R.I.P. Mercury

[Harry P.]

BTW, Harry, I liked your rendition of the Cougar. I assume you'd include the sequential turn signals in the rear view? It would've been a potential boost to Mercury sales, IMHO. Considering the current Mustang's popularity, an upscale version with the retro styling would be a winner.

Sequential turn signals, YES! I think they're cool! (I just installed them on my Mustang!)

I think a Mustang-based Cougar would have been a no-brainer for Ford. All the mechanicals already exist (Mustang)... all they needed was a different interior and new exterior sheetmetal. I agree, a new Cougar would definitely have sparked interest in the Mercury brand (especially a new commercial with that hot Mercury chick that always says "You gotta put Mercury on your list!").

I know that Ford must have considered a new Cougar... I just wonder why it was never given the ok.

[Harry P.]

BTW... it could be pretty cool to specialize in building models only of extinct brands... Mercury, Plymouth, Olds, Packard, Stude, etc.

[Dr. Cranky]

Harry, eventually they will all go, and then there will be a cottage industry in buiding cars from scraps. By then we will also be fighting for fuel . . .um, where have I seen that before?

[Guest Johnny]

NNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a feeling you would take this news hard Brian!

[Harry P.]

Harry, eventually they will all go, and then there will be a cottage industry in buiding cars from scraps. By then we will also be fighting for fuel . . .um, where have I seen that before?

Cranky... are you expecting the apocalypse... or rooting for it???!!!

[Harry P.]

Another reason Ford may have balked at introducing a new Cougar was that the last time it tried to revive a Mercury nameplate from the past _ the Marauder _ the results were less than stellar. Of course, the fact that an old man's car with a black paint job and trick wheels is still and old man's car didn't go a long toward fueling enthusiasm for that model.

I agree, the Marauder was ill-conceived... basically trying to "hip up" an old man's car... consumers obviously didn't buy it (literally and figuratively)...

But a new Cougar? Seems almost too obvious. It would have given L-M a "performance" car, it would have sparked some interest in younger buyers (by that I mean people under 90!!!), and if nothing else, it would surely have created some buzz for the L-M brand, all at a very minimal $$$ investment for Ford.

I just have to wonder... why not???

[Modelmartin]

I just have to wonder... why not???

Because it wouldn't sell?

[Harry P.]

Because it wouldn't sell?

I think it would have sold pretty well. Just my opinion, of course... but I really think there would have been a market for a new Cougar. And given how cheaply and easily Ford could have made it happen (90% of a new Cougar already exists), I still have to wonder... why not? Even if it was a bust, it would have been a cheap experiment.

[Modelmartin]

Ford always had Mercury sell their atypical sports and performance cars and always muffed it! From the Pantera to the Merkur to the original European Capri. A friend of mine wanted a Merkur and only about 1 in 10, it seemed, came with a 5-speed. Who loads up dealer inventories with performance sports cars with automatics? Mercury could never figure out how to sell performance stuff. The new Mustang is a pretty good car and is quite good looking. Doing a Cougar version would only dilute the "brand". It would be a total waste of tooling dollars even if it is just a few parts. Ford was smart to let the Mercury brand go away at this point. Maybe if they had taken a different approach about 1970 it would have made some sense.

[fumi]

Maybe they figured the name had been out of circulation for too long and had been mostly forgotten. While the Cougar certainly has always had its passionate fans (yours truly being one) it never reached the same heights of popularity as the Mustang. And, truthfully, the Cougar as a pony car _ which is what a new-Mustang-based Cougar would have been, obviously _ disappeared from the landscape a long time ago, about the time Ford started building them on the same platform as the T-bird. It is, indeed, a shame, though, that the last vehicle to wear the Cougar name will be that awful Probe-based one.

Another reason Ford may have balked at introducing a new Cougar was that the last time it tried to revive a Mercury nameplate from the past _ the Marauder _ the results were less than stellar. Of course, the fact that an old man's car with a black paint job and trick wheels is still and old man's car didn't go a long toward fueling enthusiasm for that model.

