over a fully-loaded Fusion. The Premier trim obviously was a different story. It's a shame too. Ford should have used Mercury not as a Buick/Oldsmobile competitor after the 1970s, but maybe a division to experiment with, or specifically to go after imports such as Saturn was conceived for.

[@americanrambler4972]

I did not realize just how much shuffling went on at Mercury over the years. I get the feeling it was a neglected child management wise. And every year there was a new manager who does what new managers do. Reorganize to put their stamp on the company, then jump ship 1 or 2 years later, restarting the shuffle all over again. The result was customers did not know what they would find in the showroom. At least with Plymouth, Oldsmobile (to some extent) and Pontiac, you had a pretty good idea of what you were going to find when you shopped the brand. It’s interesting, that the models that enjoyed enduring success, were the ones with established identities, and they held onto that success so long as they stayed true to the identity. The Mercury Monterey, mercury marquis or grand marquis, and the cougar. the comet was another one with a strong identity. When you just Willy nilly keep changing the names and so called direction every year or two, it’s kind of hard to build a decent customer base. You wind up with a one time customer and if and when they come back, they cannot find what they are looking for because what they are looking for disappeared and was replaced with something they have difficulty recognizing.

[@bucklinoutdoorpowerequipme3846]

My 1st car was a 79 Mercury Zeffer. Mercury's version of a Ford Fairmont. Of course grandpa had bought a 78 Fairmont a year before with a 302 Boss out of a wrecked 1970 boss Mustang. That I ended up with 10 years later. Perfect sleeper car!

[@YOUGOTIT210]

Excellent historical review! However, just my opinion though, I believe Mercury was a successful brand. I'm 76 years old and there were years and models that were very desirable at a price that many could afford. Back in the day, however, there was a great deal of brand loyalty. There were families, such as mine, that were historically GM, as there were Ford and Chrysler Brand families.

[@zythr9999]

How many buyers do you think "desired" a Lynx? Lol

[@davidbartley989]

My family owned Mercurys almost exclusively from 1954 to 1999. The trouble with the Mercury name is Ford never defined what it stood for. Examples: Pontiac = performance. Oldsmobile = Engineering. Buick = upscale and conservative. What did Mercury stand for? There never was a clear answer. There were some performance and near-luxury models, but as an overall brand, Mercury had no clear identity.

[@AllCarswithJon]

And that's what I really felt while putting together this video, and really clarified what I saw through my life. Ford just didn't know what to do with them, and the fact was that "nicer Ford" didn't really cut it.

[@bobcarlino7280]

Well-said!

[@CJColvin]

@@AllCarswithJon I think Ford was mainly focusing on Ford rather than Mercury and Lincoln.

[@williamfairchild8119]

As a cash strapped teenager my $150 merc full size 1958 convertible was a great car. A couple years later a 61 comet for $75 was another great transportation car. I even had a 88 mercur very nice paid 150 flipped for $750 even had a new engine . Really enjoyed these cars.

[@daveridgeway2639]

Hi Jon, good video! I am 63 years old, and I worked at two Ford dealerships and two Lincoln-Mercury dealerships. When the Mercury Capri first came out, "the sexy European" it targeted the Ford Pinto. When the Mercury Bobcat came out (same as the Pinto) they came out with the Capri II. The Capri II was longer wheelbase and a little heaver car still "the sexy European" and targeted the Mustang II. With the high import tax, in 1979, the Mercury Capri became the same car as the Fox Body Mustang. Yes an American car, not an import. So in the mean time, Lincoln-Mercury advertised the Mercury Capri as "where ya from, you sexy thing?...". Trivia; I do not mean to be a "know at all" but the Mercury Merkur rides on the same chassis as the Mercury Capri II. Please reply. Dave...

[@lvsqcsl]

Which Merkur are you talking about? The XR4Ti or the Scorpio?

[@daveridgeway2639]

Both of them. Dave...@@lvsqcsl

[@timothysworld1028]

I just loved my Dad's 1965 Mercury Parklane. The best car ever made.

[@Johnnycdrums]

The least displacement MEL engine was the 383 with a 4.300 bore x 3.300 stroke, very racy for a huge big block with a 4.900 bore spacing. That 3 x 2 barrel Holly carbed 430 with that futuristic aluminum intake was really something though. The 430 was available in the second gen Thunderbirds too, although only with the regular 430 MEL.

