Manufacturers Mercury

Now defunct, Mercury was a company owned by Ford which stopped producing cars in 2010. By the end of their existence, they were rebadging Fors products.

Ford's Takata Airbag Recall Expands to Include 365K More Vehicles

Ford has announced the vehicles affected by the recent Takata airbag recall expansion.

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Custom Cars Will Liven Up The National Mall In D.C. This April

The National Historic Vehicle Association is sending three iconic pieces of American car culture to Washington D.C. to have the unique rides publicly displayed on the National Mall.

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Ford Expands Takata Airbag Recall by Adding 816K Vehicles

Ford is expanding its Takata airbag recall once again.

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Ford Adds 1.9M Cars to Its Takata Airbag Recall

Ford is the latest automaker to announce its Takata airbag recall expansion.

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This $82,000 Bugatti Veyron for Sale is Not What It Seems

How does this sound: acquiring a pre-owned Bugatti Veyron supercar, which typically goes for just under $2 million, for $82,000?

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Ford Announces Two Recalls for North America

Ford has announced two separate recalls that affect a total of 442,300 vehicles in North America.

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NHTSA Investigating Ford Recall Fix

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating the effectiveness of a Ford recall. 

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Ford Issues Five Recalls Covering 200K Vehicles

Twenty-fourteen must be the year of the recall. Takata’s massive airbag foible is causing much grief, GM’s ignition fiasco drags on and in addition to all of this there have been myriad smaller safety actions. Adding to the tally, Ford just announced five callbacks.

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Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ Probed for Steering Flaw

A trio of Ford vehicles are under investigation for a steering issue.

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Ford Vehicles Recalled for Floor Mat Issue

General Motors isn’t the only company going on a recall spree.

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Top 10 Worst Vehicle Nicknames

Like ‘em or not, nicknames are a way of life. Perhaps you were called four eyes as a child because of your glasses. If your teeth were bedazzled with braces train tracks may have been a more appropriate term of endearment.

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Top 10 Recently Extinct Car Brands Millennials Probably Won't Remember

Everybody loves talking about millennials but nobody does anything about them. Roughly speaking, this demographic encompasses young – and not-so-young – folks born in the early 1980s to about 2000. With birth years spanning two decades, this is a huge group of very diverse people.

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Ford Recalls 370,000 Panther Sedans

Ford is recalling about 370,000 of its Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis and Lincoln Town Car full-size sedans.

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Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable Recalled for Sticky Throttles

Ford issued a recall today for nearly 468,000 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable vehicles from the 2000 through 2003 model years.

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Ford, Mercury Vans Under NHTSA Watch for Rust Issues

Roughly 100,000 Ford and Mercury minivans might be added to a recall announced earlier this year.

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Top Ten Least Imaginative Car Names

What’s the most important step a manufacturer undertakes when creating a new car? Building a great chassis? Getting the interior ergonomics right? Providing the perfect drivetrain to complement the new product? Nope. All wrong. The really, really important factor for any new car is getting the name right.

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NHTSA Clears Ford SUVs Suspected of Roll Away Issues

Over 1.5 million Ford SUVs have been cleared in a government probe that examined allegations they were at risk of rolling away.

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NHTSA Probes 725k Ford, Mercury Vehicles for Stalling

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened an investigation on February 21 that affects almost 725,000 vehicles from Ford and Mercury.

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Are American Cars Reliable, And Does It Even Matter?
It’s 2013, but stereotypes of American vehicles from the ‘70s still linger in the automotive industry, with buyers wondering if domestic cars can ever be as reliable as imports.

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2004 Ford and Mercury Minivan Inquiry Upgraded by NHTSA: 63,000 Units Involved

After a series of complaints about seats failing to latch properly in 2004 Ford Windstars and Mercury Monterey minivans, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is upgrading its inquiry of the 63,000 vans from an investigation to an engineering analysis.

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Top 10 Cheapest Vehicles to Insure for Teens

Insurance isn’t kind to teenage drivers. Rates are usually double the price of experienced drivers. Luckily CarInsure.com has provided a list of the top 10 best vehicles to insure for teenagers. 

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Drunk Mom Caught Speeding With Children In The Back Seat

Speeding is dangerous. Speeding at night time while drunk is just stupid. Doing all that with young children on board has to be among the dumbest things a person can do.

