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» Archive for the 'Mercury' Category

Mercury Sable and Taurus X dead next year?

Sunday, September 7th, 2008 by admin

Mercury, after nearly being introduced to oblivion, was rescued from the void because Ford needs a brand that could be devoted to small cars. The Ford brand, still fighting off oblivion itself, has recently been devoted to fresh, new designs that provide consumers the flair and features they’ve been looking for.
Two of the hitches in those plans are the Mercury Sable and the Taurus X. The Sable, sister of the Ford Taurus, has remained so unloved that even Jill Wagner couldn’t save it (through no fault of her own). In these days of the Flex, Edge and Escape, the Taurus X is a conveyance from the Myocene era. To paraphrase Sesame Street, two of these things are not like the other… and so they are being killed, according to The Detroit News.

Ford hasn’t confirmed the demise of the two cars. However, sales of both are in decline, they fall outside the missions of their respective brands, and Ford is furiously retooling plants and planning new rollouts. In light of all that, the real question might be: why put off until tomorrow…

Ford brings summer incentives to buyers

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008 by admin

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In a move that’s as predictable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, automakers are beginning to offer more sales incentives to boost summer sales figures. Ford is no exception, and as of today, those willing to drive away in a new Blue Oval offering can benefit from zero-percent financing on all new 2007 models. Want to buy a pickup or SUV? Ford will cut you a check for $2,007 in addition to the no interest financing for 36 months. However, Ford and Mercury CUVs aren’t benefiting from the cash back offer.

[Source: Detroit News]

Ford stock up thanks to Kerkorian, Volvo remains “not for sale”

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 by admin

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Kirk Kerkorian’s associate Jerry York stated last Thursday that Ford would do well to sell Volvo and extinguish Mercury. Coincidentally (or not) Ford’s stock zoomed up to one of the highest price levels it’s seen in the last six months. Tracinda Corporation, Kerkorian’s firm, has expressed faith in Mulally’s leadership and his plan to strengthen the automaker. There has been speculation about a sale of Volvo in the past, and punditry has been begging the Blue Oval to do something with Mercury, or put it out of its misery, for years.

While York seems certain that Volvo will be on the market in less than two years time, Ford continues to state that the Swedish subsidiary is not for sale. Looking at the Premier Auto Group shuffle of the last year, though, it could certainly be deduced that Volvo will indeed go on the market soon. Moving the brand out of the PAG location in Irvine, CA and back to Rockleigh, NJ, where Volvo had set up shop when it first started selling cars in the United States, is a move that set off whispers of impending sale. While it might be nothing more than right-sizing office space for Volvo now that the rest of the Premier Auto Group is gone, a cross country move is a deft way to trim operational fat without layoffs, and divorcing Volvo’s North American operations from Ford locations makes an ownership transition easier, too. While Ford and Volvo products share a lot of engineering and parts, a well-negotiated deal wouldn’t preclude a sale that gently phases out the currently entwined platforms as they age and replacements are brought to market.

[Source: Automotive News - sub req. - Photo: Bloomberg]