Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Merkur shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Merkur offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Merkur at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Merkur? Wrong! If the Merkur is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Merkur then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Merkur? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Merkur and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Merkur wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Merkur then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Merkur site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Merkur, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Merkur, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
{{Infobox Company|company_name = Merkur|company_slogan = The shape you want to be in (also used by Mercury (automobile) at the time)|company_logo = |company_type = Defunct|foundation = 1985|location_city = Dearborn, Michigan|location_country = United States|key_people =|area_served =|industry = Automobile|homepage = www.merkurclub.com (unoffical)|footnotes =|dissolved = 1989-->
Merkur, the German word for [Mercury (planet), was an automobile brand which was briefly marketed by Ford Motor Company in the United States and Canada from 1985 to
1989. Sold through selected
Lincoln (automobile)-Mercury (automobile) dealers, Merkurs were in fact, German-built Fords (there was no Merkur or Mercury brand in Germany) and were thus a form of
captive import. Advertising and PR materials strongly urged the proper German pronunciation, "mare-coor," but practically no one used it and the cars were generally called "Merker"s. Below the Merkur badge, was a script stating "FORD WERKE AG-Cologne, West Germany", indicating the car's place of manufacture.
Like the
Ford Capri before it, the Merkur was Ford's attempt at selling a European car in the American market. However, due to the number of changes to meet US regulations, the XR4Ti was manufactured by
Karmann in Osnabruck, Germany, with the body coming from the Ford plant in
Genk, Belgium, and the turbocharged engine for the XR4Ti from the Ford plant in
Taubate,
Brazil. The Scorpios were manufactured in Ford's Cologne plant and fitted with the Ford Cologne V6 engine#2.9.Only two models were sold under the Merkur badge — a performance-oriented 3-door hatchback version of the
Ford Sierra XR4i called the
Merkur XR4Ti (1985-1989, replacing the short-lived
Mercury LN7), and the Ford Scorpio#Merkur Scorpio (1988-1989), which was an American version of the Ford Granada Scorpio (Scorpio being the top trim level for the Mk III Granada in the
UK) 5-door hatchback. Neither model was particularly successful in Ford North America's eyes. Exchange rate fluctuations were one explanation; another was the generally odd styling and peculiar name. Also, the Scorpio bore a strong resemblance to the similarly-sized Mercury Sable, which was sold on the same showroom floors and was considerably cheaper. A major factor in the decision to drop the cars was the requirement to add either a passive restraint system or air bags for US models since these were not requirements for European models. The XR4Ti was dropped first and the Scorpio a few months later in 1989.
Contrast to Ford of Europe
It is interesting to contrast the relative failure of the Merkur vehicles compared to the success of the European versions. The Sierra was introduced as a replacement for the aging Ford Cortina/Ford Taunus, which was a bold move at the time considering the Cortina/Taunus was one of Ford's best selling cars. Despite initial misgivings about the styling, Sierra went on to be the second best selling car in Europe, second only to Ford's own
Ford Escort (European). European Sierras were available in 3-door hatchback, 5-door hatchback, 4-door sedans, 5-door station wagons, and even a pickup truck called the P100. Engines were available from a 1.3 litre 60 hp 4 cylinder, to a 160 hp 2.8 litre V6, or a 2 litre, 16 valve, turbocharged and intercooled 4 cylinder as fitted to the Sierra Cosworth. According to British government test figures, fuel efficient models such as the 1.6 Economy could do 51 mpg Imperial* at a steady 56 mph, and 30 mpg simulated urban driving. At the other end of the spectrum the Sierra Cosworth would do 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds and go on to a top speed of almost 150 mph (and still capable of over 20 mpg if driven gently). Oddly, the Sierra XR range and the Cosworth models are not viewed as sales flops in Europe, despite individual models selling less numbers than the XR4Ti.
Like the Sierra, the Scorpio was also introduced to replace another popular model, the Ford Granada, so popular in fact that in the UK and Ireland the Granada name was still used with the Scorpio name used for the top of the range versions. This started life as a 5-door hatchback, and later became available in a 4 door sedan and a 5 door wagon. An "executive express" in the form of the Scorpio Cosworth was produced, powered by a 2.9 litre, 24 valve Cosworth V6 motor. This featured 16" aluminum alloy wheels similar to the Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-Benz wheels, a rear spoiler, and additional ground effects.
Before Ford pulled the plug, there were rumors that it would begin sourcing South American-made Sierras, but nothing came of this. There are accounts of a 16-valve turbocharged engine that was in prototype stage as well. This engine was never produced.