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1993 Mercury Topaz Makes a Horrendous Pickup Truck

This one almost left us speechless. Almost. Up for sale in Chicoutimi, QC, Canada is a custom 1993 Mercury Topaz that’s been converted to a pickup truck. Yes you heard that correctly, the 2.3L four-cylinder, front-wheel drive Topaz can now haul around… well, anything!

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Ford Recalling 128,616 Fusions, Mercury Milans, For Wheel Defect

After encountering 30 incidents involving cracked wheel studs and steel wheels separating from the vehicles, Ford will be recalling 128,616 2010 and 2011 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans to fix the issue.

An investigation by NHTSA led to the recall, though no injuries have been reported. Ford will notify owners of the affected vehicles, inspect them at dealerships and replace any components free of charge. Check out the official article below the jump for more information.

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NHSTA Furthers Ford Fusion Investigation

The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration has upgraded their investigation into consumer complaints that the 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles are affected by wheel stud fractures that cause the wheels to come off.

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3,000 Ford Five Hundred, Mercury Montego Sedans Recalled Over Fuel Tank

Ford has issued a recall for 3,000 2007 Ford Five Hundreds and Mercury Montego sedans due to faulty fuel tanks. The tank may not have been properly welded between the fuel tank and fuel filler neck. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has posted that in the event of a severe rear impact, a faulty weld could lead to a crack in the joint which may cause a fuel leak.

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Mercury Cougar-Based Bugatti Veyron Kit Car Could Be Yours for $89,000

A Bugatti Veyron costs over $2 million, not exactly in the price range for the majority of people on this planet. So what happens when you really want to rock a Bugatti Veyron but can’t afford it? Convert your existing car to look like one, that’s how. This enthusiast in Palm Bay, Florida did exactly that, taking his ultra-dull Mercury Cougar and fabricating a whole new body onto it to resemble a Bugatti Veyron.

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Speed's "The Car Show" Hosts Talk About Their First Cars [Video]

Speed Channel is gearing up to release The Car Show, a talk show led by Adam Carolla, Dan Neil, John “Spider” Salley and AutoGuide contributor Matt Farah.

The show hits the air on July 13. In the short clips released, the hosts tell us about their very first vehicles and driving experiences, ranging from a Honda 400 Four in the case of Adam Carolla to Matt Farah’s 1993 Mercury Villager LS. Oh Matt, look how far you’ve come.

Check out all the hosts stories of their first cars after the jump!

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Chevrolet Prices 2012 Chevrolet Sonic From $14,495

General Motors has officially announced pricing for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic. The sedan has been priced to start at $14,495 and the five-door model will start at $15,395.

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Survey: Car Owners More Satisfied With Independent Garages For Maintenance

Car owners are more satisfied with independent shops for maintenance, according to a latest Consumer Reports Annual Survey. The survey was based on more than 92,000 reports on service visits to independent mechanics and 230,000 service visits to new car dealerships.

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NHTSA Investigating Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner For Shattering Glass

NHTSA is investigating the 2010-2011 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner for a rear window that could potentially shatter. So far, the government agency has received 18 complaints regarding the rear window shattering when the tailgate is opened or closed.

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Last Mercury Grand Marquis Rolls Off the Line

It’s official, the very last Mercury has now left the building. On Tuesday, January 4th at 8:00 am, said vehicle, a 2011 Grand Marquis, finally rolled off the line at the St. Thomas plant, which has been building these body-on-frame behemoths for 25 years.

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Mercury Name Disappears From Showrooms As Brand Officially Dies

After 71 years of acting as Ford’s middle child, the final nail in the Mercury coffin was pounded in, as dealers removed all remnants of Mercury logos and signs from their dealerships, marking the end of the brand’s existence once and for all.

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Demand for Mercury Models Rising in Collector Car Circles

The very last Mercurys might be rolling off the assembly lines as this blog is posted, but the brand will likely have a long future yet, at least in classic car circles.

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Last Mercury for Retail Sale to Be Built This Sunday, October 10

It’s official. Ford has announced that production of Mercury vehicles for retail customers will end on Sunday, October 10 this year. It’s not entirely the end of Merc manufacturing – vehicles will continue to roll off the assembly lines for a few more months, but they will be aimed strictly at fleet buyers – rental car companies, government agencies and the like.

