Mercury was developed by Edsel Ford in 1938, making its debut as a brand in 1939 positioned to bridge the gap between Ford and its prestige make, Lincoln. As part of a company-wide streamlining effort in 1957 the entire Mercury line was redesigned and saw the launch of the flagship Mercury Turnpike Cruiser, the pace car of the 1957 Indianapolis 500. After Ford’s restructuring effort resulted in the demise of the Edsel line of vehicles, the Mercury brand lived on and was extended with the introduction of its first compact car, the Mercury Comet. By the mid-1960s Mercury achieved sustained commercial success and in 1967 it introduced the Mercury Cougar, a restyled version of the Ford Mustang with an emphasis on comfort and equipment.
