Ford looking to retain Mercury owners

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Ford Motor Co. dealers in the Midwest said the company is attempting to retain its Mercury customers by offering discounts if they stay with the company.

The deals are exclusive to the Midwest, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. To keep Mercury owners loyal to Ford, the company is offering $500 discounts toward the purchase of another Ford product and $1,500 if they choose a Lincoln, the dealers said.

The program is expected to end April 4 and is meant to corral Mercury owners who could wander off, as Ford discontinued the Mercury brand last year.

The program is also intended to boost Lincoln sales, especially at exclusive Lincoln-Mercury dealerships that lost half their lineup when Mercury was phased out.

Lincoln sales in the United States dropped 21 percent by volume from 7,036 vehicles in January 2010 to 5,558 vehicles in January this year, the newspaper said.