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Ford Cutting 10% Of Dealer Network

Ford is looking to cut another 300 dealers as part of an effort to increase profitability. The move comes as part of a move to wind down its Mercury brand, and consolidate its sales network amid decreased demand for cars.

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Lincoln-Mercury and Buick Top Latest Customer Satisfaction Survey

A new report detailing customer satisfaction in the auto industry has just been released, with domestic brands Lincoln-Mercury and Buick taking the top spots. The annual American Customer Satisfaction Index survey points to a slight decline overall in consumers’ satisfaction with their vehicles, but shows strong results for domestic automakers.

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Suzuki Down 43%, Porsche Up 75%, In July 2010 Sales

Porsche was the big winner for July 2010 sales, moving 75% more cars than in July 2009, with Hyundai/ Kia, Jaguar/ Land Rover and the Big Three all making solid gains. Japanese auto makers bore the brunt of the market, with Toyota and Honda losing a bit of market share, while Suzuki took the dubious title of “Biggest Loser” as sales fell by 43%.

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Consumers Reports Compiles List Of Cars Still Available With Manual Transmission

Car and Driver’s campaign to “Save the Manuals” campaign is spreading, with Consumers Reports doing their part for the movement by compiling a comprehensive list of all new cars available with a manual gearbox.

A few years ago, you could find some real oddities with a stick shift – a BMW X5 for example. Now, the list is largely what you’d expect; compact pickups, economy cars, the occasional luxury sedan with sporting pretensions, and of course, performance cars.

But there is one totally-out-of-left-field choice on the list that stands out from the others; the Mercury Milan (though not the hybrid pictured above), which can be had with a stick like its Ford Fusion counterpart. Better act fast if you want one.

Hit the jump to see the full list of cars that will let you shift for yourself

[Source: Consumers Reports]

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Lincoln, Mercury Concept Cars Up For Auction

Five Lincoln concept cars, as well as one Mercury concept will go up for auction at RM’s Sports & Classics of Monterey on August 12th. The six concepts are being sold by Ford Motor Co. through RM Auctions, a well known auction house that regularly handles ultra high end vehicles. All vehicles, except the Lincoln Navicross and Mercury Messenger, can be driven, although it is illegal to drive them on public roads. All proceeds from the auction will benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and The Children’s Center.

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Mercury Beats Lincoln Sales In June

The taste of irony must be bitter for Ford Motor Co, as its dying Mercury division outsold Lincoln, Ford’s luxury division, in the month of June.

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Five Ford Vehicles Chosen As Top Safety Picks By IIHS

Ford announced today that five of their vehicles have been selected as Top Safety Picks By The IIHS, boosting their total to 11 vehicles. The 2010 Ford Flex and Fusion, Lincoln MKZ and MKT and the Mercury Milan all scored the highest possible ratings in the IIHS’s front, side and rear impact tests as well as their roof strength test. The ratings mean that Ford now leads the industry in Top Safety Picks as well as government five-star crash ratings.

Hit the jump to read the official press release

[Source: Ford]

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Ford Likely to Keep Two-Thirds of Mercury Customers, But Will They Go to Lincoln?

While Ford‘s decision to cut the Mercury brand from its lineup makes good business sense, the long term benefits come with a more immediate down side. In an increasingly competitive market, by eliminating the Mercury brand Ford is also potentially eliminating 92,299 sales.

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Mercury Dealers Offered Compensation for Brand Closure

In the wake of Ford‘s announcement that it is eliminating the Mercury brand after 72 years, existing franchises that peddle the division’s offerings – a total of 1,712 dealers in the U.S. (276 of which are exclusive Lincoln-Mercury stores), are being offered cash compensation. Production of all Mercury vehicles will end in the fourth quarter of this year, meaning that it’s likely there won’t be any 2011 models for dealers to sell.

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With Mercury Gone, Ford Will Expand Lincoln With Compact Car, EcoBoost Engines in Every Model

Ford continues to work its marketing magic, directing focus away from the fact that its shutting-down the Mercury brand and putting the spotlight on a bright future for Lincoln. The Blue Oval has announced that by the end of this year production of Mercury models will cease, helping Ford reduce costs while and put more cash and engineering expertise into the Lincoln brand. For years Mercury has struggled, sitting half-way between the established “common-man” Ford brand and the quasi-luxury Lincoln brand. And with Lincoln still struggling to establish itself as a true luxury automaker, Mercury fell considerably short in this respect.

