Official: MERCURY is DEAD after 71 years.

[Kal-El]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/06/02/f...xpand-lincoln/

This was bound to happen sooner or later. Over the last ten years, Mercury's sales numbers have plummeted, and currently, the brand only accounts for 0.8 percent of Ford Motor Company's overall market share. In a press conference this afternoon with Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, and Derrick Kuzak, group vice president of product development, the automaker has officially announced that Mercury will be discontinued in the fourth quarter of this year.

With all of the forward momentum that Ford has been experiencing over the past few years, no brand-specific models were introduced to the Mercury lineup. What's more, the vast majority of recent Mercury purchases were made through discounts offered to retirees, friends and family. Mercury's dealer network (coupled with the Lincoln brand) is currently in the process of being notified about Ford's decision, and owners are reassured that existing Mercury products can still be serviced at any Ford or (newly standalone) Lincoln dealer.

But it isn't all bad news down in Dearborn – Ford is using Mercury's demise as a better reason to seriously beef up the Lincoln brand. Including the 2011 MKZ Hybrid and refreshed 2011 MKX, Ford is expanding the Lincoln lineup with the addition of seven all-new or wholly refreshed vehicles, including the brand's first-ever C-segment vehicle, possibly related to the C Concept that we saw at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Furthermore, Lincoln will be offering EcoBoost powertrains across the entire lineup, including the next-generation Navigator full-size SUV. Ford is committed to making Lincoln substantially more prosperous in America, saying that the brand will house more useful features and technology than any other competitor, as well as offering the most fuel-efficient lineup of luxury vehicles.

This is for the better. Mercury's have been nothing but Fords with different grills, headlights, and taillights. Companies need to operate more efficiently these days.

R.I.P. Mercury