[@hendo337]

The chamber design of those MEL engines with an angled deck and plank head like a W series Chevrolet big block was rpm limited but, it made good TQ.

[@Johnnycdrums]

@@hendo337 ; In race car setup about 7500 RPM every lap in the 383.

[@andregonsalvez9244]

Great review John ! My parents owned a 1979 Mercury Grand Marquis and myself owned a 2000 Mercury Grand Marquis , both of these cars gave us many years of reliable service . I wish these old nameplates make a comeback the likes of Plymouth , Mercury and Oldsmobile .

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks!

[@aarondigby5054]

Pontiac because we need some driving excitement

[@CJColvin]

@@aarondigby5054 Exactly mate.

[@brocluno01]

Pretty good, but you missed the S-55 series. Hot coupes with big motors and 4 speeds. Had a 63, and it was one of my favorite cars of all times.

[@AllCarswithJon]

There are many models I didn't cover, in the interest of brevity, notably the station wagon models. Since the S-cars were not successful and really only existed between 62 and 67 (?) I left them off, but did talk about the S-55 replacement the Marauder.

[@Johnnycdrums]

I almost bought a 2002 Mercury Marauder, but opted for a special edition F-250 XLT SuperCab (little four door), as it was more practical up North. The 2002-2003 Mercury Marauder was a unique performance/luxury vehicle that came in only two monochromatic paint schemes and is very, very collectible nowadays. Good luck finding a real good one under $17,000.

[@dominickdolio2414]

No such thing as a 2002 marauder only 2003 and 2004 model years

[@Johnnycdrums]

@@dominickdolio2414 : Ok, I see, new model year as such. I remember now.

[@zythr9999]

@@Johnnycdrums LOL

[@Johnnycdrums]

@@zythr9999 ; 2003's were in the lot in 2002. Just as they are every Fall.

[@LynxStarAuto]

Yep 03-04 and they came in 4 color options. The best, and most common Black. The second best, and least common Dark Blue Pearl. Silver Birch, and Dark Toreador Red.

[@Alan-lv9rw]

We were a Mercury family. We had a 1963 Mercury Meteor sedan in beige, and then a medium green 1973 Grand Marquis Colony Park station wagon with a 429 and a lot of wood paneling. The Colony Park was the Cadillac Escalade of its day.

[@scottfabel7492]

My dad had a 1973(?) Capri. I really liked that car. I was too young to learn how to drive on it. I think my dad talked my mom into buying it due to the gas crises at that time. (Remember, odd and even days with Carter?). I think he wanted it because it looked pretty cool too. Thanks for doing the video. You do a lot of research I can tell.

[@MidKid61]

It wasn't Carter it as Nixon then Ford for odd/even and the first "energy crisis". Both Republicans were very friendly to Big Oil.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Oddly, I don't really remember the gas crisis and the lines. I only vaguely remember hearing about them, but never once remember my parents having to sit in a line for gas. May have happened and I just was a tad too young.

[@davidcaprio8919]

@@MidKid61 it was during the Nixon administration and wasn't because of big oil, it was an Embargo by the Arabs in retaliation for supporting Israel during the Yum Kipper war.

[@grovermayersjr8025]

I always looked at Mercurys as either fancier Fords or baby Lincolns. My current car is a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis LS Premium. Love it. My father bought it used in January 2011. I inherited in 2015 when he passed away. I consider it a baby Lincoln, because it has every option available that model year. I agree. I don't think Ford was very fair to the brand. Especially late in the brand's run. Excellent video!

[@CJColvin]

Gotta love the Grand Marquis brother its a big car with a reliable 4.6L SOHC 2V Modular V8 based off the Panther Platform.

[@grovermayersjr8025]

@@CJColvin Absolutely!!!

[@CJColvin]

@grovermayersjr8025 The Ford Panther Platform cars (Ford Crownvic, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car) is the toughest Platform Ford has ever made and they'll definitely outlast any EcoBoost powered vehicle with ease.

[@grovermayersjr8025]

@@CJColvin Definitely. They are very easy to work on when they do break. Parts are plentiful, too.

