Maybe they should have stayed with MERCURY !!

[Sandy]

In 1987, ascMcLaren recieved orders for 479 ascMcLaren Mustangs.
In 1988 sales zoomed up 112 percent ! But, it was an overbuild, and they flooded the market, and the 1988s lingered on lots, seeminglu for an entire year! They were selling the 1988s well into the 1989 model year, thusly the orders for the 1989s fell 75.5-percent! Worse in 1990, as sales fell another 74-percent. Combining 1989 & 1990 would be a drop of more than 150% How do you drop 150 percent ?

Now then, when it was a Merc the sales numbers went up every year !
Okay... YES, they sold FEWER units than the Mustang version did.... But hasent't EVERY Merc "twin" sold fewer than a similiar Ford ? Yes !!
Furthermore, the pricey asc/McLaren had to share showroom floor space with a Mustang GT Convertible, which was about $12,000 cheaper !!

BUT, over at Mercury .... They had NO Capri Convertible FROM FORD !!
So, a more costly Mec McLaren would be attractive to the well-off wife of the Continential / Town Car male owner, along with males who wanted a sporty convertible - but wanted to stay with their L-M dealer !!

Seems to me, that the car would have lasted longer with this scenero.

[#67 Black Mac']

..............Now then, when it was a Merc the sales numbers went up every year !
Okay... YES, they sold FEWER units than the Mustang version did.... But hasent't EVERY Merc "twin" sold fewer than a similiar Ford ? Yes !!
Furthermore, the pricey asc/McLaren had to share showroom floor space with a Mustang GT Convertible, which was about $12,000 cheaper !!

BUT, over at Mercury .... They had NO Capri Convertible FROM FORD !!
So, a more costly Mec McLaren would be attractive to the well-off wife of the Continential / Town Car male owner, along with males who wanted a sporty convertible - but wanted to stay with their L-M dealer !!

Seems to me, that the car would have lasted longer with this scenero.

I agree with your reasoning, but what Merc would have ASC have used in 1987, since the Capri line was discontinued in 1986?

[mustang marty]

Cougar? It had a formal roof line which would have been an easy conversion.

Merkur XR4Ti could have been another option, but its quirky styling may have not made for an attractive convertible.

[Sandy]

" but what Merc would have ASC have used in 1987, since the Capri line was discontinued in 1986? " ~

yes, I agree ! I realized that after I wrote it. By the way, some other company turned out a few 1987-1989 Cougar converts. They were 4 passenger cars. They were ugly, as the tops were a mess, and it all looked just "wrong".
_________________

[negusm]

asc Cougar verts would have been amazing. And I agree, a MUCH better fit than the Mustang.

-Mike

[#67 Black Mac']

asc Cougar verts would have been amazing. And I agree, a MUCH better fit than the Mustang.

-Mike

OH YEAH,
Especially if they had offered a turbo 2.3 option in the ASC"cat" roadster!
& while I am off in dream land, it may as well have equipped with all of the SVO options as well.......

Whoo hoo what a machine that would have been!

[mustang marty]

Cougar? It had a formal roof line which would have been an easy conversion.

Merkur XR4Ti could have been another option, but its quirky styling may have not made for an attractive convertible.

As I thought... I found a Ford Sierra conversion. It quite doesn't look right.





Here is a 87 Cougar converted by Coach Builders Inter'l

[Sandy]

The Cougar does not look too bad, but the convertible "boot" looks frumpy.
IMHO, Mercury should have kept the Capri(s) and gone all out with performance, even offering higher performance than available in
Mustang..to build up the brand. If they had done so, maybe Merc would still be with us.
Look, for years GM fielded BOTH the Firebird and the Camaro, with great success. Trans Ams & Z-28s both sold well. Same could have been done with Ford & Mercury.

R.I.P Plymouth; Imperial; Mercury; Saturn; Pontiac; & Oldsmobile.
(We ARE losing our Auto industry 1 by 1.) Slowly

[1985 Motorsport Capri]

ASC should have switched back to merc from mustangs in 89 when the new cougar body came out. that body style would have worked great as a vert.

[negusm]

On that '87 converted cougar, I think asc would have added some nice ground effects, etc.

Something maybe not quite as extreme as this:



-Mike

[shelbyscarab]

The Cougar does not look too bad, but the convertible "boot" looks frumpy.
IMHO, Mercury should have kept the Capri(s) and gone all out with performance, even offering higher performance than available in
Mustang..to build up the brand. If they had done so, maybe Merc would still be with us.
Look, for years GM fielded BOTH the Firebird and the Camaro, with great success. Trans Ams & Z-28s both sold well. Same could have been done with Ford & Mercury.

R.I.P Plymouth; Imperial; Mercury; Saturn; Pontiac; & Oldsmobile.
(We ARE losing our Auto industry 1 by 1.) Slowly

Mercury really screwed up the Capri with that sad early 90's reinvention. If Mercury or Ford really wanted a entrant in the small compact 2 seater vert category, they should've just come up with a new name for it (not to mention do a better job with the design - they could've done a much better job in giving the Miata a real competitor).

GM did well with the Firebird and Camaro sales? thats news to me. Go back and look at their sales compared to the Mustang for the last 25 years. Thats why they ended production of both in '03. (even with 20+ years of extremely biased reports from motorturd and car & whiner that almost always was anti-Ford)

And about that list of RIP American car brands. Its sad as hell. You can thank the manufacturers/designers for part of it and people out there who wouldn't give them a chance because they "read somewhere" that American cars suck....... Personally I've had great experiences with American cars.[/b]

[Kentennis]

Me too Shelby! Either I've been very, very lucky with American cars or they are built just as good as any other, maybe even better (Especially Ford.)

I have had a couple foreign cars. Austin Healy, MGA, MGB, Hond Civic Station Wagon. The Honda was a nightmare!! It was such a hunk of junk I had to trade it in on a 1999 S-10, in Chiefland, Florida, to get home! It was/is a vaccuum system nightmare!!

[Sandy]

Growing up, my parents and our extended family were all (One Hundred percent) MOPAR people. In the various garages were Imperials, Chrysler New Yorkers, Dodge Chargers, Plymouth Sport Fury(s), Plymouth Barracudas and Chrysler 300s.
My Mom & Dad did Thanksgiving, 9 outta 10 Thanksgiving Dinners.
This, B-4 they all began passing away, we had more MOPARS than some small dealers had in stock, parked on the street.
I myself have owned 4 Dodges, and 4 Imperials.

But now I have a Town Car & 3 ascMcLarens

[shelbyscarab]

Growing up, my parents and our extended family were all (One Hundred percent) MOPAR people.

But now I have a Town Car & 3 ascMcLarens

Don't worry Sandy, none of us hold that against you.....

[Sandy]

They shouldn't. They were terrific crars !! Mom's Last before passing on, was a Dodge Magnum GT, White with White leather with bright red "accents" (rugs, dash & steering wheel).
Dads final ride was a 1974 Imperial LweBaron 4-Dr. Hardtop , triple black, leather w/Pwer. Sun Roof. 440 V-8

Sandy owned it, for a while afrter he departed, and then bought a 1976 version - but a St. Regis Coupe, sun roof & the works !
Kick me for serlling it for a so-so 1982 Gold Firemist Imperial Coupe.

Then I went to Lincoln with a 1986 Mark, and then a 1998 Mark and now the 2003 Town Car Limited Edition. 1 of 1,315. She has 10 thousand miles and is 8 years "old" (I love it) ! I do not see myself selling it