| Speculation* |
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| *Please note that all information on this Speculation page is just that...what I speculate Merkur would've become if the marque hadn't been discontinued in 1989. |
| So what would have become of Merkur had it remained in existence? Needless to say, no one really knows for sure (except maybe those within Ford close to the Merkur project). But nonetheless, just as anyone else into Merkur has probably already done, I've speculated a bit on what would've become of Merkur. Scorpio: In Europe, the Scorpio was offered in many different variants, including a 4-door "3 box" sedan, AWD models, and a station wagon. In 1992, the Scorpio received a minor overhaul, with a complete revolution occuring in 1995. I doubt the wagon would have made it into the U.S. yet as the market for upscale wagons was not very large. However, as competition soon began to form in 1990 with Lexus and Infiniti (both with "3-box" sedans) it seems logical to think the "3-box" would've been imported. I would imagine the hatchback would've been cancelled. In 1992, with the update to the exterior, I tend to think we would have still seen the "3-box." Perhaps the wagon may have also been added to fend of competition from BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. It's hard to say where Merkur might've gone after that. The 1995 reworking of the Scorpio in Europe was a total failure. The car did indeed get very weird looking, with bloated round lines and huge "fish-eye" headlights. The new car lasted until 1999, when the Scorpio line was discontinued altogether. So would the Scorpio have continued in America? Considering what would've been its American rivals, I tend to think not, as most European specialty cars floundered in the mid-90s. However, I doubt the Scorpio would've been absent for long, as the new Euro- pean Ford Mondeo would make an excellent updated Scorpio. XR4Ti: The XR4Ti would've run into increasing competition with the release of a new 3-Series BMW on the horizon. As the new BMW would be nearly impossible to beat, the XR4 would have had to reposition itself in the market. Instead of a rival for the BMW 3-Series, the XR could've switched roles and taken on the Toyota Supra and Mazda RX-7 by introducing a full Cosworth version for America. The car would likely have been priced compe- titively, and an XR4 Cosworth would've beaten the Supra and RX-7 hands down in performance and civility. XR4Ti production would likely have come to a halt alongside its European counterpart in the mid-90s. Additional Models It is certain that a third Merkur model was in the works when Ford Motor Company cancelled Merkur. The most likely candidate would've been the four-door Ford Sierra Sapphire. This was Europe's hot 4-door version of the XR4 (although it shared little resemblance), and would've fit neatly in price and size between the Merkur XR4 and Scorpio. The name Sapphire would likely have stuck as it does indeed have a nice ring to it...Merkur Sapphire. What other models could have possibly been added to the Merkur line-up after that? As the SUV craze hit the States, per- haps a Merkur version of Europe's Ford Maverick SUV would have been imported. Maybe the Ford Puma would've been the successor to the XR4Ti. Would the Ford Contour/Mercury Mystique models ever made it to the states (they are based on the 1st-generation Ford Mondeo), or would there have only been a Merkur? Might there have instead been a third version of the Contour/Mystique line for Merkur...perhaps a 2nd-generation Merkur Sapphire? Truth is we don't know. Perhaps someday the answers will be revealed by Ford Motor Company. Until then, we can only speculate. |
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| "3-box" Scorpio sedan |
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| 1994 Scorpio Wagon |
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| 1996 Ford Scorpio (European vehicle) |
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| Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (XR4) |
| Ford Sierra Sapphire |
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| Ford Puma |
| Please note that I am in no way affiliated with Ford Motor Company or any of its divisions. Everything on this page is merely speculation...my speculations. None of these speculations can be proven or disproven. |
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