SWAN SONG FOR MERCURY?

News that Ford Motor Company is reconsidering its long-held position and may shutter the Mercury brand comes at a pivotal time in their history. Since the arrival of Alan Mulally, Ford has shown little mercy when forced to make decisions that set the company up for long-term growth. Closing this historic brand, while bittersweet, is yet another tough, but good decision. Ford now is positioning itself in a similar fashion to Toyota and Lexus or Nissan and Infiniti with its remaining Lincoln brand, and these are good footsteps to follow. Closing Mercury also will allow full product development and marketing focus on Ford and Lincoln, even though little has been spent on Mercury in recent years. As illustrated by shutting down Pontiac and Saturn, the American consumer is more focused on great product, regardless of the badge on the grill. Without Mercury, Ford should be able to continue its winning streak and introduce even more products to capture the buyer's attention. James Bell Executive Market Analyst Kelley Blue Book