• Detroit Free Press, Thursday, June 3, 2010 10:45 AM

Ford yesterday confirmed reports that it would stop production of Mercury at the end of this year, partly because the brand's market share had dwindled to less than 1%, Brent Snavely writes. Some dealerships will certainly lose their stores, he writes, but those who also sell Ford-brand vehicles say they would not be affected much by the discontinuation of the brand.

Now, writes the Freep's auto critic Mark Phelan, Ford can use resources that would have gone to Mercury to expand Lincoln's lineup of luxury models. Seven new or significantly reworked vehicles are due during the next four years, including a premium compact. Ford president of the Americas Mark Fields says Lincoln will become a serious competitor to Cadillac and Lexus.

As for the demise of Mercury, Phelan isn't shedding tears. "Let's face it: If Ford hadn't announced it was closing Mercury, nobody might have noticed the brand's departure," he writes. "It's been decades since Mercury was anything more than a way to spread Lincoln dealers' overhead over more cars."

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