The last Cougar was not based on the Probe. It was Ford's last "World Car" in the Alex Trotman era: designed in Europe, based on the Mondeo, and intended to replace the Probe in North America and sort of revive the Capri in Europe. Deemed to be an old man's car in North America and too American in Europe, it failed in both markets miserably.

As for the Marauder, it IS an old man's car. And it'd be just the same for the Cougar if Ford revived it yet again as a Mustang clone: an old man's Mustang.

[highway]

The last Cougar was not based on the Probe. It was Ford's last "World Car" in the Alex Trotman era: designed in Europe, based on the Mondeo, and intended to replace the Probe in North America and sort of revive the Capri in Europe. Deemed to be an old man's car in North America and too American in Europe, it failed in both markets miserably.

Wasn't the latest T-Bird also based on that platform, and the Cougar based on the same thing like it always was?

[evilone]

Just heard the news... Mercury will be history soon.

http://www.leftlanen...ad-by-2012.html

http://mobile.wxyz.com/w/main/story/11277715/

and many other sources...

interesting im in a class that trains ford techs and there wasn't any news of this. heck they are planning the 2011 models for our school soon.

[Rick R]

Just a thought, but the Marauder was a neat effort, a good if not an 'outathepark' home run. It was developed at the top of the Impala SS resale market frenzy, but probably came a few years too late. It added the only mystique that any Merc showroom had seen for many years. Main demo age for a Grand Marquis buyer is 'dead'.

I owned three of the German Capri series 1 cars in the 70s, loved 'em, and watched as Ford scuttled that product as a result of the Carter economy (high inflation/high interest rates/dollar devaluation) in the late 70s. Even when the domestic Capri and the Zephyr Z7 came along those guys reeeeeally wanted you to buy a Mark V instead!

It's also ironic that posters here are shortsighted re: marketing to adults over 40. Bet they ain't getting younger either... The oh-so-proper over-educated MBAs at the car companies are doing their companies great harm through their short-sightedness.

Case in point, the '04-06 Pontiac GTO, by far the best-performing Pontiac ever to wear that badge. It was marketed, though, by a woman who refused to use the word 'Musclecar' in ads, and refused to aim any effort at the people who remembered the originals from the 60s. That car was aimed at under-30, 3-series BMW coupe buyers, and it (and she...)deservedly flopped. Why not market it to the older group, those who knew the tradition AND HAD THE MONEY to afford the car? Probably because the Marketing Professors wouldn't approve...

Edited May 31, 2010 by Rick R

[charlie8575]

I just hope things straighten back out enough for me in time to purchase a new Grand Marquis. That way I can say

a. I owned one new car in my lifetime.

b. It was something I actually wanted.

By the way, Harry, I liked that Cougar. I agree, although perhaps not a "huge" seller, I think enough would've been sold to justify the tooling.

Charlie Larkin

Edited May 31, 2010 by charlie8575

[highway]

interesting im in a class that trains ford techs and there wasn't any news of this. heck they are planning the 2011 models for our school soon.

Until they discontinue them, you still need to know how to fix them.

[fumi]

Wasn't the latest T-Bird also based on that platform, and the Cougar based on the same thing like it always was?

Nah, the last T-Bird was based on the same platform as the Lincoln LS/Jaguar S-Type. It's entirely different from the Mondeo/Contour platform of which the Cougar was built on.

[fumi]

It's also ironic that posters here are shortsighted re: marketing to adults over 40. Bet they ain't getting younger either... The oh-so-proper over-educated MBAs at the car companies are doing their companies great harm through their short-sightedness.