“Profitably growing Lincoln in North America is an important part of our One Ford plan,” said Alan Mulally, Ford president and CEO. “Our Ford brand is gaining momentum and winning customers around the world. Now, we are going to use the same laser focus to further strengthen Lincoln and deliver even more products luxury customers really want and value.”

As for the future of Lincoln, Ford has given a rather thorough look at just what to expect. First is the introduction of a new compact model, possibly inspired by the C Concept (above), but also likely based on the all-new Focus platform. Lincoln also aims to put the focus on fuel economy by offering EcoBoost engines in every model – including the next-generation Navigator full-size SUV.

In addition, Ford has announced it is developing new “Lincoln-exclusive” powertrains including an all-new V6 engine as well as new fuel-efficient transmissions (dual-clutch? 8-speed?).

Ford will look to build Lincoln into the most fuel efficient luxury brand, competing mostly with Cadillac and Lexus, delivering what it calls “fuel economy leadership” with each new model.

Official release after the jump:

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Report: Mercury Almost Certain To Be Axed At Dealer Meeting

Mercury, we hardly knew ye – as anything more than a place where re-badged Ford products could linger in obscurity, serving their purpose as rental cars and female-marketed A-to-B transportation. After 71 years, this model is no longer sustainable, and Automotive News reports that today, Mercury will be sent to the great garage in the sky, next to Saturn, Pontiac, Oldsmobile and Plymouth.

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Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan Being Investigated for Toyota-Like Floor Mat Issues

Ford‘s Fusion sedan and Mercury Milan are currently under investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for accessory floor mats that can become stuck.

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Report: Ford Wants To Kill Off Mercury This Summer

Mercury‘s glory days are long over, with the brand lacking anything exciting or unique since the muscle car era. With the Grand Marquis scheduled to die alongside its customer base, and every other Mercury product available right next door at the Ford showroom, the storied brand is set to be euthanized by its parent company, Ford Motor Co., according to a report by Bloomberg News Service.

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The Bigger They Get, the Cheaper They Are To Insure

It may cost more money to purchase and fill up, but SUVs , trucks and mini-vans are cheaper to insure. This information is coming from a recent government report that based its findings on the fact that some vehicles cost less to fix, and therefore reflects how much it will cost to insure.

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Ford Posts $2.1 Billion Profit

Ford posted a $2.1 billion profit for this quarter, beating market expectations by a full year despite a lull in the new vehicle market. Ford has undergone a series of cost-cutting measures, including plant closures and layoffs, but has also introduced a torrent of new product in nearly every segment.

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Report: Mercury to Revive Tracer Name for New Focus-Based Compact

With Ford President Mark Fields has already confirmed that Mercury will get a new compact model based on the new Focus platform and now it seems that car’s name has gone public. According to a report by Automotive News, Mercury intends to bring back the Tracer name. This certainly makes sense as the the Tracer was historically the sister car to the Escort, which the Focus replaced.

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Report: Ford Announces Fix for Fusion Hybrid, Milan Hybrid Over Brake Issues

Just as Toyota is facing a potential recall of its popular Prius hybrid for brake problems, Ford has today announced a recall of its own, affecting the Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan hybrid. The comparatively small recall affects 17,600 Fusion and Milan hybrids built on or before October 17, 2009.

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Report: Ford Planning Focus-Based Mercury Model

Ford is looking to inject some lift into the middling Mercury brand with a new compact car, based on the Ford Focus. While it’s not clear if the model will be a version of the Focus, after all, Ford is planning a total of 10 Focus-based models for the U.S., it is the most likely.

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Ford Sales Up 33% in December, Market Share Increased in 2009

Ford ended 2009 with its highest sales month since May 2008 while gaining its first year-end market share gain since 1995.

Sales were up in every product category in December 2009 as Ford recorded a 33 percent sales increase compared to the same month in 2008.

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury sales totaled 179,017 in December. Full-year sales totaled 1.62 million, down 15 percent, but Ford estimates it still managed to increase its U.S. market share by a percentage point to 15 percent, representing Ford’s first full-year market share gain since 1995.