[@CJColvin]

@@grovermayersjr8025 Awesome brother

[@larrykean5686]

My first car was a two door hardtop 61 Merc with chrome fins, six taillights like a Chevy, and a 302 V8 and it had a cool dashboard, originally developed for the 61 Edsel that was dropped. Compared to modern cars it was a flashy boat of a barge

[@bobcarlino7280]

Your '61 Merc must have had a replacement engine given that the 302 wasn't introduced until the '68 model year. If it was a factory V8, it had to be a 292, or a 352, or a 390.

[@hendo337]

I think he forgot the '03-06 Marauder, the only Panther chassis to get a DOHC 4.6L, even though it really deserved the 5.4L 4V Navigator/Cobra R, 4.6L 4V Supercharged Terminator Cobra, 5.4L 2V Supercharged Lightning/Harley Davidson F150 or 5.4L 4V supercharged Ford GT/GT500 engines. It was still a beautiful car that could have really sold with a little more effort, horsepower and marketing. I feel like FoMoCo hasn't learned ANYTHING and they are running Lincoln into the ground right now.

[@CJColvin]

Its a shame that Mercury didn't get to experience the legendary 5.0L Coyote V8 at all.

[@atatexan]

I owned two German Capris, both the 2600 model, and state they were absolutely not smaller than the Pinto. They were great cars but strangers in a strange land (Lincoln-Mercury dealers).

[@hendo337]

I have owned 2 Grand Marquis a '99 LS and an '01 GS both were great cars. I would have preferred a Caprice LTZ, Buick Roadmaster or Impala SS with an L05 or LT-1 350 but that was what I could afford to buy and especially insure until I was older and more financially stable. My criteria was V8 RWD modern and reliable. I owned 6 '92-'05 Panthers before I was able to get my first Mustang GT, an '05 5 speed in Legend Lime, when I was 24.

[@JayeK47]

The addition of the compact and subcompact cars in the 70's killed off the image of Mercury as an entry level luxury brand for good although sharing platforms with Ford starting in '61 moved it down market as well. Mercury wound up as more of an analogue to Pontiac or Dodge (premium standard) rather than the entry level luxury Oldsmobile or the mid-luxe Buick, a gap Edsel was created to fill. Luxury/aspirational car brands don't sell compact grocery getters, even entry level ones. There wasn't any need for a upscale Pinto or Tempo at all much less one sullying Mercury's lineup.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Good observation, and I'll agree up to a point. Brands such as BMW, Infiniti, Acura, Mercedes sell "small" cars and suvs now. perhaps Mercury was ahead of the curve? More importantly is how they did it. Warmed-over Ford's don't scream "aspirational", so Mercury missed an opportunity to be a trend-setter?

[@JayeK47]

@@AllCarswithJon I think a lot of Mercury's problem stemmed from the economic turbulence of the 70's. Entry and mid lux brands take a beating every recession. Mercury dealers needed product to sell in a time when Americans were becoming disenchanted with gas guzzling land yachts like Mercury's entire line up on the onset of the oil crisis. There were a lot of independent Mercury or Lincoln Mercury dealers needing vehicles with decent mileage something and the best Ford could do was a slightly upscale Pinto.

[@gimmesomesugar]

Good video! I really liked Mercury division.. I worked with a beautiful girl that had an XR4ti, I lusted after the girl but I lusted for the car even more.

[@charles1964]

My buddy had one, he peeled a "D" off of a Diesel VW and stuck it on his deck lid so it looked like "XRATID" Lol...

[@jamesharris8710]

Hey Man, I REALLY enjoyed your video, as I grew up by a LM dealer near Houston in the 70-80s and aspired to EVERY SINGLE MODEL you expanded on!! God Bless you and please keep up the impressive/ detailed work.. Jim

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thank you!

[@joeseeking3572]

Mercury is a shame. I agree, Ford just din't know what to do with it. They needed it a few years before 39, and with more distinction. Then again, economically nothing could have been introduced before 35/36, it would have risky. Ford's own (person and the corporation) internal dysfunction prohibited much long term planning until Henry was gone and then it was a crash program to get into the 49's. Somehow, Merc made out, but probably only because it was originally going to be the Ford - there was a complete reshuffle of plans from the original 49 model line-up plan. Still, for most of the 50's, Mercury was building an image & brand. Got caught in the 58 recession, and the bid for a true identiy was regarded as a failure. 61-63 nearly destroyed it, but they began clawing back in 64. The 65 really 67) through 74 full size line DID establish a Mercury identity and by the end of that era they consistently sold high profit cars in that segment. But there was little to no differentiation in the subcompact, compact and intermediate lines (not that GM was any different with its compacts and mostly with the intermediates). So Ford had 10 years of identity building, and gradually let it all fall apart (with the signal exception of the Cougar, which did get marketing identity). By 85, or certainly 1990 the only thing anyone knew was the Grand Marquis, and no ever took the Merc badges SUVs seriously. But perhaps this was all inevitable: Buick would not exist without China, Chrysler is all but gone, and everyone drives a Camry - or crossover box of the month, much of a muchness.

