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Mercury began as a sub-brand of Ford during the 1930s. It was founded by Henry Ford’s son, Edsel Ford. The aim was to introduce customers to a premium range of cars and compete against rivals such as Chrysler. However, during the course of its years, Mercury’s sales continuously worsened against Ford sales. This forced Ford to put an end to the brand in 2011 when it produced its final Mercury-branded car.

In 1937, the first Mercury car was launched. The intention was to produce a car that would fill the void left between, on the one hand, Ford, and on the other, Lincoln- Ford’s luxury division. Thus Mercury catered to a market seeking premium cars but at a standard and price below Lincoln. Mercury’s first car, which shared the brand’s name, turned out to be a huge success with almost 70,000 units being sold to date.

Following the merger of Mercury and Lincoln, in 1946, Ford would produce the Mercury Eight and, in 1949, a redesigned version of the car. The redesigned Mercury Eight would achieve newer heights of popularity and success for Ford. To this day it remains a fan favourite and has made regular appearances in popular culture. The car was offered both as a two-door and four-door vehicle, as well as with a wooden rear body. It would be produced for only three years, with the final 1949 Mercury Eight rolling off in 1951. Mercury would continue to produce iconic cars over the next decades, including the Cyclone, Marauder and Cougar.

At the turn of the millennium, however, Mercury’s future took a turn for the worse. The brand struggled, with one of the main issues being the age group of its buyers. Mercury realized that its customer base consisted mostly of older people, above the age of 60, and not of the younger generation. To cure the issue, Mercury would introduce new performance vehicles, including the Montego and Milan. The brand also attempted to attract female customers as it designed a marketing campaign aimed at women. However, Mercury's attempts bore no fruit as its sales continued to plummet, forcing Ford to finally discontinue the brand in 2011.