Don't look for Ford Motor Co. to kill any of its eight brands, especially long-ailing Mercury, after it finalizes its restructuring plan this week.
Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to accept a new Mercury Mariner Hybrid next week at the Clinton Global Initiative conference, an indication the brand will live on despite a 55% sales decline in the last decade and critics' calls to dump the name.
"Mercury is part of our plans," Jim Cain, a Ford spokesman, confirmed.
Ford, which recorded a half-year loss of $1.4 billion primarily because of a $4-billion loss in North America, is about to embark on its revised Way Forward restructuring plan.
The plan, which is to be publicly announced sometime after the board of directors meeting concludes today, will include accelerated job cuts, a plan to reduce dealerships and new product plans, among other actions.
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