“Ford’s plan is working,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. Marketing Sales and Service. “Customer consideration continues to grow for our high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles. In 2010, we will introduce an even higher number of new products, giving customers more reasons to Drive One.”

The Ford Fusion, recently named Motor Trend’s Car of the Year, set a new full-year sales record at 180,671 units. Sales for the Ford Escape reached 173,044 units in 2009 for the crossover’s second-best year, including a 75 percent increase in December compared to 2008.

Ford’s F-Series truck had its best sales month since March 2008 with 48,209 units moving in December. The year-end tally of 413,625 units made the F-Series America’s best selling truck for the 33rd straight year, and top-selling vehicle, car or truck, for a 28th consecutive year.

Official release after the jump:

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2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid Review

A little over a year ago, I paid just over $4.00 for a gallon of gas in suburban Chicago. In the city itself, where real estate values and overhead costs for corner gas stations are much higher, the price was up to $4.25 for a gallon of regular. Those numbers virtually shut down sales of gas guzzling cars, especially large SUVs and pick-up trucks, which quickly led to the billion dollar losses at Chrysler, GM, and to a lesser degree, Ford. 

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Report: Ford Poised to Pass GM as Top Seller in the U.S.

According to a recent report on the auto industry, published by Merrill Lynch, Ford is poised to surpass General Motors and become the top-selling automaker in the U.S. over the next four years. The reason for Ford’s forecasted success is its new line of products, including the Fiesta sub-compact (pictured above).

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Mercury Sable Latest Recession Casualty

The last Mercury Sable will roll off the assembly line this Thursday. The latest casualty of the worldwide economic downturn, the Mercury-branded Taurus has been produced alongside its vastly more popular brother since 1986 – with a short production stoppage in 2006.

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2009 Mercury Mariner

For the last 12 months it’s been fashionable to criticize the Big 3 automakers for building large gas guzzling SUVs and pick-up trucks, “that nobody wanted to buy.” The inconvenient truth, however, is that they’ve been building gas guzzling SUVs and pick-up trucks that everyone wanted to buy. And they built more of them than all the other car companies combined, and sold more of them too. They also made huge profits on them over the last 15 years.

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Ford Pays Down $9.9 Billion In Debt On Road To Economic Recovery

Ford Motor Company has announced huge strides in its efforts to become economically viable. And whether through magic or some sort of wacky accounting that involves proper management of finances, it has done this without federal government aid (aka your tax dollars).

Today Ford announced that is has reduced its $25.9 billion debt by more than a third with a payment of $9.9 billion. The payment was made in 2.4 billion in cash as well as 468 million shares of Ford Common stock.

Reducing the company’s debt so significantly puts FoMoCo in a much-improved financial situation moving forward. This one-time payment will reduce Ford’s annual interest payments by $500 million.

“By substantially reducing our debt, Ford is taking another step toward creating an exciting, viable enterprise,” said Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally. “As with our recent agreements with the UAW, Ford continues to lead the industry in taking the decisive actions necessary to weather the current downturn and deliver long-term profitable growth.”

Official release after the jump:

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Ford One-Ups GM With "Ford Advantage Plan" Incentive

Just as General Motors announced it’s GM Total Confidence plan earlier today, Ford is getting into the incentive game with its new Ford Advantage Plan.

The “Plan” one-ups GM’s offer by covering 12 months of car payments for anyone who loses their job. Better still, the Ford will make those payments up to $700.

“Consumers remain anxious about the economy and their own outlook for the future. We at Ford want to do our part to rebuild faith in the marketplace by offering payment protection on every new Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle for up to a year if our customers lose their jobs,” said Ken Czubay, vice president of Sales and Marketing.

The Ford Advantage Plan also includes zero percent financing on select Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.

Ford is not, however, offering a “negative equity” plan like General Motors, instead citing that FoMoCo cars have a high residual value.

“Ford’s improvements in quality have contributed significantly to our year-over-year improvements in residual values,” said Czubay.

“This is the strongest product lineup we have ever offered. When you combine these great products with payment protection, 0 percent financing and support for local charities, customers can feel confident about getting back into the market for a new car or truck.”

The Ford Advantage Plan runs from today until June 1st.

Official release after the jump:

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