A Bugatti Veyron costs over $2 million, not exactly in the price range for the majority of people on this planet. So what happens when you really want to rock a Bugatti Veyron but can’t afford it? Convert your existing car to look like one, that’s how. This enthusiast in Palm Bay, Florida did exactly...
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Speed Channel is gearing up to release The Car Show, a talk show led by Adam Carolla, Dan Neil, John “Spider” Salley and AutoGuide contributor Matt Farah. The show hits the air on July 13. In the short clips released, the hosts tell us about their very first vehicles and driving experiences, ranging from a...
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Car owners are more satisfied with independent shops for maintenance, according to a latest Consumer Reports Annual Survey. The survey was based on more than 92,000 reports on service visits to independent mechanics and 230,000 service visits to new car dealerships. Buick and Lincoln were among the leaders with a score of 93, on a...
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NHTSA is investigating the 2010-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner for a rear window that could potentially shatter. So far, the government agency has received 18 complaints regarding the rear window shattering when the tailgate is opened or closed. 200,000 Escape and Mariner vehicles will now be investigated, and Ford has issued a service bulletin regarding the...
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Normally we have huge gripes about an awesome concept with poor execution, but this time we can’t bring ourselves to complain. OK, sure it’s not exactly at the top of our list of things to do – nor would we be the ones forking out the cash for it – but we can’t say it’s...
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Originally the car was slated to be completed before the new year, but delays in parts shipments, caused by severe weather in Southwestern Ontario, pushed production into the first days of the new year.
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After 71 years of acting as Ford’s middle child, the final nail in the Mercury coffin was pounded in, as dealers removed all remnants of Mercury logos and signs from their dealerships, marking the end of the brand’s existence once and for all. Mercury vehicles ended production in October, although a final order for government...
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And prices seem to reflect a growing demand for Mercurys on the auction circuit. Not too long ago, a 1969 Cougar (an XR7, not an Eliminator), went under the gavel for almost $100,000.
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But even as production winds down, there actually seems to be fewer deals to be had – including the loss of bonus cash offers – quite extraordinary, since sales of Mercury vehicles have spiked recently.
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Ford is looking to cut another 300 dealers as part of an effort to increase profitability. The move comes as part of a move to wind down its Mercury brand, and consolidate its sales network amid decreased demand for cars. “The dealers are full partners in every decision the company makes,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s group...
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A new report detailing customer satisfaction in the auto industry has just been released, with domestic brands Lincoln-Mercury and Buick taking the top spots. The annual American Customer Satisfaction Index survey points to a slight decline overall in consumers’ satisfaction with their vehicles, but shows strong results for domestic automakers. In total, the satisfaction index...
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Car and Driver’s campaign to “Save the Manuals” campaign is spreading, with Consumers Reports doing their part for the movement by compiling a comprehensive list of all new cars available with a manual gearbox. A few years ago, you could find some real oddities with a stick shift – a BMW X5 for example. Now, the list...
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Five Lincoln concept cars, as well as one Mercury concept will go up for auction at RM’s Sports & Classics of Monterey on August 12th. The six concepts are being sold by Ford Motor Co. through RM Auctions, a well known auction house that regularly handles ultra high end vehicles. All vehicles, except the Lincoln...
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The taste of irony must be bitter for Ford Motor Co, as its dying Mercury division outsold Lincoln, Ford’s luxury division, in the month of June. Mercury sales were up 26.2% compared to June, 2009, while Lincoln sales dropped 11% in that same time period. Leading the charge was the Mariner SUV, which reported a...
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While Ford‘s decision to cut the Mercury brand from its lineup makes good business sense, the long term benefits come with a more immediate down side. In an increasingly competitive market, by eliminating the Mercury brand Ford is also potentially eliminating 92,299 sales. According to Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl, Ford should keep roughly two-thirds of...
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According to Ford’s U.S. Sales Supremo; Ken Czubay, the dealer compensation package is based on a three year sales average of Mercury branded vehicles in relation to the percentage of total vehicle sales at each dealership.
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Ford continues to work its marketing magic, directing focus away from the fact that its shutting-down the Mercury brand and putting the spotlight on a bright future for Lincoln. The Blue Oval has announced that by the end of this year production of Mercury models will cease, helping Ford reduce costs while and put more...
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Mercury, we hardly knew ye – as anything more than a place where re-badged Ford products could linger in obscurity, serving their purpose as rental cars and female-marketed A-to-B transportation. After 71 years, this model is no longer sustainable, and Automotive News reports that today, Mercury will be sent to the great garage in the...
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Ford‘s Fusion sedan and Mercury Milan are currently under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for accessory floor mats that can become stuck. The investigation involves 249,301 Fusion and Milan models from the 2010 model year where an accessory floor mat may entrap the accelerator pedal – in essence causing a sticking...
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Mercury‘s glory days are long over, with the brand lacking anything exciting or unique since the muscle car era. With the Grand Marquis scheduled to die alongside its customer base, and every other Mercury product available right next door at the Ford showroom, the storied brand is set to be euthanized by its parent company, Ford...
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With Ford President Mark Fields has already confirmed that Mercury will get a new compact model based on the new Focus platform and now it seems that car’s name has gone public. According to a report by Automotive News, Mercury intends to bring back the Tracer name. This certainly makes sense as the the Tracer...
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Ford is looking to inject some lift into the middling Mercury brand with a new compact car, based on the Ford Focus. While it’s not clear if the model will be a version of the Focus, after all, Ford is planning a total of 10 Focus-based models for the U.S., it is the most likely....
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Ford ended 2009 with its highest sales month since May 2008 while gaining its first year-end market share gain since 1995. Sales were up in every product category in December 2009 as Ford recorded a 33 percent sales increase compared to the same month in 2008. Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sales totaled 179,017 in December....
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With the current state of affairs in the auto industry, smaller than expected losses have been cause to celebrate, so imagine the party the folks over at Ford must be having right now as the company announced today that it actually posted a sales gain. Last month Ford’s 10 percent loss was seen as a...
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