[@CJColvin]

The years and decades of voting Democrat has really took a toll on these car brands.

[@johnh2514]

Thanks for the video. My family was a K-car and Ford family for many years…which concluded with a 1999 Sable. A good car that served my parents for nearly 17 uneventful years. Sadly, by that time, Mercury was little more than a badge-engineered Ford (at least the gen 1 Sable in 1986 had a more unique identity for better or worse, IMO).

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks for sharing!

[@petervitti9]

I had a brand new 1986 sable LS. It was so unique. Had it six years; lots of problems by the time I got rid of it. Switched to several chrysler products for the next 20 years.

[@bradzimmerman3171]

Manufacturers do funny things like " put no thought into the wheels holding up beautifully designed bodies then ooops they slapped on horribly ugly hubcraps & wheelcovers for what *?

[@Mistahhuntah]

I learned to drive in a 96 Grand Marquis, they're awesome, the only reason i don't have one is because they're rwd.

[@khartford62]

When I was a kid, my parents had a 1959 Montclair. I remember my dad saying it got 7 mpg and I seem to recall that they were always getting the transmission worked on. But I always liked the styling of the Mercury although the only one I ever owned was a 1974 Cougar.

[@tomfrazier1103]

My Mercury was one of my best cars, and it ran! 1965 Park Lane convertible, console, tach 390 4v. My neighbor always talked longingly of his Capri.

[@AmpasaurusWrecks]

Great video, for sure lots of ups and downs in the history, but some beautiful cars.

[@davinp]

The Mercury Villager minivan was just a rebadged Nissan Quest minivan as they partnered with Nissan. That 1999 Mercury Cougar was a failure. In the end, Mercury's were just rebadged Fords and Mercury didn't have any trucks or SUVs just like Chrysler's Plymouth brand

[@CJColvin]

Mercury did have trucks (though in Canada only) from the late 40s to the late 60s.

[@CJColvin]

Mercury was basically Ford's Mopar (especially considering the Comet, Cyclone, Marauder, and Cougar we're the 4 legendary muscle cars from Mercury). Also the Canadian Mercuries where the Meteor and the Monarch and the Mercury M100 is basically a Canadian version of the Ford F100 as well.

[@brianking5092]

I visited Canada in the mid 70's and saw Mercury pickups. No one in the back in the States believed me.

[@dannysulyma6273]

First car was a 63 meteor with the 260 V8 and baby fins. Was a lovely car

[@CJColvin]

@@dannysulyma6273 Sounds awesome brother

[@1234ismyname]

great video! in the end, mercury was going to switch to cars only, so no mountaineer. there was announced to be a mercury twin to the 2013 focus! it’s a shame mercury was so mishandled through its life because i personally believe it had great potential in the market in its later years

[@Taranau]

Something started at Mercury, in 1964, with the 1965 models. Colony Park became The Lincoln Continental station wagon. The station wagon Lincoln would make, if Lincoln did that. And, as you pointed out, Lincoln got greatly streamlined, in the very late Fifties... The 1967 Mercury XR7 Cougar, was The Lincoln Ponycar. (Trivial Pursuit Point Of Interest; the 64 and a half Mustang was, what had already been approved to be the 1965 Cougar. The Mercury version of the Falcon)... In the late Nineties, it was decided that each brand needed it's own minivan and SUV... Mercury wasn't going to have The Lincoln minivan or SUV, Lincoln was going to do that... Similar things happened to GMC. People wanted a Cadillac SUV, not a GMC. Even though, that's what GMC was there for... Mercury lost it's place in the world. It no longer made "Fords with style and class", and, it no longer made "the Lincoln versions of things Lincoln didn't make"...

