Mercury

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Freddie Mercury’s 1974 Rolls-Royce Sells At Auction For $118,000

More than 20 years after his death, the flamboyant legend of Freddie Mercury, the frontman for the seminal rock band Queen, endures including via his former choice of automobiles — a 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. Mercury died in 1991, but his Rolls-Royce, originally purchased by the musician’s production company and hardly driven in the past two decades, sold earlier this year for 7,700 British Sterling or about $118,000. It was purchased via a telephone bid  from a Russian businessman at the Coys auction at Autosport International in the United Kingdom. The classic Rolls-Royce had a list used value of $13,000 to $18,000. But the attachment of Mercury as it former obviously substantially increased the car’s value. Mercury’s Silver Shadow has

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Mercury no longer rising, Rachel Veitch stops driving her 1964 Comet 'Chariot'

Five years after becoming an international celebrity at age 88 as the sole owner and sole driver of a 1964 Mercury Comet Caliente, Rachel Veitch has stopped driving. Veitch, who recently turned age 93, told FoxNews.com that she is legally blind and will no longer drive the yellow Comet she called "Chariot." "They don't have to take it away," Veitch said of the car with about 576,000 miles on its chasis. "I would not dream of driving that car again." After running a red light in March, Veitch volunteered to stopped driving the car she bought new on Feb. 17, 1964 for $3,289. The four-door Caliente has a tan interior, a 164-horsepower/260-cubic-inch V-8, automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering and

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Ford recalls 450,000 SUVs, minivans for potential fire, crash woes

Ford is recalling nearly 500,000 minivans and sport utility vehicles manufactured in the past decade, including the Escape, Freestar and Mercury Monterey for mechanical concerns potentially resulting in crashes and engine fires. The Dearborn, Mich., automaker is recalling 205,896 Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans (2004-2005 models) because their torque converter output shaft may fail resulting in a loss of sudden loss of power. Ford is also recalling 244,530 Escape SUVs (2001-2002 models) because their brake master cylinder reservoir cap could leak brake fluid, prompting potential corrosion and a subsequent fire. Ford detailed said it will inform owners of the affected cars and that dealers will replace the parts for free. Ford said it will first begin notifying Escape owners the

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Ford recalls Fusion, Milan models with potential faulty wheel woes

Ford has recalled about 129,000 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans from model years 2010 and 2011 and equipped with 17-wheels because the vehichles' whel studs could fracture and potentially fall off. The issue, as reported by Ford and on the website of the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (HHTSA) may be caused by steel wheel mounting pads or rear brake discs that have been incorrectly built and can't properly support the wheel. In cases through September, one car's front wheel fell off and five cars' rear wheel dropped off, according to Ford and likely because of the stud issue. The recalled vehicles were built at the Hermosillo stamping and assembly plant in Mexico from April 2009 and from

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Great American classic cars: Buick, Mercury, Ford, Rambler

Or how about a head-turning 1955 Nash Rambler cross country wagon or a 1958 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser? Owning a Duesenberg you don’t drive is fine. But how about taking a Sunday afternoon cruise in 1951 Chrysler Thunderbolt? Here are 10 vehicles The Weekly Driver would like to own and drive: James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car review column The Weekly Driver since 2004. In addition to founding this site in 2004, James writes a Sunday automotive column for The San Jose Mercury and East Bay Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and monthly auto review and wellness columns for Gulfshore Business, a magazine in Southwest Florida. An author and

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Driving Miss Rachel (age 92): Jay Leno talks cars with Mercury queen

The original video that detailed the purchase of her car and the-now 600,000 miles she’s driven it, has been viewed more than six million times. One of Veitch’s recent media appearances was as a guest on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, the late-night talk show host and car-collecting mogul. Veitch, who calls her car “Chariot,” bought the Mercury new on Feb. 17, 1964. She and her husband sought cheaper transportation than their 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille. Veitch settled on a four-door Caliente model with tan interior, a 164-horsepower/260-cubic-inch V-8, automatic transmission, air conditioning, power steering and every other available option except power brakes. The 2,700-pound sedan cost $3,289. The spry, witty Veitch has driven the car about 1,000 miles

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Ford preparing to shut down Mercury?

