Image from source, Wall Street Journal
It makes sense for Ford to kill off Mercury. They haven't been a distinct brand in a long time, seemingly made up of a bunch of Fords with different badges (and higher prices). But it's still a little bit--a very little bit--sad. In my lifetime, I've seen the demise of AMC, Plymouth, Eagle, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer. Of those, the biggest surprises were Plymouth (which had survived the near death of Chrysler in the 1970s), Olds (which just seemed too old to go away) and Pontiac (which seemed to at least have the most classic cars in its history). But Mercury was just kind of there.
The last Mercury I remember with a distinct personality was the last iteration of the Cougar, and even it was only "cool" for a year or two before it just looked kind of odd. All the rest have been retreads of Fords, and they didn't even come up with a better logo than the 80s "M" thingy. I think Mercury missed out on the "retro" craze brought in by the Volkswagen New Beetle, the Chrysler PT Cruiser, the newer Ford Mustangs, the Chevy Camaro and the Dodge Challenger. They should've pulled one of their classic nameplates out of mothballs, and maybe even put a new spin on the winged Mercury head logo. Too late now.
[Excerpt]
Ford Will Shut Down Mercury
People who work in or follow the car industry have been predicting the demise of Ford’s Mercury division for years. So it is no surprise to hear today that Ford will kill its middle-of-the-road brand by year’s end. . .
Read more at: Wall Street Journal
Showing posts with label Pontiac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pontiac. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
New Car Update: Mitsubishi Galants, Old and New
I'm beginning month four with my new (okay, slightly used) red Mitsubishi Galant (named "Rusty"). It is slowly transitioning from my "new car" to just "my car." That doesn't mean that I have the proper position figured out in the garage yet. I still occasionally have to start it up again, and skooch it up, so that the garage door doesn't wreck the back bumper. I drove a Jeep Wrangler for nine years, after all, and it was significantly shorter in length than this car.
Anyway, my car is still new enough that I look for others like it when driving around. This is a fruitless endeavor, most days, as the Galant was not a huge seller. And more often than not, I spy an edition that predates the redesign that my 2009 version got. Each time I see one of the earlier Galants, I try to see the differences, to see what exact changes were made. But doing so in traffic can lead to some unfortunate changes to my car, so I try not to get carried away.
Today while going shopping at Target, I happened to park right beside the earlier version (2004-2006). So I got to take a good look, and boy did they improve my version. That nose thing that Mitsubishi tried to make a "family look" on their vehicles in the early 2000s was a mistake. Who were they trying to ape? Oldsmobile? Pontiac? Saturn? All dead. So, while if I were the designer, I would've done something with the old-school headlamps, I for sure would have tweaked the grille. Good move. The lines of the hood are better too. Still, it would have been way cooler for them to put the Lancer nose on this one.In the rear, things are drastically improved. The rear window is bigger, the butt looks trimmer, and the taillights are much more modern. Not that it matters, I suppose, since Mitsubishi Galants seem to sell about as well as. . .Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs and Saturns. Oh well. I do like driving a car that doesn't have millions of twins out there. And in case you're wondering, I still really, really like it.
Posted at
Sunday, May 02, 2010
by
James Greenlee
Labels:
Cars,
Design,
Design Flaw,
Pontiac,
Saturn
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Man Drives Thru Edgewater Casino in Laughlin, NV; Killing Two

Image from source, LasVegasNow
Thanks to Stupid Monkey Planet for the following two links, which may--I say may--be connected. No allegation from me, Mr. Toyota lawyer, just an interesting conflagration of stories.
[Excerpt]
Car Crashes Into Edgewater Casino Killing 2, Injuring 9
LAUGHLIN, Nev. -- Police are blaming a driver's medical episode for a crash that killed two people at the Edgewater Casino in Laughlin, Nevada.
Witnesses say the car, driven by 70-year-old Walter McGie, was speeding down the road before crashing through the front doors of the casino. McGie was taken to the hospital to be checked out, but is ok. He was later arrested and charged with two counts of felony reckless driving causing death. . .
Witnesses say the car, driven by 70-year-old Walter McGie, was speeding down the road before crashing through the front doors of the casino. McGie was taken to the hospital to be checked out, but is ok. He was later arrested and charged with two counts of felony reckless driving causing death. . .
The car was a Pontiac Vibe.
[Excerpt]
Pontiac Vibe Recall 2010: GM Pulls Cars As Part Of Toyota Recall
A Pontiac Vibe recall has been announced as a result of the massive 2010 Toyota Recall a week ago. . .
Read more at: Las Vegas Now and Huffington Post
Posted at
Thursday, February 04, 2010
by
James Greenlee
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
GM Killing off Brands

Image from source, Jalopnik
It's kind of strange to think that Pontiac as a brand is about to shrink away to mostly nothing. Saturn? They made mostly ugly cars until recently, and I never understood how they made it anyway. And Hummer should've died of embarrassment long ago.
It just goes to show you, absolutely nothing is permanent. Today's rock-solid brand is tomorrow's Plymouth, AMC or Oldsmobile. Remember them? My prediction: Mercury is next. Just a hunch.
[Excerpt]
Our sources tell us GM's viability plan set to be released at 5:00PM will kill the Saturn brand by 2011. Pontiac will also go away as a division. But the nameplate will sorta live on. . .
Source: JLOPnik
Posted at
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
by
James Greenlee
Labels:
Auto Industry,
Economy,
Financial Crisis,
GM,
Hummer,
Pontiac,
Saturn
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