[@brettknoss486]

Autopac was important, because it meant that there was less penalty to low end Mercury and Pontiacs made in Canada.

[@lvsqcsl]

In the early 1960's, Robert McNamara was one of the "Whiz Kids" at Ford. If McNamara had had his way Mercury along with Lincoln would have been relegated to the "dust bin" of history. He got the Continental division folded into Lincoln and Edsel into Ford. For 1961, the only Mercurys you have are the full-size models. (Monterey and Meteor) When McNamara was appointed Secretary of Defense by JFK he was gone and Mercury was then "built in the Lincoln tradition."

[@landyachtfan79]

14:35.............................his is a very special car to me. In the summer of 1987, my grandmother sold her red 1980 Mercury Zephyr Boxtop 2-door sedan & bought a dark blue 1988 Mercury Tracer 3-door hatchback (this is a 5-door) from James Lincoln/Mercury in Wakefield, MA. I had many rides in this car from 1987-1994 & loved every one of them. Plus, I would spend Sundays at her house either sitting in it or reading the owners manual while everyone else was watching MTV or VH-1. The only options that it had were power steering (optional on her 3-door, standard on the 5-door & wagon), A/C, automatic, & an AM/FM stereo, but to me, that was more than enough. 8 years ago, my grandmother passed away at the age of 90, but I will always think of her every time I look at this modest little car........& one day, I hope to have one exactly like it for myself.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks for the memories, appreciate you sharing with us. :)

[@richardk6291]

I own a 2006 Mercury Milan as a second car that was bought new. It had very few repairs until just recently, now with 95,000 miles and looks brand new. This is a clone of the Fusion, but I liked the styling better in this first year of production. It is the Premier trim level that cost about $23,000 with almost all the available options, except it has the 4 cylinder instead of 6.

[@AllCarswithJon]

The Milan was the car that "to me" truly was worth the difference in price from a Ford. Loved the first Milan.

[@bobcarlino7280]

I had a 2010 Milan that I bought new in April of 2009. It was an awesome car and one of my all-time favorites of the 26 different vehicles I've owned over the years. My Milan had an interior that would easily rival a BMW 3 series; it had an amazingly-powerful 4-cylinder engine; and with the optional 17-inch wheels, it would corner like it was on rails. I traded it in because I lived in Maine at the time and felt I needed AWD; also, I didn't like driving an "orphan make" of car.

[@TexRenner]

My buddy's mom had a Canadian Meteor, a 1956. Some of the chrome trim seemed gaudier, as I remember, otherwise a lot like an American Fairlane.

[@raydravesky4668]

It's impossible to satisfy every LM nuance, but you also missed the 03-04 Marauder, the competition to the Impala SS.

[@rayfridley6649]

@3:10- That Loquidmatic semi-automatic transmission may have been comparable to Chrysler's Fluid Drive, also a semi=automatic. Both transmissions made their debut at the same time.

[@kalebkorona9004]

Growing up my grandma had a 1999 Mercury Sable it was such a nice car and it’s ran so great. She still talks about and loves that car to this day! And only dosent have it still because it got totaled in an accident.

[@peter455sd]

The last cougars were painful

[@AllCarswithJon]

But I thought they were pretty. :)

[@peter455sd]

@@AllCarswithJon No man,not even in Europe

[@davidtosh7200]

My favorite is 1959 Mercury Monterey V-8, 2 door hardtop with fender skirts to hide the rear wheels partially. Yes, it’s true, Mercury buyers wanted to add the fender skirts on most Mercury cars in 1959, and even 1960 models. They are original accessory, but they are dealership option or aftermarket “Cruiser skirts” is also available.

[@Old_school02]

What got me into Mercury was my 77 Lincoln Mercury marquee. Such a big and beautiful car.

[@MSX98FMDnB]

"She was out all night with the Grand Marquis!" "The MERCURY Grand Marquis!"

[@dandrane1251]

Excellent video. I've owned a 1967 Cyclone, a 1984 Topaz, a 2001 Sable and a 2010 Milan.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanksf or the positive comment!

