Ford: Mercury falls, but Lincoln rises

It’s official. The Ford Motor Co. will put an end to its 71-year-old Mercury brand, stopping production of the Mercury in the fourth quarter of this year, said Mark Fields, and end vehicle production in the fourth quarter, Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas.

The decision to discontinue the Mercury brand was approved by the board of Ford Motor Company. But all is not gloomy for Ford. Fields announced that Ford plans to expand the venerable Lincoln lineup with the addition of seven new or refreshed vehicles over the next four years.

Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s product development chief, said one of the vehicles will be a new compact car and it will be based on the same platform that the 2011 Ford Focus is built on, only this new compact will be designed and engineered specifically for Lincoln.