Re: Re: Re: Mercury on the move?

From: Ryan Stewart (firebird@kymtnnet.org)
Date: Wed Dec 20 2000 - 00:45:27 EST


Hey now Steve........Just delete the message........LOL!

-Ryan
99 DA RC R/T
Doh!

----- Original Message -----
From: steve preston <steve239dak@yahoo.com>
To: <dakota-truck@buffnet.net>
Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2000 3:49 PM
Subject: Re: DML: Re: Re: Mercury on the move?

> Heh heh.....thanks Ryan! Maybe I WILL be able to
> afford a nice V8 throttlebody now! Steve P.
> --- Ryan Stewart <firebird@kymtnnet.org> wrote:
> > OH SH!T! LOL, meant to send this elsewhere. I guess
> > my stupidity is
> > showing.....Hehe, please ignore.
> >
> > -Ryan
> > 99 DA RC R/T
> > I'm a moron.....
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Ryan Stewart <firebird@kymtnnet.org>
> > To: <dakota-truck@buffnet.net>
> > Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 9:00 PM
> > Subject: DML: Re: Mercury on the move?
> >
> >
> > > Hello. My account number is: 5000 719 891
> > > Thank you.
> > >
> > > -Brian
> > >
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: Richard A Pyburn <rap777@juno.com>
> > > To: <dakota-truck@buffnet.net>
> > > Sent: Monday, December 18, 2000 4:10 PM
> > > Subject: DML: Mercury on the move?
> > >
> > >
> > > > Here's an article from CNN financial news that
> > says Mercury may be next
> > > > to go.
> > > >
> > > >
> > http://cnnfn.cnn.com/2000/12/18/home_auto/mercury/
> > > >
> > > > Will Mercury follow Olds?
> > > > Analysts
> > expecting Ford to follow
> > > > competitors
> > in thinning out brand
> > > > lineup
> > > > By Staff
> > Writer Chris Isidore
> > > > December 18,
> > 2000: 12:15 p.m. ET
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The Mercury
> > brand could be on a
> > fast
> > > > ride down a
> > > > dead-end road.
> > > >
> > > > The brand is in a difficult
> > "middle ground" between
> > the
> > > > lower-priced volume
> > > > brands, such as Ford, and the
> > premium brands in the
> > > > Ford Motor Co. family --
> > > > home grown Lincoln, and
> > overseas acquisitions such as
> > > > Volvo, Jaguar, and
> > > > most recently Land Rover.
> > > >
> > > > After last week's move by
> > General Motors Corp. (GM:
> > > > Research, Estimates) to
> > > > phase out the Oldsmobile brand
> > and the announcement by
> > > > DaimlerChrysler
> > > > (DCX: Research, Estimates) a
> > year ago that it would
> > > > drop the Plymouth brand,
> > > > many believe Mercury will be
> > the next model to be
> > > > dropped.
> > > >
> > > > "The underperformance of the
> > > > Mercury brand relative to the
> > rest of
> > > > Ford's brands is glaring,"
> > said
> > > > Jonathan Lawrence, analyst
> > with
> > > > Dain Rauscher Wessels, who
> > > > predicts an announcement by
> > Ford
> > > > as soon as the North American
> > > > International Auto Show in
> > early
> > > > January in Detroit. "If you
> > look at the
> > > > Ford brands, every one has a
> > distinctive identity. All
> > > > of the Mercury models are
> > > > basically twins of other Ford
> > vehicles. The only model
> > > > in there unique to
> > > > Mercury is Cougar and that's
> > being phased out."
> > > >
> > > > Ford (F: Research, Estimates)
> > officials deny there's
> > > > any plans to drop Mercury,
> > > > however.
> > > >
> > > > "These rumors have been
> > circulating for 30 years and
> > > > they're still not true," said
> > > > Jim Trainor, spokesman for
> > Mercury. "Mercury makes a
> > > > lot of money for Ford
> > > > Motor Co. The economics are
> > pretty simple. We don't
> > > > have to be the biggest to
> > > > make a contribution."
> > > >
> > > > But even the company admits it
> > is concentrating far
> > > > more new vehicle
> > > > development effort and dollars
> > into the Lincoln brand,
> > > > and relatively little to
> > > > Mercury. The overwhelming
> > majority of Mercury dealers
> > > > are also Lincoln
> > > > dealers.
> > > >
> > > > "That's not to say Mercury
> > will not get new product,"
> > > > said George Pipas,
> > > > market analysis spokesman for
> > Ford. "But in terms of
> > > > the number of new
> > > > products that the
> > Lincoln-Mercury franchises are going
> > > > to see coming to
> > > > showroom, more investment and
> > more product news will
> > be
> > > > on the Lincoln side
> > > > of franchise."
> > > >
> > > > Mercury has seen sales fall,
> > although not quite as
> > > > steeply as Oldsmobile. Still,
> > > > sales of 339,069 vehicles by
> > Mercury through the first
> > > > 11 months of 2000 are off
> > > > 17 percent from year earlier
> > level, as its market
> > share
> > > > has slipped to 2.1
> > > > percent from 2.6 percent in
> > 1999. As recently as 1993
> > > > the brand sold 483,845
> > > > vehicles and captured 3.5
> > percent of the overall
> > > > market.
> > > >
> > > > But Trainor says that some of
> > the Mercury models are
> > > > doing well in the face of
> > > > the slowdown. He said the
> > Grand Marquis, with sales of
> > > > 114,946 year-to-date,
> > > > should have its best sales in
> > 14 years, although only
> > > > slightly ahead of year
> > > > earlier sales. The Sable, a
> > twin of the Ford Taurus,
> > > > also is ahead of year-ago
> > > > sales through November.
> > > >
> > > > Stepping stone brands
> > become slippery
> > > >
> > > > The middle brands were once
> > seen as stepping stones
> > for
> > > > automakers to move
> > > > their loyal customers from
> > lower-price, entry level
> > > > brands to the higher price
> > > > luxury brands such as Lincoln
> > or GM's Cadillac. But
> > > > those lines have been
> > > > blurring for years, and some
> > competitors, such as
> > > > Toyota Motor Corp. (TM:
> > > > Research, Estimates) and Honda
> > Motor Co. (HMC:
> > > > Research, Estimates) have
> > > > found success introducing
> > luxury brands such as Lexus
> > > > and Acura to the U.S.
> > > > market without offering a
> > middle brand.
> > > >
> >
> === message truncated ===
>
>
> =====
> 1999 Dakota Sport 3.9V6,4x4,3.92 Anti-spin,42RE auto,Intense Blue,regular
cab.
>



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