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Mercury History
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Edsel Ford created the Mercury brand in an effort to attract buyers seeking more luxury than they'd find in a typical Ford model and less than what was delivered by an expensive Lincoln. The first model, the Mercury 8, went on sale in 1939 for $916 - $91 more than the comparable Ford Deluxe.
Under the Lincoln Mercury division that was developed in 1945, engineers and designers went to work on what was to become the 1949 Mercury. During the 1950s, models were offered with Merc-o-matic transmissions and sunroofs, which were followed in the 1960s by the first Mercury Marauder (briefly revived in 2003) and the debut of the Mercury Cougar.
Heading into the 1970s, the lineup of Mercury cars included familiar nameplates such as the Mercury Comet and Mercury Monterey (not be confused with the minivan that arrived decades later), as well as the Cougar and others. Reflecting the oil crisis of the time, the company was forced to design smaller, more efficient models in the years to come. As a result, buyers were introduced to vehicles including the Mercury Bobcat, the Mercury Capri, and the Mercury Monarch (a.k.a. the Ford Granada).
The downsizing continued into the 1980s and 1990s with the launch of the cute Mercury Tracer and several Ford-sourced cars, such as the Mercury Lynx (Ford Escort), Mercury Topaz (Ford Tempo), and Mercury Zephyr (Ford Fairmont). The Grand Marquis was also unveiled during this time frame, and, given its nearly 30 year existence, proves that there's still a market for large domestic sedans. With the exception of the Grand Marquis and the Mercury Mountaineer, the cars that comprise the brand's current lineup are fairly recent additions.
Under the Lincoln Mercury division that was developed in 1945, engineers and designers went to work on what was to become the 1949 Mercury. During the 1950s, models were offered with Merc-o-matic transmissions and sunroofs, which were followed in the 1960s by the first Mercury Marauder (briefly revived in 2003) and the debut of the Mercury Cougar.
Heading into the 1970s, the lineup of Mercury cars included familiar nameplates such as the Mercury Comet and Mercury Monterey (not be confused with the minivan that arrived decades later), as well as the Cougar and others. Reflecting the oil crisis of the time, the company was forced to design smaller, more efficient models in the years to come. As a result, buyers were introduced to vehicles including the Mercury Bobcat, the Mercury Capri, and the Mercury Monarch (a.k.a. the Ford Granada).
The downsizing continued into the 1980s and 1990s with the launch of the cute Mercury Tracer and several Ford-sourced cars, such as the Mercury Lynx (Ford Escort), Mercury Topaz (Ford Tempo), and Mercury Zephyr (Ford Fairmont). The Grand Marquis was also unveiled during this time frame, and, given its nearly 30 year existence, proves that there's still a market for large domestic sedans. With the exception of the Grand Marquis and the Mercury Mountaineer, the cars that comprise the brand's current lineup are fairly recent additions.
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