[@PearComputingDevices]

I think what really hurt the brand is this lack of distinction. Once you could get basically all the same stuff in a ford, such as leather and automatic headlamps for example the brand was cursed. But so in many ways is Lincoln. Only thing that saved lincoln is the fact a lincoln kind of looks like a lincoln and has a few critical features that you really can't get on all fords. GM avoided this dilemma with Cadillac for the most part by keeping the brand mostly unique and firmly upscale, but in doing so really deluded the other brands to basically Chevys with slightly nover grills and interior bits. Another problem was CAFE standards, this made making uniqueness a lot harder. Every pound had to be balanced with getting the best MPG all around. So every optional feature in that car had to be justified. This made (and still makes) creating unique cars a lot tougher. It's one of the reasons beyond platform and part sharing do cars kind of look the same despite different brands. It's a lot harder to justify spending thousands more for basically the same car. ,..

[@CJColvin]

Another downfall to these car brands is the years and decades of voting Democrats.

[@leftcoaster67]

My Dad had a Mercury "Land Yacht". But it was smarter looking big car. There's also an amazing song "Mercury Blues" which was amazing.

[@ianperkins8812]

My stepfather's 1976 Monarch and a 1999 Tracer I drove for a couple of years are my experience with Mercury. Both were meh, although to be fair, the Tracer was worn out by the time I started driving it, I just needed a cheap car to get to work. It did last over 200,000 miles in total, I put the last 50,000 on it before the engine gave up the ghost. The Monarch felt like a parts bin special. The alternator wasn't powerful enough to run the A/C, lights, windshield wipers and radio at the same time. You could get 3, but not all 4. It would stall if you tried. This is not to say that all Mercurys were/are bad. Someone in my neighborhood drives a mint looking last generation Grand Marquis. That 4.6L V8 drivetrain is supposed to be bullet proof and they have really taken care of that car. I would certainly not turn down that car or its Ford or Lincoln siblings.

[@xirabolt]

Aw. Sad you didn't mention the Milan's 2010 refresh -- essentially the last Mercury fascia ever made. I had both a 2008 and 2010, loved them both. The 2010's style aged well, still looking premium today.

[@mikecaseymotors]

Thanks for doing these videos, and doing them so well. I love walking down memory lane, especially regarding cars.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Glad you like them!

[@KayakTN]

I absolutely love my ‘03 Grand Marquis LS. It has an upgraded rear suspension and is a pleasure to drive.

[@dominickdolio2414]

Good video, but cannot believe the last generation Marauder wasn’t discussed.

[@lvsqcsl]

I have fond memories of Mercury as well. I drove mine about an hour ago. GREAT VIDEO!

[@AllCarswithJon]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@AcmeRacing]

The Lynx came out in 1981. I owned a 1981 Lynx station wagon. It was cheap and reliable, but it was getting rust holes at 9 years old.

[@zythr9999]

LOL Well you got 9 years out of it, many owners weren't that fortunate.

[@jamesjohn834]

My first "new" car was a 1986 Cougar CS. Midnight Blue, 5.0 combo digital/analog dash! Had over 135k when I traded her in. Great car!

[@hendo337]

Should've held on to that one unless it was in the rust belt or something.

[@michaelmorris8837]

It saddened me that Mercury, along with Plymouth, Pontiac, Oldsmobile, and the many other brands died off,both as a car lover and a supporter of American manufacturing. All the car brands that died, did not have to be, lazy executives, who didn't care, about the history of the brands.

[@1_Papa]

Cougar and Thunderbird didn't have much in common until 1977. Just prior to that, from 1974-1976, the Cougar was to the Ford Elite as Montego was to Torino. The 1971-1973 Cougar was Mustang-based. Good report, though. 🙂

[@clifford7594]

Had a gorgeous Cougar. SO goodlooking! But that car broke down more than any other car I've ever had. Lasted a year - before I bought a new Vega. Lasted a year - before I bought a new Toyota Corolla, which I drove for 359,000 miles before it was rammed by a GM SUV.

[@T-41]

Business school textbooks have long featured the product line / brand management process pioneered and effectively used by Proctor and Gamble ( Ivory/Tide/Crest, etc., etc. ) The story of Mercury( Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Buick, Plymouth ) should also be presented and analyzed in every business school textbook - what not to do. They are clear examples of the absence and failure of product line management.

[@elizabethpeterson1644]

I used to have a 2011 Mercury Milan. It was a good car. I liked the interior and was the same as Ford Fusion. The first time that I saw a Mercury Lynx in the early 80’s. I said to my mother that car looked liked your Ford Escort station wagon. I drove mostly Ford vehicles. I still see a Mercury Milan around. I do kind of missed driving a Mercury Milan.

