What is Mercury?

Ranger Kip · 06-03-2012, 10:27 PM

What is Mercury? Its a Ford owned company yet has all the same vehicles (slightly modified) that Ford put out, why even have it????

85_Ranger4x4 · 06-03-2012, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranger Kip

What is Mercury? Its a Ford owned company yet has all the same vehicles (slightly modified) that Ford put out, why even have it????

Hence no more Mercury.

feellnfroggy · 06-03-2012, 10:33 PM

"dont put all your eggs in one basket"

Mercury like lincoln and jaguar are the baskets so to speak and fords investment money is the eggs. mercury is a slightly higher luxury version of the base vehicles and lincoln is slightly higher luxury than that. Mazda is also a version of ford now, for example the mazda tribute and the ford escape. Also there are some people who wont buy ford just because ford is the name but will buy the same vehicle from lincoln mercury or mazda. Its a genius idea to expands profits without investing too much extra money. same assembly lines, just different labels. mostly.

85_Ranger4x4 · 06-03-2012, 10:38 PM

Mercury wasn't much more than a restickered Ford, Ford killed the brand due to lack of sales... and while Lincoln was guilty of doing the same thing they got a redesign so they didn't quite follow a Ford so close.

Most people that won't buy a Ford because it is a Ford won't pay more money for a Ford with different stickers.

**Sunk** · 06-03-2012, 10:51 PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_(automobile)

You should try Google sometime, it's pretty cool.

pcollins · 06-03-2012, 11:11 PM

Why does GM put out GMC and Chevy trucks? Same principal.

85_Ranger4x4 · 06-03-2012, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pcollins

Why does GM put out GMC and Chevy trucks? Same principal.

One of the reasons they did that is so the higher end GM dealers could sell pickups.

Way back when it was common for dealers to only sell certain parts of GM's lineup, GMC was available for Buick, Olds and Cadillac dealers to sell.

I know the local GM dealer was not a GMC dealer, if you wanted to buy a GM truck locally it would be a new/used Chevrolet or a used GMC. They were just Chevy, Olds, and Cadillac in their prime.

I do very much prefer the GMC's appearance over the years, especially lately with Chevy's big ear-to-ear grin grille.

Ford is also probably very gratefull they do it that way, if you combined GMC and Chevy quite often they would outsell Ford.

**shane96ranger** · 06-03-2012, 11:35 PM

Ford sold Jaguar and only owns 3% of Mazda now.

Sent while I should be doing something else

RustedRanger · 06-04-2012, 09:21 AM

I heard a story second hand from a guy I used to work with so how true it is I don't know. He said he knew an old guy who worked at a plant that made parts for the Ford brand,this was probably in the 70's some time. He said that the factory had three bins for all the parts it made,one each for Ford,Mercury,and Lincoln and that the "best" ones (like in closer tolerance) went in the Lincoln bin and so on down the line. I have read another story somewhere else talking about some Lincolns and Mercurys having their engines built more carefully,to closer tolerances.

**armadillon** · 06-04-2012, 11:39 AM

My experience/understanding with Chevy, GMC and Cadillac was the manufacture of the parts. Not as in origin, but proximity to perfect specifications. For example, Chevy was the baseline and would have the parts within .01 within spec, GMC was .001, and Cadillac .0001.

Can anyone correct that info? Obviously those numbers arent right, but the principle of the matter...

Ranger Kip · 06-04-2012, 01:07 PM

I think it was all a ploy for more money, nothing more than a good investment that someone took advantage of to see more profit. Old people buy lincoln, people who are stubborn against ford buy mercury, and people who want a decent truck buy ford.

**AllanD** · 06-04-2012, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ranger Kip

What is Mercury? Its a Ford owned company yet has all the same vehicles (slightly modified) that Ford put out, why even have it????

You seem to have missed that Ford already answered your question as Mercury is no more.

06-03-2012, 10:38 PM	#4
85_Ranger4x4 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Between Omaha & Des Moines Year: 1985 Make: Ford Model: Ranger Engine: 5.0 Class: 4x4 Used For: A weapon of massive consumption. Posts: 11,186 Rep Power: 51 iTrader: (0)	Mercury wasn't much more than a restickered Ford, Ford killed the brand due to lack of sales... and while Lincoln was guilty of doing the same thing they got a redesign so they didn't quite follow a Ford so close. Most people that won't buy a Ford because it is a Ford won't pay more money for a Ford with different stickers. __________________ 1985 Ford Ranger Custom, 4x4, PA 3" BL, 5.0 HO wannabe, C5 Transmixer, 31 spline T/L 8.8 w/ disc brakes. Build Thread My Ranger is not old; no one would call her old. She has a bluff bow, lovely lines. She's a fine truck: weatherly, stiff and fast... very fast, if she's well handled. No, she's not old; she's in her prime.
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06-03-2012, 11:11 PM	#6
pcollins Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Middle of Nowhere, NY Year: 2012 Make: GMC Model: Sierra 1500 Engine: 4.8L Class: 4x4 Used For: Around the farm, Daily Driver Posts: 928 Rep Power: 9 iTrader: (0)	Why does GM put out GMC and Chevy trucks? Same principal. __________________ '12 GMC Sierra \| 4.8L \| Auto \| 4wd
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06-04-2012, 09:21 AM	#9
RustedRanger Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Farmland IN Year: 1987 Make: Ford Model: Ranger XLT Engine: 2.9L Class: 4x4 Used For: Everyday driver Posts: 821 Rep Power: 10 iTrader: (0)	I heard a story second hand from a guy I used to work with so how true it is I don't know. He said he knew an old guy who worked at a plant that made parts for the Ford brand,this was probably in the 70's some time. He said that the factory had three bins for all the parts it made,one each for Ford,Mercury,and Lincoln and that the "best" ones (like in closer tolerance) went in the Lincoln bin and so on down the line. I have read another story somewhere else talking about some Lincolns and Mercurys having their engines built more carefully,to closer tolerances.
	Tweet

06-04-2012, 11:39 AM	#10
armadillon Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Austin, TX Year: 93 Make: Ford Model: Ranger Engine: 3.0L Class: 2WD Off-Road/Daily Driver Used For: Licking the steering wheel. It's cleaner than my other vehicles. Posts: 756 Rep Power: 8 iTrader: (1)	My experience/understanding with Chevy, GMC and Cadillac was the manufacture of the parts. Not as in origin, but proximity to perfect specifications. For example, Chevy was the baseline and would have the parts within .01 within spec, GMC was .001, and Cadillac .0001. Can anyone correct that info? Obviously those numbers arent right, but the principle of the matter...
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