Merkur

Merkur was a short-lived marque created by Ford Motor Company's Lincoln–Mercury division in the mid-1980s to market selected Ford of Europe models in the United States. The brand name Merkur is the German word for Mercury, chosen to emphasize the cars' European origins and to distinguish them from existing Mercury models. Merkur vehicles were marketed with a distinct wordmark and badge treatment that emphasized a European, upscale image—badging typically featured a clean, italicized/forward-leaning wordmark and subdued metallic finishes consistent with contemporary 1980s automotive branding. The marque was discontinued after the 1989 model year due to market and regulatory factors, leaving behind only a small number of legacy models (XR4Ti, Scorpio) and period promotional materials.