Merkur

Merkur, the German word for Mercury, was an automobile brand which was briefly marketed by Ford Motor Company in the United States and Canada from 1985 to 1989. Sold through selected Lincoln-Mercury dealers, Merkurs were in fact, German-built Fords (there was no Merkur or Mercury brand in Germany) and were thus a form of captive import. However, Merkur was the only division of the Ford Motor Company to be phased out. Advertising and PR materials strongly urged the proper German pronunciation, "mare-coor," but practically no one used it and the cars were generally called "Merker"s. Below the Merkur badge, was a script stating "FORD WERKE AG-Cologne, West Germany", stating the car's place of manufacture.

Like the Capri before it, the Merkur was Ford's attempt at selling a European car in the American market. However, due to the number of changes to meet US regulations, the cars were manufactured by Karmann in Germany, the bodies coming from the Ford plant in Genk, Belgium, and the turbocharged engine for the XR4Ti from the Ford plant in Taubate, Brazil.

Merkur XR4Ti

Only two models were sold under the Merkur badge — a performance-oriented 3-door hatchback version of the Ford Sierra XR4i called the Merkur XR4Ti (1985-1989), and the Merkur Scorpio (1988-1989), which was an American version of the Ford Scorpio 5-door hatchback. Neither model was particularly successful in Ford North America's eyes. Exchange rate fluctuations were one explanation; another was the generally odd styling and peculiar name. Also, the Scorpio bore a strong resemblance to the similarly-sized Mercury Sable, which was sold on the same showroom floors and was considerably cheaper.

It is interesting to contrast the relative failure of the Merkur vehicles compared to the success of the European versions. The entire Sierra XR performance range including the Cosworth models was outsold by the XR4Ti. Oddly, the Sierra XR range nor the Cosworth models are viewd as sales flops in Europe. The Sierra was introduced as a replacement for the aging Ford Cortina, which was a bold move at the time considering the Cortina was one of Fords best selling cars. Despite initial misgivings about the styling, Sierra went on to be the second best selling car in Europe, second only to Fords own Escort. European Sierras were available in 3-door hatchback, 5-door hatchback, 4-door sedans, 5-door station wagons, and even a pickup truck called the P100. Engines were available from a 1.3 litre 60 hp 4 cylinder, to a 160 hp 2.8 litre V6, or a 2 litre, 16 valve, turbocharged and intercooled 4 cylinder as fitted to the mighty Sierra Cosworth. According to British government test figures, fuel efficient models such as the 1.6 Economy could do 51 mpg Imperial* at a steady 56 mph, and 30 mpg simulated urban driving. At the other end of the spectrum the Sierra Cosworth would do 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds and go on to a top speed of almost 150 mph (and still capable of over 20 mpg if driven gently).

Like the Sierra, the Scorpio was also introduced to replace another popular model, the Ford Granada, so popular in fact that in the UK and Ireland the Granada name was still used with the Scorpio name used for the top of the range versions. This started life as a 5-door hatchback, and later became available in a 4 door sedan and a 5 door wagon. An "executive express" in the form of the Scorpio Cosworth was produced, powered by a 2.9 litre, 24 valve Cosworth V6 motor. This featured 16" aluminum alloy wheels similar to the AMG Mercedes wheels, a rear spoiler, and additional ground effects.

Before Ford pulled the plug, there were rumors that it would begin sourcing South American-made Sierras, but nothing came of this. There are accounts of a 16 valve 4 cylinder turbocharged version that was in prototype stage as well. This engine was never produced.

Merkurs have not so far generated much interest in the collector market, although their relative rarity could change that in the future. Several active owner communities exist, and parts can still generally be found, although some may have to be sourced from Europe. The XR4Ti shares its engine with the Mustang SVO and the Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, making it easier for owners to keep their cars running.

Mileage conversion figures :
51 mpg Imperial = 42 mpg U.S.
30 mpg Imperial = 25 mpg U.S.
20 mpg Imperial = 17 mpg U.S.

In Popular Culture

In the webcomic Misfile the main character Ash Upton drives a heavily modified XR4Ti.

In the video game , there is a car that resembles a Lamborghini Countach that has a badge on the front that resembles the Merkur badge.

In two different episodes, Seymour Skinner, a character from The Simpsons mentions that he drives a Merkur, although the pronounces it incorrectly. A member of the writing staff is a member of http://www.turboford.net and included it in these to honour his car.

External links

Members of the Ford Motor Company
Aston Martin \| Daimler \| Edsel \| Ford \| Jaguar \| Land Rover \| Lincoln \| Mazda \| Mercury \| Merkur \| Volvo

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