Mercury was a division of the Ford Motors Company established in 1938 by Edsel Ford. Originally created to be the mid-range luxury section of Ford manufactured cars, Mercury cars were, for over fifty years, some of the nicest cars available on the US market. Mercury cars from the 1950s to the 1970s were sometimes better than Ford and Chevy vehicles.
Mercury released some iconic vehicles that propelled the brand to the forefront of the luxury car scene. Whether it was a muscle car or an over-sized two-door coupe, Mercury produced vehicles that made financially comfortable people happy. However, over the years, the brand sort of lost the plot and the luxury aspect of its cars just vanished.
10 Awesome: 1950 Mercury Eight
The Mercury Eight was one of the first Mercury built. Following World War 2, Ford redesigned the Eight in order to increase sales. Available as a sedan, coupe, convertible, and station wagon, the Mercury Eight was released as an attempt by Ford to attract a market segment located between the ultra-luxurious Lincoln cars and middle-class Ford cars.
Equipped with a flathead V8, the Eight produced 110hp. Though it was very little for a car that large and heavy, the Eight nonetheless became an iconic vehicle. The car was featured in Batman And Robin in 1949. It is also among the most popular car to restore and modify. The Eight paved the way for a large number of successful Mercury vehicles.
9 Horrible: 1987 Mercury Sable
Mercury was originally created to be the missing link between Ford and Lincoln cars. From the late 1980s onward, Mercury repeatedly released vehicles that had absolutely nothing luxurious. On the contrary, Mercury cars started resembling low-cost and disposable vehicles.
The Mercury Sable (French for "sand") is everything but an attractive car. Any amount of modifications would not turn this horrible vehicle into something decent. To add insult to injury, the Sable came with a sluggish 3.8L V6 producing only 140hp at best. It is quite understandable that the Sable was quickly forgotten.
8 Awesome: 1964 Mercury Comet Cyclone
The Mercury Comet was a huge success during its seventeen years. The car was so successful that Ford decided to release a sportier version. In 1964, the optional Cyclone package came about. The Cyclone package was so successful that Ford started manufacturing the Comet as a Cyclone.
With a 4.7L V8, the Cyclone was a luxurious sports car packing decent power. Developing 210hp, the Comet Cyclone was on par with the mass-produced Ford Mustangs and Chevrolet Camaros. The main difference was the more elegant finishing on the Comet Cyclone.
7 Horrible: 1995 Mercury Tracer
In an effort to re-brand itself, Mercury released more economical cars. Smaller and comparable to the Hyundai and Honda cars commercialized during that era, Mercury cars such as the Tracer were another shot at reaching a wider demographic. Though it is unclear whether Mercury succeeded or not, the Tracer ended up getting produced.
The Tracer is one of the saddest attempts at conquering a new market segment. Forget about Mercury's heydays, you are now looking at a desperate attempt to remain relevant. The most powerful trim is equipped with a 1.9L 4-cylinder engine producing 127hp. There is absolutely nothing about this car that would motivate anyone to purchase a Mercury.
6 Awesome: 1969 Mercury Cougar Eliminator
When people think of classic muscle cars, the first cars that come to their minds are usually Mustangs, Camaros, and Corvettes. Though cars like the Pontiac GTO or the AMC Javelin may ring a bell, others like the Mercury Cougar Eliminator are oftentimes unknown by the vast majority.
The Cougar Eliminator inherited a lot of the features found on Ford Mustangs. Since Mercury is a division of Ford Motor Company, that is not very surprising. What may surprise muscle car fans is the fact that the 1969 Eliminator inherited the Boss 302 4.9L V8. Producing 290hp, the Cougar Eliminator was one under-rated pony car.
5 Horrible: 2004 Mercury Grand Marquis
In the early 200os, Mercury decided to get its act together by going back to the basics. The original goal of the Mercury division was to provide the public with mid-range luxury cars. The Grand Marquis was the perfect middle-point between the Ford Crown Victoria and Lincoln Town Car.
The Grand Marquis is very popular among septuagenarians. In fact, the last versions of the Grand Marquis seem to exclusively be driven by old people. Sharing the same 4.6L V8 as the Crown Victoria and Town Car, the Grand Marquis is among the most boring cars one could ever think of. No one remembers it. No one misses it.
4 Awesome: 1980 Mercury Cosworth Capri
The 1980s was a very strange era for the automobile industry. Muscle cars were falling out of favor. Most of the muscle cars released were far below what would anyone would expect from a muscle car. The Capri Cosworth, despite its awkward Fox Body, looks more like a European car than an American-made vehicle.
The Capri Cosworth is equipped with a 1.6L 4-cylinder engine developing 186hp, the Mercury Capri Cosworth had all the mechanical attributes of a car destined for the European market. The Capri Cosworth, despite its small engine, was far more powerful than the 5.0 V8 engines produced by Ford the same year.
3 Horrible: 2005 Mercury Montego
As time went by, Mercury seemed to voluntarily release vehicles that no one - except government agencies - would purchase. While both the domestic and foreign competition was coming up with improved vehicles year after year, Mercury's strategists were making sure that the brand would go under in a succinct amount of time.
The Montego is another Mercury abomination engineered and manufactured using leftover Ford engineers and car parts. The lousy 3.0L V6 develops a snoozing 203hp. The Montego was the best compromise between a Hyundai Elantra and a Kia Optima of the same year. There is absolutely nothing luxurious about the Montego. Nothing!
2 Awesome: 2003 Mercury Marauder
First released in the 1960s, the Marauder was a tame sedan (also available as a coupe) produced by Mercury/Ford. Re-released in 2003, the Mercury Marauder came about as a more powerful and stylish version of the Crown Victoria. Although the Marauder does look like an undercover police patrol car, unlike the Crown Victoria, the Mercury is worth looking into.
The 2003/2004 Marauder was probably the last decent vehicle produced by Ford/Mercury. The 2003 Marauder, equipped with a similar 4.6L V8 found on the Mustang Mach 1, produces 302hp. That is a lot more than the 224hp found on the Crown Victoria Police Interceptor produced the same years.
1 Horrible: 2009 Mercury Mountaineer
Mercury was finally put to rest in 2010. As a result, vehicles released in 2009 were beyond awful. The Mercury Mountaineer is in no way different from other cars released by Mercury during the 1990s and early 2000s. Most car fans would take a look at the Mountaineer, and shrug.
The Mercury Mountaineer is the poor man's version of the Ford Explorer. When first created in 1938, Mercury was supposed to be more luxurious than Ford. By 2009, Mercury was by definition a brand people should steer clear of. The Mountaineer comes with the same 4.0L V6 and 4.6L V8 found on the Explorer. That might be its only positive feature.