[@robertdragoff6909]

Mercury used to be a sponsor of the Ed Sullivan show, and poor Ed didn’t pronounce the company name properly, he’d say ‘Murcaree’, not Mercury…. And Lincoln/Mercury executives tried to correct him, but Ed kept mispronouncing the name, which drove the execs batty! I think if the original Capri production was moved here to the states like the Japanese companies did, they could have kept producing the same cars rather the badge engineering their cars… They also ignored Mercury till it disappeared, with Plymouth, DeSotto, Olds, Pontiac, and Saturn (or as they say up in Massachusetts, Satin)… The world is changing…..

[@Jim-re3sr]

My first car was a Mercury Bobcat, a Pinto sibling. Had a bigger grille and nicer interior. Pretty good engine and easy to work on.

[@travelingfool9096]

my parents had a 64 comet, now that car looked like a mini Lincoln.

[@michaelwaldmeier1601]

I thoroughly enjoyed driving the Park Lane and Grand Marquis models. I ignored everything else for this brand.

[@markaustin4370]

Great video. My family had the wagon version of the turnpike cruiser. Both of my parents smoked, so my sister and i were greatful for the crazy cool ventilation system

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks for sharing!

[@stephenspilker9334]

i loved those turnpike cruisers. i have had a fewmurc's over the year's including my 62 and 63 meteor's.lol.

[@Alan-lv9rw]

At one time there were significant differences between Ford and Mercury. The Mustang and Cougar (1967-73) were very different. To me, Mercury was mostly Ford’s Buick. But by 2000 Ford began to starve Mercury to death. RIP.

[@TheGbeecher]

One of the nicest cars I ever owned and drove, was a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis - fantastic road-trip car and reliable...pretty good mileage too from the 4.6 V8...😊

[@ajaykumargoel9398]

Excellent video as always Jon. For a future video, would you be able to talk about why people buy big SUVs instead of full sized cars/station wagons? I feel like with a station wagon you would be able to get better fuel economy, but still remain the space. I'd like to hear your thoughts. Thanks for your work!

[@AllCarswithJon]

Noted. I think the answer is easy but a video on that wouldn't be a bad idea.

[@landiahillfarm6590]

I think one point missed here was "point of service". Many Mercury customers chose them because either real or imagined they felt they were treated better at the dealership simply because it was a Lincoln dealership as opposed to "just a Ford". I must say, there is much to be said by this philosophy. When Saturn came out I was in the market to buy one but what sold me more than anything was the Saturn dealer was also a Cadillac dealership, and we truly got treated as though we were "Cadillac clients".

[@AllCarswithJon]

That a really good point, thanks for adding it. The fact is when I was putting this video together, the online research around the platforms, styling, etc. were frequent, but I don't remember a single thing about Mercury buyers being treated better because they bought at a L-M dealer. Really interesting to think about. Thanks!

[@lonnyjaw]

My very first car was a '68 Mercury Monterey with the 390 cu. in. / 2 barrel. A big 4 door but it could get up and go!

[@markjohnston3502]

Came across this. Good commentary and yes Ford just stopped being creative with Mercury.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks!

[@b.griffin317]

Mercury: a new model and new line-up for every year!

[@10-cent-cup-a-Joe]

I really enjoy these ‘far too brief history’ videos. After watching this presentation, my preconceived notions are only further supported. As a child of the 90s I remember Mercury as being a consistent after thought. If I was asked at age 10 in 2000 to name 20 cars, I could have easily rattled off 30 but looking back I don’t think I would have named more than 1 Mercury and that’s only if the Cougar had come to mind. The brand simply never stood out. I think there are two lessons to be learned from Mercury. One; looking at the competition can give you a false sense of the direction you need to take. Did Mercury cut into the market that Olds, Buick, Plymouth and Pontiac (to a lesser degree) enough to justify its cost? Or would Ford have been more successful investing those resources into building more competitive cars? At the birth of the Taurus Ford cars were quickly falling behind the competition. And how much stronger of a product would Lincoln be today if Ford had not attempted to juggle Mercury, Mercur and Scorpio? And secondly I hope Mercury will serve as a reminder that simply changing the badge, the grill and maybe the headlights of the existing car is not enough to truly give the second car its own identity.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks for the kind words! I miss Mercury, and there's two views. the incremental sales with little investment that Merc provided, or the sales they could have had if they'd truly invested in the brand and made it stand out. by the end, I'm not sure management knew what to do with it.