Aftermarket
Merkurs have not so far generated much interest in the collector market, although their relative rarity could change that in the future. Several active owner communities exist, and parts can still generally be found, although some may have to be sourced from Europe. The XR4Ti shares its engine with the Ford Mustang Special Vehicle Operations and the Ford Thunderbird, making it easier for owners to keep their cars running. The turbocharged 2.3 L engine in these cars is very robust and fairly easy to modify to produce additional power and torque. Popular performance modifications to the XR4Ti chassis are larger turbochargers, intercoolers, and the heavier duty T5 transmission from the Mustang or Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Easy upgrades to 4-wheel disc brakes and heavier duty suspension systems are quite common as well.
In popular culture
- In two different episodes, Seymour Skinner, a character from The Simpsons mentions that he drives a Merkur, although he pronounces it incorrectly. A member of the writing staff is a member of http://www.turboford.net and included it in these to honor his car.
- Sports radio and television talk show host Jim Rome is a former Merkur owner and refers to his radio show production staff as the "XR4Ti crew".
- Throughout the storyline of the webcomic Misfile, the Merkur XR4Ti is the main car used by the protagonist, Ash. Ash also uses a car dubbed the XR Monster due to the fact it is similar to a Frankenstein's monster, being made up of the different model Merkurs in order to create an intensely powerful car.
External links
- Merkur encyclopedia
- Merkur Tech
- Ford Sierra 3 door Cosworth
- North American Cosworth Specialists
- Merkur Engine cooler
- Online Webcomic Misfile
{{Infobox Company|company_name = Merkur|company_slogan = The shape you want to be in (also used by Mercury (automobile) at the time)|company_logo = |company_type = Defunct|foundation = 1985|location_city = Dearborn, Michigan|location_country = United States|key_people =|area_served =|industry = Automobile|homepage = www.merkurclub.com (unoffical)|footnotes =|dissolved = 1989-->
Merkur, the German word for [Mercury (planet), was an automobile brand which was briefly marketed by Ford Motor Company in the United States and Canada from
1985 to 1989. Sold through selected
Lincoln (automobile)-Mercury (automobile) dealers, Merkurs were in fact, German-built Fords (there was no Merkur or Mercury brand in Germany) and were thus a form of captive import. Advertising and PR materials strongly urged the proper German pronunciation, "mare-coor," but practically no one used it and the cars were generally called "Merker"s. Below the Merkur badge, was a script stating "FORD WERKE AG-Cologne, West Germany", indicating the car's place of manufacture.
Like the
Ford Capri before it, the Merkur was Ford's attempt at selling a European car in the American market. However, due to the number of changes to meet US regulations, the XR4Ti was manufactured by Karmann in Osnabruck,
Germany, with the body coming from the Ford plant in
Genk,
Belgium, and the turbocharged engine for the XR4Ti from the Ford plant in Taubate,
Brazil. The Scorpios were manufactured in Ford's
Cologne plant and fitted with the Ford Cologne V6 engine#2.9.Only two models were sold under the Merkur badge — a performance-oriented 3-door hatchback version of the Ford Sierra XR4i called the Merkur XR4Ti (1985-1989, replacing the short-lived Mercury LN7), and the Ford Scorpio#Merkur Scorpio (1988-1989), which was an American version of the Ford Granada Scorpio (Scorpio being the top trim level for the Mk III Granada in the UK) 5-door hatchback. Neither model was particularly successful in Ford North America's eyes. Exchange rate fluctuations were one explanation; another was the generally odd styling and peculiar name. Also, the Scorpio bore a strong resemblance to the similarly-sized Mercury Sable, which was sold on the same showroom floors and was considerably cheaper. A major factor in the decision to drop the cars was the requirement to add either a passive restraint system or air bags for US models since these were not requirements for European models. The XR4Ti was dropped first and the Scorpio a few months later in 1989.
Contrast to Ford of Europe
It is interesting to contrast the relative failure of the Merkur vehicles compared to the success of the European versions. The Sierra was introduced as a replacement for the aging
Ford Cortina/Ford Taunus, which was a bold move at the time considering the Cortina/Taunus was one of Ford's best selling cars. Despite initial misgivings about the styling, Sierra went on to be the second best selling car in Europe, second only to Ford's own Ford Escort (European). European Sierras were available in 3-door hatchback, 5-door hatchback, 4-door sedans, 5-door station wagons, and even a pickup truck called the P100. Engines were available from a 1.3 litre 60 hp 4 cylinder, to a 160 hp 2.8 litre V6, or a 2 litre, 16 valve, turbocharged and intercooled 4 cylinder as fitted to the Sierra
Cosworth. According to British government test figures, fuel efficient models such as the 1.6 Economy could do 51 mpg Imperial* at a steady 56 mph, and 30 mpg simulated urban driving. At the other end of the spectrum the Sierra Cosworth would do 0-60 mph in 6.2 seconds and go on to a top speed of almost 150 mph (and still capable of over 20 mpg if driven gently). Oddly, the Sierra XR range and the Cosworth models are not viewed as sales flops in Europe, despite individual models selling less numbers than the XR4Ti.
