CALIFORNIA : SOUTHLAND FOCUS : Lincoln Mercury to Stop Producing Mystique

Lincoln Mercury told its dealers this week that it will stop retail production of the slow-selling Mercury Mystique compact at the end of the year. The Irvine-based unit of Ford Motor Co. dropped the Mercury Tracer subcompact last year and retains just five models in the Mercury line--the Cougar sports coupe, Sable mid-size sedan, Grand Marquis luxury sedan, Villager minivan and Mountaineer sport-utility. Jim Hall, a Detroit-based industry analyst with AutoPacific Inc., said canceling the Mystique is “a good idea” that frees Mercury executives to concentrate on cars that the public wants. Division sales, driven largely by the Cougar and Villager, are up 18% so far this year. The Mercury line--once rumored to be on its way out--is expected to get an all-new Mountaineer next year, and sporty and high-performance concept cars based on the Cougar and the Grand Marquis are in the works.