This story does not take place in the 90′s, but 2002. I was a student halfway through my junior year at Kean University. It’s a commuter school, with barely any dorms to speak of. There’s plenty of parking (nowadays, when I was there you had to fight for a spot).

The school’s location right off The Garden State Parkway and Route 82 in Union, NJ made it a breeze to get to (off rush hour, at least).

Not my actual Topaz, but a close twin

So there I was, commuting 30-40 minutes up and down the parkway each day. My beater mid-80′s Non-Ford could only take so much punishment. One day, I turned on the car and its engine fell out through the bottom. I needed a new ride, ASAP. Midterms were coming up, not one class could be missed in preparation.

My father happened to be off early from work that day. As I sat home, pouting over the lack of an automobile in the suburbs,  dad called me from our family mechanic. He found a car that was only described as “Like a Mercury Cougar, but with 4-doors.” I was very excited, a 90′s Cougar?! What a find! For $2200 with low mileage.

When I arrived, it wasn’t a Cougar, but a Topaz. Disappointment settled in slightly, but I was relieved I could buy something that needed little work and not kill my insignificant savings.

There were little remainders of Ford influences on the vehicle, aside from the fact that Topaz was really a rebranded Ford Tempo. The tape deck (yeah I said tape deck), front and rear light covers, and floor mats all featured that oval logo. But the mighty Mercury symbol across its plastic grille, along with its V6 ‘America’ (Canadian) engine under its hood.

I sat in the driver’s seat, closed to door, and those noisy automatic seat belts slid across my shoulder. You remember, the ones attached to the doors in all 90′s Fords. It had automatic everything, in fact. There was even cruise control. Like any used car with power windows, at least one of those didn’t work, the same with one of the power locks. You could only open the rear drivers side door from the inside. It was nice to be driving again, so I didn’t care much.

But there was plenty more to come from my Mercury experience: date nights, college graduation, prowling the streets of New York City, moving to Philadelphia – where the car eventually met its demise. Stay tuned, if you’d like.

Ford reported that the Mercury name had a 74% decline in sales since 2000. Those are low numbers indeed, but the Merc label did retain some brand loyalty – the same company which gave us the Cougar muscle car and 1940′s Hot Rod Mercury Coupes.

The company began as a Ford offshoot in 1939 by Edsel Ford. “The All New Mercury” started off selling two-door coupes and large family sedans, all made without a huge influence from Ford design. During the muscle car era, Mercury became infamous with its sexy and fun to drive Cougar. That model continues into the late 90′s, before it (the last original Mercury vehicle) was laid to rest.

Mercury tried to re-imagine itself over the past few years – with sexy lady Jill Wagner (pictured above, shooting a Mercury Tracer at 500 rounds per second) selling you the Milan and Mariner. But alas – no one was buying. Why get a Mercury Milan when you can buy a Ford Taurus? Then the gas crisis came. Then the economic crisis came. Then…cash for clunkers. It was a no win scenario.

But why are we poorer for losing a non-original make like Mercury? Because it was American, it was iconic and patriotic. We have already lost Pontiac, a company that had potential, but none were brave enough to invest.

Like them, Mercury has plenty of ideas, they could have taken chances – when your back is against the wall all you have left are chances. But it is easier for the auto companies to close assembly lines, lay off employees and cut production – try to salvage any bit of green so their Christmas bonuses are fat. And in the end, we lose a bit of what it means to be a motorhead in America. That makes us poorer.

Originally posted on our sister site, Automopedia.org

After a long standing relationship for 71 years with loyal customers, and the introduction of such icons as the Cougar, Mercury will join a the list of canceled brands including Saturn, Pontiac and Hummer. Declining sales and inability to differentiate itself from Ford are the key factors that help put one final nail in Merc’s coffin.

According to The Wall Street Journal: “Ford spokesman Mark Truby said the company’s plans for Mercury haven’t changed, meaning a previously outlined strategy for turning Mercury into “a smaller niche brand” remain intact. But niche brands typically survive only if they offer something special.”

It’s with a sad heart we report this news – and hope the rumor continues to me just that. I can remember fondly my time with the Mercury name plate – driving my 1993 Topaz all over the Eastern Seaboard of the United States. I must have put 100,000 miles on the Merc before giving it up to another buyer, as I watched it pull away with someone else’s license plates attached I couldn’t help but wonder if I made a mistake. One day we may see a rebirth of Mercury (maybe we are putting it to an early grave) – but for now we sing a song to honor her on the way to automotive heaven: