Ford Motor Company introduced the Mercury automobile brand in 1938.
Mercury was created to occupy the space between Ford’s mainstream cars and the more expensive Lincoln line. Its first model, the Mercury Eight, used a larger engine and more substantial body than contemporary Ford models.
The new division addressed a growing market for cars priced above ordinary Fords but below luxury automobiles. Mercury remained part of Ford’s North American brand structure for decades and was eventually positioned between Ford and Lincoln.
Ford discontinued the Mercury brand in 2010. The final Mercury vehicle, a Grand Marquis, was built in January 2011, ending a brand history that had lasted more than seven decades.