Another American Car Company going Out Of Business

[nighthawk]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37472005/ns/business-autos/

After 72 years of operations Ford is closing out the Mercury line of automobiles. Ford has cited reason upon reason for doing this and some of them are legitimate. IMHO, it is ford that lost interest in the line years ago and have allowed it to fall into the lack of interest it has today in hopes an excuse to shut the line down.

Congratulations Ford management for treating a symptom while allowing your poor management practices to go merrily onward. You got a small boost for not taking bailout money but if you don't change your ways you too shall soon go the way of Mercury, G.M., Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Rambler, AMC, and etc......

For those of you who think there is no difference between the Mid grade Mercury and Ford products thing again. The 2001 Taurus and the 2001 Sable share the same platform and power-plant/drive train but that is where the similarities end. The SES Taurus of 2001 is a nice car but if you ordered it with all of the optional features that are standard on my 2001 Sable LS Premium sedan you would pay prices equivalent to the Lincoln line. Given all of that you still would not have the ride quality of the Mercury.

I had many a fun night cruising in my Buddie's 1969 Cougar with the Ford 351 Cleveland 4BBL under the hood. I learned to drive in a 1981 Grand Marque. Maybe I am partial to Merc but I think Ford management would seriously overhaul the line and present them as their own image. Stop thinking like G.M. before you end up going down in their tire tracks.