In the 1960s Mercury released the Comet, Meteor, and Cougar, three popular vehicles which pushed Mercury into a new direction. All were powerful cars, and were successful with buyers. In particular, the Comet, which featured raw power shoved into a compact frame, experienced a lot of success on the race track.
The 1970s were a successful time for Mercury, unlike most American auto manufacturers. While the competition was fighting to compete against Japanese imports, Mercury released a new Comet, as well as the Bobcat – smaller vehicles similar in performance to Japanese imports, which appealed to buyers.
Success continued throughout the 80s with the introduction of the Sable (Mercury’s version of the Taurus). The company reached its pinnacle in the 1990s with the introduction of the Mercury Mountaineer, Cougar, and Villager.
Since then, Mercury has struggled somewhat. Sales declined, and Mercury, despite rolling out several new models like the Mariner, Grand Marquis, Milan, and even delving into the world of hybrids, couldn’t contend. After several declining years, Mercury was discontinued in 2010 by Ford, ending an impressive run for the auto maker.
