In 1970s and 1980s, the Mercury grew larger, heavier and more gas thirsty. But as the fuel crisis of the 1970s gripped the auto industry, this turned out to be the wrong recipe. Mercurys were no match for the Japanese and European compact cars.
Fortunately, Mercury had some successes during the 80s with vehicles such as the 1986 Sable, a Taurus clone. That’s because the Sable had unique styling and packaging designed to make it look more upscale compared with the workaday Taurus.
For the 90s, Mercury got some exclusivity in the short wheelbase Villager minivan, the result of a joint venture with Nissan. The Cougar also had a revival, a rather short one however showing that the market was changing and maybe not the Mercury brand.
In 1998, the Lincoln-Mercury Marketing and Sales headquarters, as well as its Design Center moved to Irvine, California. A move designed to associate the brands to the trendy West-Coast culture. It may have worked for Lincoln, but the success was far less tangible for Mercury...
Fortunately, Mercury had some successes during the 80s with vehicles such as the 1986 Sable, a Taurus clone. That’s because the Sable had unique styling and packaging designed to make it look more upscale compared with the workaday Taurus.
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| The latest Mercury model in the line-up, the Milan Hybrid, may turn out to be the brands last one! (Photo: Ford) |
For the 90s, Mercury got some exclusivity in the short wheelbase Villager minivan, the result of a joint venture with Nissan. The Cougar also had a revival, a rather short one however showing that the market was changing and maybe not the Mercury brand.
In 1998, the Lincoln-Mercury Marketing and Sales headquarters, as well as its Design Center moved to Irvine, California. A move designed to associate the brands to the trendy West-Coast culture. It may have worked for Lincoln, but the success was far less tangible for Mercury...
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