SLIDESHOW
Luxury car brands that fell into obscurity
Car makers that cater to the rich are often far more profitable than those that focus on the mainstream, because they have unlocked the secret of luxury merchandising: having a brand and product desirability that allows you to sell something for far more than it costs to make. No wonder plenty have tried to join the luxury car club. Here are some that came up short.
MATT MACCONNELL
Merkur 1985-1990
In the early 1980s, younger, image-focused car buyers in the US were lapping up snappy German sports saloons
like the BMW 3 Series and new Mercedes-Benz 190E. Ford’s response was to take German-produced Fords and dress
them up in posher frocks for the American market with a new brand. First in the line-up was the Merkur XR4Ti, which
was a Sierra XR4i underneath, although the original 2.8-litre V6 was swapped for a 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine,
due to US emissions regulations. Next was the Scorpio, which remains one of the shortest-lived Fords, surviving
for just two model years. Worse, the strength of the Deutschmark made the cars expensive, while new US
safety regulations forced costly changes. Consequently, Ford scuttled Merkur after a mere five years.