Case in point, the '04-06 Pontiac GTO, by far the best-performing Pontiac ever to wear that badge. It was marketed, though, by a woman who refused to use the word 'Musclecar' in ads, and refused to aim any effort at the people who remembered the originals from the 60s. That car was aimed at under-30, 3-series BMW coupe buyers, and it (and she...)deservedly flopped. Why not market it to the older group, those who knew the tradition AND HAD THE MONEY to afford the car? Probably because the Marketing Professors wouldn't approve...

Funny you brought up the GTO. Most of the over-40 adults I know (and I know a lot of them) would not consider anything that has less than 4 doors. Those who would and could afford the initial asking price of the GTO bought a BMW instead. And the people who would want a GTO (under-30 coupe buyer) couldn't afford it, so they bought a Mustang instead.

The problem with the GTO was that the market for it simply did not exist at the price GM originally was asking. As soon as they dropped the price to a more realistic level around late 2005, sales started to pick up.

[Rick R]

The customers I'm talking about would have taken the car as a second or weekend car, the same people who have restored musclecars and money to afford a toy. I know several GTO loyalists who bought the new car and absolutely loved it... waaaay fast, agile, 20-mpg on the highway, good sounds, excellent seats, great AC, and waaaay fast.

Each one came with its own ticket book.

I'm friends with Jim Wangers, legendary Pontiac ad guy, he says Pontiac was badly marketed for most of the time since DeLorean got kicked upstairs to run Chevrolet in 1969. That may be a bit exaggerated, I think the various Grands Prix and Firebird efforts were well-done, only in recent years were great cars ignored. The mantra of GM sucks is starting to appeal to me after the treatment of Olds and now Pontiac.

Mercury really never had the challenge of success... neat cars, yes, but never lines waiting to buy 'em...

[Joe Handley]

Funny you brought up the GTO. Most of the over-40 adults I know (and I know a lot of them) would not consider anything that has less than 4 doors. Those who would and could afford the initial asking price of the GTO bought a BMW instead. And the people who would want a GTO (under-30 coupe buyer) couldn't afford it, so they bought a Mustang instead.

The problem with the GTO was that the market for it simply did not exist at the price GM originally was asking. As soon as they dropped the price to a more realistic level around late 2005, sales started to pick up.

Don't forget all the guys that whined that it wasn't a "real" GTO and that it looked like an old ladies car or a Cavalier either. Even though that exactly what the original '64 GTO was, an old ladies car with a Grand Prix/Bonneville motor shoved in it. They could have stuck a 3800SC in a Grand Am or Sunfire and called it a GTO just as easily and been a bit more historicly accurate to boot

[Joe Handley]

I personally liked the '04-'06 GTOs, but, I think one of the reasons a lot of people didn't was that the styling just wasn't distinctive enough. Had GM gone a bit more retro with the design, it may have clicked with more people.

Oh, same here, and it always kinda pissed Dad off when people would act like it wasn't a real GTO (which to him died after '64 when they went to the LeMans platform from the Tempest) I do seem to remember him finding it funny that Car and Driver prefered the '05 Mustang over the '05 GTO...even though the GTO was faster, quicker, less pointlessly optioned, and more "subtle" looking to the average witness....err....motorist

[charlie8575]

I really do hope Ford brings the rear-drive platform up from Australia. I still prefer a frame-construction car, but I think Ford needs to offer a good alternative to the Charger/300, and the simple fact that most police departments just don't like front-wheel drive for maintenance and roadability reasons should be a good reason.

To note a lot of people I've been reading here; yes, while the Panther chassis does appeal mostly to the AARP set, there are a good number of younger people who still prefer a normal full-size car. I happen to be one of them.

I drive a 19-year old Caprice with a quarter-million miles on it for a lot of reasons, one of which being I simply like a full-size car. I like the ride. I like the space. I like the durability. I like that I can still do a lot of my own servicing. I like the fact that the seats are designed for average Americans and that they're not strangely-shaped, too narrow, too short, or any other thing like that.