Like the Sierra, the Scorpio was also introduced to replace another popular model, the
Ford Granada, so popular in fact that in the UK and Ireland the Granada name was still used with the Scorpio name used for the top of the range versions. This started life as a 5-door hatchback, and later became available in a 4 door sedan and a 5 door wagon. An "executive express" in the form of the Scorpio Cosworth was produced, powered by a 2.9 litre, 24 valve Cosworth V6 motor. This featured 16" aluminum alloy wheels similar to the
Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-Benz wheels, a rear spoiler, and additional ground effects.
Before Ford pulled the plug, there were rumors that it would begin sourcing South American-made Sierras, but nothing came of this. There are accounts of a 16-valve turbocharged engine that was in prototype stage as well. This engine was never produced.
Aftermarket
Merkurs have not so far generated much interest in the collector market, although their relative rarity could change that in the future. Several active owner communities exist, and parts can still generally be found, although some may have to be sourced from Europe. The XR4Ti shares its engine with the
Ford Mustang Special Vehicle Operations and the Ford Thunderbird, making it easier for owners to keep their cars running. The turbocharged 2.3 L engine in these cars is very robust and fairly easy to modify to produce additional power and torque. Popular performance modifications to the XR4Ti chassis are larger turbochargers, intercoolers, and the heavier duty T5 transmission from the Mustang or Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Easy upgrades to 4-wheel disc brakes and heavier duty suspension systems are quite common as well.
In popular culture
- In two different episodes, Seymour Skinner, a character from The Simpsons mentions that he drives a Merkur, although he pronounces it incorrectly. A member of the writing staff is a member of http://www.turboford.net and included it in these to honor his car.
- Sports radio and television talk show host Jim Rome is a former Merkur owner and refers to his radio show production staff as the "XR4Ti crew".
- Throughout the storyline of the webcomic Misfile, the Merkur XR4Ti is the main car used by the protagonist, Ash. Ash also uses a car dubbed the XR Monster due to the fact it is similar to a Frankenstein's monster, being made up of the different model Merkurs in order to create an intensely powerful car.
External links
- Merkur encyclopedia
- Merkur Tech
- Ford Sierra 3 door Cosworth
- North American Cosworth Specialists
- Merkur Engine cooler
- Online Webcomic Misfile
Merkur Group
Also in Serbia Merkur intends to transfer its sales of metal products to Mersteel (03.10.2008) Merkur Wins the Trusted Brand Recognition (01.10.2008)
Merkur Group
Supervisory Board Discussed Merkur Group Interim Report for the First Half of 2008 (28.08.2008) The Sarajevo Sales Centre is the Biggest Merkur Centre (14.06.2008)
Razor, Blades, Brushes and Sets on Merkur Razor
The famous Merkur Razors are available for purchase on Merkur-Razor.co.uk. Buy Merkur Razor Blades, Brushes and Accessories to go with your Merkur Razor!
Merkur - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Merkur, the German word for Mercury, was an automobile brand which was briefly marketed by Ford Motor Company in the United States and Canada from 1985 to 1989.
Merkur Group - Document Process Automation Solutions
Provides fax automation, document formatting, and e-Document delivery solutions for Baan IV and BaanERP.
Flickr: Merkur*'s Photostream
Merkur*'s photostream Collections Sets Tags Map Archives Favorites Profile. Slideshow. Guest Passes let you share your photos that aren't public.
Merkur Hotel and Restaurant Interlaken - Special Internet Rates at ...
Merkur Hotel and Restaurant Interlaken - discount reservation service. Save up to 60% when you book with HotelClub.
Operation Merkur::
Operation Merkur was the name given to the German invasion of Crete in May 1941. Operation Merkur was the largest Garman airborne attack of World War Two and one that was to ...
Merkur XR4Ti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Merkur XR4Ti was a short-lived United States-market version of the European Ford Sierra XR4i. It was sold in the US from 1985 to 1989, replacing the Mercury LN7, which was a ...
Merkur Hotel Prague - Special Internet Rates at HotelClub
Merkur Hotel Prague - discount reservation service. Save up to 60% when you book with HotelClub. ... Merkur Hotel is an excellent choice for the budget conscious leisure visitor to ...