[@arnepianocanada]

Sir, your heart is clearly in this work. PLEASE do the research needed for accuracy. None of my suggestions would take longer than a few minutes online to clarify or correct. 🙏

[@runoflife87]

Personaly I think some Mercury models looked better than Ford ones - the Mystique, the Sable and the Cougar (83-88, 89-97). Such a shame Ford never tried to sell'em outside the US. As for Contour reliability - blame on the UAW. European Mondeos were not that unreliable, but prone to rust.

[@AllCarswithJon]

I agree some Mercury's looked better than their Ford counterparts - I'm a BIG fan of the first-gen Milan myself. A bit more refined, a bit of chrome.... but when the engines, suspension, frame, and interior are basically the same, the question for me was always "why would I pay more".

[@runoflife87]

@@AllCarswithJon well everythings depends on the amount of extra money You should pay.

[@marshallpfoutz7756]

You know your mercury history I agree with you when I grew up in the 50s merc were considered a doll up ford we had a 1954 mercury sedan it had the new overhead valve v8. Mercurys always showed more class my. Buddy parents had a 1960 mercury colony pary station wagon what a beautiful car this was it road nice lots of power rear facing seat I njoyed your video to bad mercury faded away

[@mikmik9034]

In my days of yore, Lincoln-Mercury were always spoken together as A Dealership.

[@RoadRunnergarage8570]

I always really liked the Cougars ...

[@Karmy.]

I daily a 2002 C2, not good on gas and less spacious than my old Scion but definitely was an upgrade

[@michaeldemarco9950]

An interesting item on badge engineering, Ford vs Mercury: In 1991, Ford introduced the New Escort as a 3-dr and 4-dr hatchback, built in Detroit, and a 4-dr station wagon built in Mexico. At the same time, Mercury introduced the Tracer as a 4-dr sedan and station wagon, both built in Mexico. From the start, the Ford 2-dr and 4-dr hatchbacks sold like hotcakes, with the Ford station wagon selling somewhat less. The Mercury 4-dr sedan and station wagons sold nearly nothing. With low demand for the Ford wagon, Mercury wagon and 4-dr sedan, by 1992, the Mexico plant was on the verge of closure. Then, someone had a brilliant idea: remove the taillight laser strips, and replace the front grille of the Mercury Tracer 4-dr sedan, turn it into a Ford Escort 4-dr sedan, and see what happens. Just by changing the NAME of the 4-dr sedan, it went from being the lowest-selling compact in Ford’s lineup, to the hands-down most popular. All without spending a dime.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Nice share, I never picked up on that! Related, one of the best stories I remember from back then was Car and Driver was testing the Tracer (I think). The article mentioned it was built in the Mexican factory and that readers often accused them of geting the 'cream of the crop' of a model that's carefully selected and prepared for journalists.... And the car had two different front seats installed. LOL That factory's come a LONG way since then.

[@zythr9999]

You also may not remember the Mazda engine from the Tracer LTS being available in the Escort Sedan called the LX-E.

[@painful-Jay]

I owned a 99 v6 cougar and a 08 Sable. Great cars.

[@billfeld5883]

Did you notice the keys in the steering wheel column? Own a 74 mercury and drove it all over the United States!!!

[@leftcoaster67]

No one at Ford wanted to bring people into the brand to make it different and a better brand. It was a good idea of a mid-priced brand. Below the Lincoln, and above the Ford badge.

[@zerocool5395]

No Mercury Marauder? That car was the coolest car based on that platform.

[@gojoe2833]

In 1987 I bought a Ford Crown Victoria station wagon. In 1998 I bought a 1988 Mercury Grand Marquis Colony Park. The two were virtually identical except for grille, dash cluster, and taillights. The same could have been said for many Ford/Mercury sister cars, so Ford made Mercury irrelevant. Sad...

[@arnesahlen2704]

9:56 "Capri... the sexy European" tag-line, at least in Canada - which had Mercury Bobcats in '74. I had and LOVED an '88 Tracer. 1991 Capri tag-line: "Think of it as a steel bikini."

[@mannywilliams6409]

I liked my Capri.