Mercury

Mercury was launched on August 9, 1938, by Edsel Ford to bridge the gap between Ford’s mass-market cars and Lincoln’s luxury line. Its debut model, the 1939 Mercury Eight, introduced a stylish “fastback” design and an overhead-valve V8 engine that set new performance benchmarks and quickly found favor with post-war American drivers. During the 1950s and ’60s, Mercury cemented its cultural impact by offering innovations like the “Marauder” performance series and early experimentation with automatic transmissions, carving out a niche among buyers seeking a blend of sportiness and comfort. After peaking in the late 1970s, Mercury struggled to define its identity and, despite attempts to refresh the lineup with models like the Cougar and Grand Marquis, Ford announced in June 2010 that the brand would be discontinued. Today, Mercury’s legacy lives on through its influence on Ford’s design language and its enthusiastic collector community. No new Mercury vehicles are in production, and its story remains a notable chapter in American automotive history.