In addition to serving as a combined sales network for Ford's two premium automotive brands, Lincoln-Mercury also represented the Continental (1956–1960), Edsel (1958–1960, formally designated Mercury-Edsel-Lincoln Division), Comet (1960–1961),[4] Capri (1970-1978), De Tomaso (1972-1975), and Merkur (1985–1989, forming Lincoln-Mercury-Merkur).

For 1936, Lincoln-Zephyr was introduced as a sub-marque of Lincoln, giving the line a V12 car competing against the LaSalle and Buick, plus the notable revolutionary streamlining style of the Chrysler Airstream and the Airflow, along with the Packard One-Twenty.

The 1949 redesign of the Mercury model line proved successful, with the division increasing its sales six-fold over 1948, becoming the sixth-most popular brand in the United States.

[16] In contrast to competing medium-price brands from Chrysler and General Motors (and independents including Nash, Hudson, or Packard), Mercury continued to offer the Eight as its sole model line.

Intended to compete against the hardtop coupes from General Motors, the Monterey simulated the appearance of a convertible through the use of a canvas or vinyl roof (though with a pillared roofline).

Though Edsel was quietly discontinued early in the 1960 model year (before the end of 1959), the future of Lincoln-Mercury remained at risk, as Lincoln had lost over $60 million from 1958 to 1960 ($617,952,756 in 2023 dollars[10]).

The first Ford Motor Company vehicle in North America offered with (an optional) V6 engine, the Capri was sold through Lincoln-Mercury, but carried no divisional branding until 1979.

The Cougar was updated alongside the Mustang, but was repackaged to compete more closely with the A-body coupes (Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, Pontiac Grand Prix) of General Motors.

The Cougar underwent a redesign, growing in size to share the body of the Montego two-door hardtop and becoming the counterpart of the Ford (Gran Torino) Elite.

The Capri made its return, becoming a Mercury-brand vehicle; instead of a captive import, the model line was now a version of the Ford Mustang hatchback (both adopting the 1978 Fox platform).

Intending to repeat the success of the 1970s Capri, Lincoln-Mercury began sales of the Merkur (see below), a captive import from West Germany aimed at European entry-level luxury cars.

Though sharing most of its body with the Taurus (including its doors, roof, hood, and front fenders), the Sable adopted a number of its own visible design elements, with blacked-out C-pillars (for a floating-style roof), vertically slotted taillamps, semi-skirted rear fenders, and the introduction of a low-wattage "lightbar" grille (a design adopted by several Mercury car lines during the late 1980s and early 1990s).

For the third time since 1980, the Cougar underwent a ground-up redesign, with the model line adopting an all-new chassis alongside the Thunderbird (with the notchback roofline returning).

Far more aerodynamic than its predecessor, the exterior of the Grand Marquis was styled more conservatively than its Ford Crown Victoria counterpart (with the two model lines only sharing front doors).

Better-received in the marketplace than the Chevrolet Caprice and Buick Roadmaster (and the Crown Victoria), sales of the Grand Marquis doubled from 1991 to 1992, leading it to become the best-selling Mercury sedan through much of the 1990s and beyond.

With the exception of the Topaz compact and Cougar coupe, the entire Mercury line was renewed between 1991 and 1992, leading for sales to increase to over 480,000 (their highest level since the 1978 all-time high).

While the Mondeo was developed as a mid-size car in Europe, in North America, the Contour/Mystique fell closer in size to compact-size sedans, leading to negative receptions for small interior dimensions (in comparison to competitive vehicles).

In response to the 1992-1997 Grand Marquis receiving a better marketplace reception over its Crown Victoria counterpart, both model lines adopted the formal roofline design used by the Mercury.

The Tracer and Mystique were discontinued at the end of the model year (the latter was sold under a short run of 2000 production).For 1993, the Mercury Villager was launched as the first Lincoln-Mercury minivan.

While more successful than its Nissan counterpart, the Villager would later decline in sales, primarily in response to newer competitors (including the Ford Windstar, Honda Odyssey, and redesigns of Chrysler and GM minivans).

After serving as a personal luxury car since 1971, the model line was repackaged as a compact sports coupe (originally developed as the third generation of the Ford Probe).

Though its flagship sedan was among the most profitable vehicles of Ford Motor Company, the average age of its buyer was in their mid-60s – nearly two decades higher than what Lincoln-Mercury sought to attract into its showrooms.

The Tracer and Mystique were discontinued during the 2000 model year; alongside the Villager and Mountaineer, Mercury sold only the Cougar, Sable and Grand Marquis; each vehicle line was marketed to widely different buyers, with no common brand styling.

Sharing only its roofline and doors with the Explorer, the 2002 Mountaineer launched a design identity used by Mercury through the end of the 2000s, including a rectangular waterfall grille and clear-lens headlamps extending into the hood; interior chrome was largely replaced by silver and satin trim.

Alongside poor sales of the Montego in the marketplace (outsold by the Grand Marquis nearly five-to-one for 2007), new company management insisted upon a nameplate with greater brand recognition.

In 2008, Ford introduced an advertising campaign starring actress Jill Wagner that focused exclusively on attracting female drivers to the Mercury brand in hopes of making it more relevant and profitable (standing in stark contrast to its late 1960s "The Man's Car" ad slogan).

[42] During the middle of the 20th century, the small dealership network of Ford Motor Company in Canada necessitated some branding changes to attract buyers into showrooms.

For the next six decades, the later Montclair, Medalist, Meteor, Marauder, Montego, (Grand) Marquis, Monarch, Mystique, Mountaineer, Milan, and Mariner all used nameplates starting with "M".

Beginning the 1967 debut of the Mercury Cougar, several nameplates were derived from big cats, including the Bobcat and Lynx (with the Sable also adopting an animal name).

While the Milan was outsold by its Ford Fusion counterpart (by a significant margin), the product line met with relative success, overtaking the Grand Marquis as the best-selling Mercury sedan in 2008.