I was reading this article and that question popped into my head. I can't think of a single mercury model in the past few decades that wasn't just a rebadged ford. I can't even think of the last time I saw a newer lincolon that wasn't a town car or navigator but they got a new model...
May have shared components but the last Cougar (the V6 FWD one) had no Ford equivalent...
in europe it was the ford cougar
1991-1994 Capri? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Capri
skruffy wrote: I was reading this article and that question popped into my head. I can't think of a single mercury model in the past few decades that wasn't just a rebadged ford. I can't even think of the last time I saw a newer lincolon that wasn't a town car or navigator but they got a new model...
...which is just a rebadged Ford with a full cow interior and DOHC engine. Both of 'em.
Woodyhfd wrote: 1991-1994 Capri? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_Capri
Wasn't that just a rebadged Mazda?
ignorant wrote: in europe it was the ford cougar
Stupid report button, sorry...
If we follow that strictly, I'd say you'd have to go all the way back to the early sixties, I would think...
Gearhead_42 wrote: May have shared components but the last Cougar (the V6 FWD one) had no Ford equivalent...
Because it was a rebadged Mitsubishi Eclipse.
global badge engineering is tough
Salanis wrote:Gearhead_42 wrote: May have shared components but the last Cougar (the V6 FWD one) had no Ford equivalent...Because it was a rebadged Mitsubishi Eclipse.
???
Really? I never knew Ford had any dealings with mitsubishi. I thought the only rebadged eclipses were sold as Sebrings. What's your source for that?
I don't think ford ever dealt with mitsu.. Chrysler had that locked up for a while.
yea, the Sebring/Avenger was an Eclipse relative. The Cougar had nothing to do with Mitsubishi, it had some Contour DNA in it.
The last Capri, the last Cougar (yuck) The Marauder.... I know its a CV, but with more go.... Was the Mercury Lynx just an escort? IDK anything about either...
Not really recent, but there was a car called the Mercury Brougham for about two years in the late 60's that I'm pretty sure was just a Mercury
My parents only ever bought Mercuries.. my aunt and uncle usually bought the same model, but a ford.
Honestly, the mercuries were MUCH nicer to ride in and were better equipped with seemingly higher quality interior fit, finish, and materials.
mad_machine wrote: My parents only ever bought Mercuries.. my aunt and uncle usually bought the same model, but a ford. Honestly, the mercuries were MUCH nicer to ride in and were better equipped with seemingly higher quality interior fit, finish, and materials.
IIRC, our '85 Gran Marquie was alot nicer than its replacement, an '85 LTD Country Squire. I miss that wagon, and we got rid of it a year before I got my permit 
ReverendDexter wrote: Really? I never knew Ford had any dealings with mitsubishi. I thought the only rebadged eclipses were sold as Sebrings. What's your source for that?
I could be totally wrong but...
Eclipse:
Cougar:
Every time I see one, I swear it looks just like an Eclipse.
yeah, you would be wrong
they are not the same car at all...seriously, drive them.
mad_machine wrote: My parents only ever bought Mercuries.. my aunt and uncle usually bought the same model, but a ford. Honestly, the mercuries were MUCH nicer to ride in and were better equipped with seemingly higher quality interior fit, finish, and materials.
Solution? Take the Gran Marquis, and put the Ford badge back on. Wah-la! It's too bad Ford didn't market the brand differently; the name "Mercury" simply sounds cool in my opinion.
The Crown Vic was only stunted to make the Marquis look better.
ReverendDexter wrote:Woodyhfd wrote: 1991-1994 Capri? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_CapriWasn't that just a rebadged Mazda?
Kinda O/T, but is the Turbo Capri exhaust manifold of any use to 1.6L Miata folk? A friend grabbed the whole turbo system off one that was being scrapped. The turbo is trashed(the compressor & impellers were melted!), but the manifold is good.
Calling the Capri a "re-badged" Mazda is about as accurate as calling the FWD Cougar a re-badged Contour/Mystique.
Mercury has had different trim levels and sometimes different engines from what were available in the "equivalent" Fords....but rarely a different/exclusive car. When Mercury was introduced in 1939, it had a 4 door convertible that I don't believe Ford offered. In the '50/early '60s, Mercury offered both 2 and 4 door HARDTOP station wagons, body styles never offered by Ford. But then again, Mercury never offered a sedan delivery body style or a Ranchero equivalent.
If I remember correctly the cougar was an updated model of the Probe with the 2.5 V6. I could be wrong however.
According to our new car review back when the Cougar was new, it was mostly a coupified Contour. http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/new-cars/1999-mercury-cougar/
Mercury did have a pickup, and I believe that the Marauder in the 60's was it's own model.
Mercury also did a joint rebadging with Nissan (Villager/Quest).
Salanis wrote: I could be totally wrong but...
You are. The Cougar is a 2-door Mondeo.
Greg Voth wrote: If I remember correctly the cougar was an updated model of the Probe with the 2.5 V6. I could be wrong however.
It was intended to REPLACE the Probe, but the decision was made late in development to call it a Mercury. It shares no DNA with the Mazda-built Probe.
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