Because of declining sales, the Sable was discontinued after the 2009 model year, leaving no Mercury counterpart for the sixth-generation Taurus.

[4][5][6] Originally intended to replace its full-size and mid-size rear-wheel drive product lines (Panther and Fox platforms, respectively), the Taurus/Sable were focused toward the mid-size segment in 1981, as the company felt stabilization of gasoline prices justified the continuation of its full-size model lines.

[6] During the development of the Sable, Mercury had become one of the final American brands to adopt front-wheel drive into its vehicle line.

For 1983, Mercury underwent a brand revision, with the Cougar reverting to its traditional role as a two-door personal coupe alongside the Ford Thunderbird; while retaining the same chassis underpinnings, the Thunderbird and Cougar underwent a complete exterior redesign, becoming the first Ford cars produced with highly aerodynamic designs, a central objective of the Taurus/Sable design.

In place of a traditional auto show unveiling, the launch was held an MGM Studios soundstage (where Gone with the Wind was filmed).

With the flashing of strobe lights and a drum-roll, the curtain was pulled back and the two cars were revealed to the public.

[7] Ford planned a sensual marketing campaign for the Sable featuring singer and entertainer Bette Midler.

[6] Though outsold by the Taurus (which would go on to become the best-selling car in the United States) by a wide margin, the Sable would prove successful on its own, competing with the Grand Marquis to serve as the highest-selling Mercury model line.

[12] The front axle was fitted with MacPherson struts and a stabilizer bar; the rear axle on sedans was a coil-spring 4-link layout (also with MacPherson struts), while the rear suspension on station wagons was a coil-spring double-wishbone design (short/long arm), along with a stabilizer bar.

Alongside the Taurus, the Sable was the first American-produced sedan to use aerodynamic composite headlights with replaceable halogen bulbs; to begin their use, Ford (and other auto manufacturers) lobbied the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to have them approved, with the 1984 Continental Mark VII becoming the first American car to use them.

For 1990, the Sable underwent a redesign of the dashboard to accommodate the addition of a driver-side airbag; a CD player was added as an option.

As part of a $650 million investment in the Taurus and Sable, both model lines received significant updates, focusing on the interior and front and rear fascias.

1995 was the final model year of the second-generation Sable; the rare LTS trim level was added.

While mechanically identical to its Ford Taurus counterpart, the sedans of the two model lines shared less sheetmetal than before, with only the front doors, hood, and front fenders common between the Taurus and Sable (as before, the Sable served as the basis for Ford and Mercury station wagons).

[17] In place of the long-running lightbar, the Sable received a chrome-trimmed grille with oval headlight housings.

[17] In a design first for the model line, the Sable was fitted with the same interior as the Taurus (with the exception of seat fabrics).

For higher sales volumes, the GS and LS made their return, offered both in sedan and station wagon form.

[17] In an effort to stimulate sales, Mercury cut the price of the Sable by up to $2,000 for 1999 (by revising the availability of options).

[18][19] The Sable received another redesign in 1999 for MY 2000, which minimized some of the oval design elements from the 1996 model, replacing them with more conventional styling.

[21] The redesign also featured a taller roof over the rear-passenger space, to increase passenger headroom that had been sacrificed by the tapered 1996 design.

[10] For 2004, the Sable received minor cosmetic changes to the front and rear fascias; most noticeably, the grille was made fully chrome.

[21] Due to the Mercury brand's discontinuation in Canada, the fourth generation Sable was never available in the Canadian market; thus, it was unique to the U.S. and Mexico.

Developed as a mid-cycle update of the Mercury Montego, the production vehicle revived the more widely-recognized Sable nameplate at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show.

[23] While the 2008 revival of the Ford Taurus (renaming the Five Hundred) largely ended retail sale of the Crown Victoria, the Sable remained below the Grand Marquis in the Mercury range.

While approximately 10 inches shorter and 500 pounds lighter than the Grand Marquis, the fifth-generation Sable was the first produced as a full-size car.

For the first time, the model line was offered exclusively as a four-door sedan (no Mercury counterpart of the Taurus X wagon was developed).

Water pumps on the 2008 and 2009 Mercury Sable equipped with the 3.5 L Ford Cyclone V6 have a tendency to fail and potentially ruin the engine when they do.

As a result, when they fail, antifreeze is dumped directly into the crankcase; mixing with engine oil and potentially damaging the head gaskets and connecting rod bearings.

An unknown number of these Sables still exist, but a pristine condition GS in this trim was sold on eBay in 2007.