Web Pitch for Mercury Sable: Rejuvenation, Not Extinction

As part of its effort to reshape its image, Irvine-based Mercury--the middle child of the Ford Motor Co. family--will go online Wednesday to launch the redesigned 2000 model of its flagship Sable sedan.

The face-lifted Sable, Mercury folks say, is proof that Ford plans to keep the brand alive. Some analysts and automotive journalists have speculated in recent weeks that Merc is on the way out, citing its stodgy image, a shrinking of the line to two models in Canada and the decision to drop the Tracer subcompact later this year. The Tracer move is not a surprise. The model is based on the Ford Escort, which the auto maker is phasing out during the next two years.

But next year’s Sable is supposed to help signal Mercury’s intent to stand alone. So far, the only Mercury car that’s not a Ford clone is the sporty Cougar coupe, introduced last year. But Mercury officials say that several other unique-to-Merc cars are in the pipeline and that the Sable’s new design will separate it more than ever from its stablemate, the Ford Taurus.

The 2000 Sable promises to have unique front and rear treatments to differentiate it from the Taurus, which was scheduled to be unveiled this morning at the New York International Auto Show.

The Sable is to be unwrapped Wednesday at the San Diego Auto Show--the first time Ford has used a Southern California venue to reveal a new production model from its Lincoln Mercury unit.

“We came to California to do things differently,” said Lincoln Mercury President Mark Hutchins, remarking on the division’s relocation last year from Michigan to Irvine to enable its marketing and design people to soak up some of Southern California’s vaunted free-spirited creativity.

The Sable launch will be broadcast live on the World Wide Web at 10 a.m. Wednesday at https://www.mercuryvehicles.com. The unveiling will be followed by an online chat-room session allowing consumers to ask questions of Ford President and Chief Executive Jac Nasser, design chief J Mays and Hutchins.

It is believed to be the first time a major car maker has made its top brass available for a real-time Q-and-A session with the public.