Merkur Company Description:Merkur, the German word for Mercury, was an automobile brand which was briefly marketed by Ford Motor Company in the United States and Canada from 1985 to 1989. Like the Capri before it, the Merkur was Ford's attempt at selling a European car in the American market. The Merkur brand was a separate franchise agreement and was offered to only Lincoln-Mercury dealers, of which about 800 took the franchise. Two vehicles were sold under the brand; the XR4Ti and the Scorpio. A major factor in the decision to drop the cars was the requirement to add either a passive restraint system or air bags for US models since these were not requirements for European models. The XR4Ti was dropped first and the Scorpio a few months later in 1989.
