I remember the Merkur XR4Ti -- a cool-looking hatchback with a dramatic rear wing -- as being a bit problematic, but there is a dedicated enthusiast following on the Web, including the International Merkur Owners Network.
Then there's the Merkur Scorpio, a super-capable 5-door hatch that never really got the traction it deserved in the States. Was a capable driver's car? Well, I know that the lead instructor at the Ford/Michelin Ice Driving School in Steamboat Springs, a former French rally champ, adored his Scorpio -- maybe it was the only one in Colorado.
And I just looked at used Scorpios online, very affordable, and they still look cool.
--Rich
alexis4 says:
08:20 AM, 12/30/08
I am a Lexus fanatic, but was looking through this blog and just had to comment on Merkur. Yes, I think the Merkurs were excellent cars, better than the American ford products of the time. A very strange thing to do, though, make up a name. They should have just replaced the Fords with those models. The Scorpio was an excellent car, and you still see many Ford versions on the road in England. www.lexusenglewood.com
gearhead1977 says:
04:33 AM, 03/11/09
I enjoyed the Merkur cars, as they were both very different from the rest of the Ford/L-M line-up. I was only a kid, but I had a childhood friend whose dad was a Ford executive and he had a Scorpio as a company car. Never got to ride in it, but it was really neat looking.
I still find myself wanting one. They can be had, but they are rare and some parts are very expensive, like the ABS actuator at $1000. Still, we had a Ranger with the same 2.9 V6 that powered the Scorpio. With the 5 spd, it made the Ranger fun, I can only imagine the fun it would be in the Scorpio.