It was a completely new car, different from any Ford or Lincoln at the time. Production of the model began in 1938 and was released to the public in 1939. The first vehicle from the new brand was the Mercury Eight. It would change numerous times over the course of its history, including to that of a cougar, with the last one before the brand was discontinued being that of three horizontal lines that curve and trail off, forming an abstract “M'” shape, with the name “Mercury” written above it. The logo of the Mercury brand when it started was of its namesake, the Roman god Mercury. Eventually, they decided that creating a new marque was the answer and they selected “Mercury” as its name it was launched in 1938. Initially, there was much debate within the Ford Motor Company regarding whether this new intermediate vehicle should be a new Ford model, or if it should be spun off into a brand of its own. Therefore, striving to keep pace with GM, Ford aimed to institute the same sort of hierarchy. This strategy of establishing a ladder of consumption for their vehicle brands had already been done by market leader General Motors, and Chrysler was also following suit. The price gap between the highest trimmed Ford and the base Lincoln model was quite substantial and Edsel hoped to fill that gap with a new entry-level luxury car aimed at this subsection of reliability, luxury, and affordability. In 1937, Edsel Ford came up with the idea of marketing and selling cars that were a level or two higher than mainstream Ford branded models in terms of luxury, but a step below the upscale Lincoln models. The marque was phased out in 2011 as a result of lackluster sales and the Ford Motor Company deciding to refocus its efforts on its more profitable and appealing core Ford and upscale Lincoln brands. Mercury vehicles were sold for over 70 years, with the majority of them being based on Ford platforms with some unique styling details and special features that were meant to try and differentiate them and enhance their desirability relative to their Ford counterparts. Mercury was an automobile brand of the Ford Motor Company started in 1937 and launched in 1938 by Edsel Ford, the son of Henry Ford. While no longer in production, the Mercury name continues on in the many Mercury vehicles still on the road today. Its lack of differentiation resulted in a muddy brand identity, declining sales, and its ultimate demise. However, a marque that once stood for innovation and speed eventually became the “me too” division of the Ford Motor Company. For over 70 years, the Mercury brand churned out vehicles that were amongst the finest on the road.
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