Mercury sales have been hard hit during the recession, although the brand had a 20 percent increase in sales for the one-year period ending at the end of April.  Overall, Ford sales for the same 12-month time frame were up 26 percent. Mercury currently offers just four models: Grand Marquis, Mariner, Milan, and Mountaineer. No new products have been announced, and both the Grand Marquis and Mountaineer are not expected to return next year. Ford in recent years has also sold Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. As such Ford Motor Company may soon have only two brands: Ford and Lincoln. James RaiaA sports, travel and business journalist for more than 45 years, James has written the new car

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Mercury rising: Rachel Veitch and her 600,000-mile love affair with a ’64 Comet Caliente

Veitch, who turned 91 in August 2009, is still driving the car she’s owned for more than 45 years and driven nearly 600,000 miles. AUTOMOTIVE RESOURCES Auto Shipping Quote, Car Financing, Car Insurance Quotes, Car Loans, Online Car Insurance, Rental Cars, Used Cars Veitch of Orlando, Fla., who has has been married three times, now largely drives her car to volunteer work. A retired nurse, she’s an expert on Robert’s Rules of Order, which she also still teaches. Veitch’s driving is now limited to daylight driving because of her difficulty with night vision. She last took a driver’s license test in 2003. In the three years since she was “discovered,” Veitch’s story has provided keen feature material for automotive journalists

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Ford reveals Fusion Hybrid, Milan Hybrid join Prius with braking issues

In the aftermath of Toyota’s floor mat and braking issues in nine of its models, including top-selling Camry, Corolla and Prius, Ford has also discovered potential problems with the braking system in the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2010 Mercury Milan Hybrid. Unlike the Prius, the Fusion and Milan hybrids don’t lose braking power while the driver steps on the brake pedal, bit it can feel that way. The cars have two separate braking systems – a regenerative system that gently slows the car by reversing the spin of its electric motor, which also recharges its batteries, and conventional brakes at the wheels. The brake pedal operates these systems electronically. But if something interferes with the electronics, it presses the

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Hybrids Rule: 2008 's Top Five (Part 2)

Honda Civic — Base Price, 24,350; Safety Features, Dual front, front side and side curtain airbags; Fuel Mileage estimates, 49-51 mpg; Warranty, Bumper to bumper, 3 years/36,000 miles; Powertrain, 10 years/100,000 miles, Corrosion, 5 years/unlimited miles. Economy to design, functionality to comfort, the country’s second most popular hybrid has as much to offer as any car on the road and at any price. The 2008 edition (the Civic’s 36th year) is the third year of the second generation of the hybrid and is part of the ever-expanding array of one the most enduring enduring vehicles on the road today. Long gone is the Civic’s former staid appearance. It’s now a sporty, full-sized sedan that comfortably seats five. And it has

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Mercury Mariner, 2008: The Weekly Driver Car Review

So in a category that includes more than 25 choices, how does the Mariner find its share of the market? During the recent inaugural Tour of Missouri bicycle race, I drove the 2008 Mariner Premier with all-wheel drive nearly 1,000 miles in eight days. While crossing the state West to East on primarily high-speed highways, the Mariner performed well under nearly ideal late summer conditions. The highway speed limit varies in Missouri, but I often used the cruise control (inset switches at the nine p.m. location of the steering wheel) and set it at the flow of traffic about 5 mph above the maximum. It worked with ease and was one of the smoother cruise control systems I’ve tested. The

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Mercury Mountaineer, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

Luxury models to nearly subcompact SUVs, the versatility of the style continues to attract return buyers and newbies. But there’s a dichotomy. Manufacturers have diversified the SUV segment while simultaneously homogenizing it. Many SUVs simply appear interchangeable, which is exactly the case with 2006 Mercury Mountaineer Sport Trac. Although it was redesigned, the Mountaineer is a retrimmed Ford Explorer, and the Ford Explorer is not too dissimilar from a half-dozen other manufacturers’ SUVs. For 2006 (the vehicle’s 10th year) the Mountaineer is available in eight configurations, and with base prices ranging from $29,150 to $35,500. My weekly test drive was the most expensive model available, the AWD Premier. It features a 4.6-liter 292-horsepower V8 with a six-speed automatic transmission and

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Mercury Mariner (Hybrid), 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The Mercury Mariner is among several nearly interchangeable compact sport utility vehicles. In fact, the Ford Escape, Mazda Tribune are remarkably similar vehicles, but the Mariner gains an advantage with its luxury-trimmed, hybrid edition for 2006.And it was the upgraded hybrid model I drove for my weekly test during a recent favorite journey, an estimated 500-mile round-trip excursion from Sacramento to California’s central coast. Traveling to the oceanfront cities of Santa Cruz, Aptos and Rio Del Mar not only provides a great getaway, but the route offers numerous driving scenarios — high-speed, open-road sections along Interstate 5 to winding, two-lane steep mountain inclines and descents on single-lane roads. The Mariner is available with three engine options, with the hybrid teaming

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Mercury Milan, 2006: The Weekly Driver Car Review

With midsize monoliths like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry dominating the market for years, what do other manufacturers view as success with their respective offerings in the same class? It’s a crowded segment of the car market, for sure. Fourteen manufacturers are represented in the midsize class and an additional 10 are featured in the premium midsize category. Mercury hasn’t been a serious major player in either category. But like the Hyundai Sonata‘s genesis a few years ago, the Milan and its close relative, the Ford Fusion, have a lot to offer against the dominating duo at a substantially lower price. The Milan replaced the Sable in 2006 and it gives Mercury its first modern stylish sedan. It’s a

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