Perhaps someday, someone will have the stones to offer a full-size, rear-wheel drive, body-on-frame car with one of the new flexible-fuel diesel engines, shutting up the government, the enviromental terrorists and all the rest of them; I don't care if it's Ford, GM or Chrysler. A diesel V8 is quite nice...hmm, I wonder how a diesel straight 8 would be...?

And yes, I'd be first in line with a deposit.

Charlie Larkin

[WickedWelder]

Dont forget the Hummer is getting the ax also. Or at least thats what I heard the other day on the radio from the Hummer dealer here in Casper. Of course the only real Hummers were the H1's in my opinion. H2's didnt like and when the H3's came out built on the Colorado frame and running gear that was just a sad disgrace to the Hummer name. Well thats my 2cents anyway.

Have a good one.

[Rick R]

Funny you brought up the GTO. Most of the over-40 adults I know (and I know a lot of them) would not consider anything that has less than 4 doors. Those who would and could afford the initial asking price of the GTO bought a BMW instead. And the people who would want a GTO (under-30 coupe buyer) couldn't afford it, so they bought a Mustang instead.

The problem with the GTO was that the market for it simply did not exist at the price GM originally was asking. As soon as they dropped the price to a more realistic level around late 2005, sales started to pick up.

When the GTO concept was being developed the Holden development crew from Australia consulted with Jim Wangers, ad guy of note from the glory days of Pontiac, and he suggested dealer tactics as well as tech and visual adjustments to the car, but the lady running the show turned up her nose at all his suggestions. They were rewarded with a car that looked like a Camry, drove like a 4-seater Corvette and developed its own aftermarket within weeks of introduction. It's a shame that the GM dorks were so shortsighted, it coulda been The Great One (again).

By the 4-door logic the G8GT and G8GXP should've been a smash hit, and it was a magnificent car! Didi everything right and ###### near won the Motor Trend COTY award for '09, but GM was already down for the count and couldn't grasp success. Like with the GTO, the ones who bought them, love 'em, and rightly so. The visual problem faced by the first run '04 GTO was certainly NOT an issue, the G8 was killer.

Another issue is that the marketing geniuses had decided to change the series names, tossing out forty years of brand loyalty to Grand Prix and many to Grand Am as well, for no apparent reason... Was the change to 'G8' just a ploy to save trim tooling costs? Is it that Grand Prix starts with a G and has 8 more letters???

Edited June 1, 2010 by Rick R

[Eric Stone]

...

The visual problem faced by the first run '04 GTO was certainly NOT an issue, the G8 was killer.

...

The styling issues the 04 GTO had were fixed with the 05, IMO. Adding a few extra cubes and 50hp sure helped too.

The G8GT is nice... Sure wish they'd offered the 6spd on the GT, and not just the GXP. I'd love to have a GXP... Highest horsepower ever offered by Pontiac, BTW.

[fumi]

By the 4-door logic the G8GT and G8GXP should've been a smash hit, and it was a magnificent car! Didi everything right and ###### near won the Motor Trend COTY award for '09, but GM was already down for the count and couldn't grasp success. Like with the GTO, the ones who bought them, love 'em, and rightly so. The visual problem faced by the first run '04 GTO was certainly NOT an issue, the G8 was killer.

By the time they release the G8 there were already rumours of Pontiac's impending death. Pretty hard to sell something from a brand that is about to be discontinued, and the reduced sales probably justified the decision to kill it.

They are supposed to bring back the Commodore as the new Caprice police package. I think there is a market for them to divert some from the fleet sales to be offered as the Chevelle or Monte Carlo SS?

Another issue is that the marketing geniuses had decided to change the series names, tossing out forty years of brand loyalty to Grand Prix and many to Grand Am as well, for no apparent reason... Was the change to 'G8' just a ploy to save trim tooling costs? Is it that Grand Prix starts with a G and has 8 more letters???

It worked for the Germans, so we should just adopt it, and people will suddenly think we are German.