The Mercury Sable was sold from 1986 to 2009 as the Mercury version of the Ford Taurus. For four generations it was a mid-size sedan and wagon, and for 2008 a fifth generation returned as a full-size car. Over 2.1 million were built.
Mercury Sable at a glance
| Production | 1986–2009 model years |
|---|---|
| Counterpart | Ford Taurus, throughout production |
| Class | mid-size for four generations, full-size for the fifth |
| Bodies | four-door sedan, five-door station wagon |
| Launch | December 1985 as a 1986 model |
| Position | between the Topaz and the Grand Marquis |
| Plants | Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois |
| Built | over 2.1 million |
| Rank | third most-produced Mercury after the Grand Marquis and Cougar |
| Last car | 21 May 2009 |
The article is based on one source, the English Wikipedia page on the Sable; its material concentrates on the early years, so the later generations are summarised.
History of the Mercury Sable
An aerodynamic gamble
Development of the Sable began in early 1980 alongside the Ford Taurus. It was the largest project Ford had undertaken at the time and was meant to replace both the rear-wheel-drive Panther and Fox platforms with a single front-wheel-drive architecture. During 1981, as petrol prices stabilised, Ford revised the plan and kept the Panther platform, so the project became the successor to the mid-size Fox cars in a segment that was moving quickly to front-wheel drive. The Taurus and Sable were designed entirely in North America using an interdisciplinary team approach, with each element of the car developed concurrently, including manufacturing and assembly. Ford also studied how to reduce repair costs and difficulty, using reverse engineering of rival cars to improve the design.
The new cars were launched into a market that was being reshaped: after the 1981 Dodge Aries and Plymouth Reliant, General Motors redesigned its A-body line for 1982 with the Buick Century, Chevrolet Celebrity, Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera and Pontiac 6000, and Chrysler extended its K-car footprint into the mid-size class for 1983. Ford’s own range was revised for 1983 as the Cougar returned to its two-door personal-coupe role, and the move of the LTD and Marquis nameplates to the Fox platform set the final course: the Ford Taurus would replace the Ford LTD and the Mercury Sable would replace the Mercury Marquis. After 1983 the Fairmont and Zephyr went too, replaced by the 1984 Tempo and Topaz, which carried aerodynamic styling into the sedan class.
The launch
In mid-1985 Ford unveiled the Mercury Sable and Ford Taurus as 1986 models. Instead of a traditional motor-show debut, Ford held a single event on an MGM Studios soundstage where Gone with the Wind had been filmed: workers entered a room decorated in space-age style carrying flying-saucer cups, strobe lights flashed and a drum roll accompanied the curtain being pulled back. The Sable went on sale in December 1985 as a 1986 model, replacing the Marquis as Mercury’s mid-size line and slotting between the Topaz and the Grand Marquis and Colony Park. For 1986 it was sold alongside its Marquis predecessor.
Ford planned a marketing campaign around the singer Bette Midler, but she turned down the offer and refused to appear in the advertisements. Ford used an impersonator instead, Midler sued, and the case, Midler v. Ford Motor Co., clarified whether an impersonation could be treated as an appropriation of identity.
Five generations
For its first four generations the Sable was a mid-size car offered as a four-door sedan and a five-door wagon, and through its mid-size life it was built alongside the Taurus at Atlanta Assembly in Hapeville, Georgia, and Chicago Assembly in Illinois. After the 2005 model year the Sable was discontinued as Mercury replaced it with the full-size Montego and the mid-size Milan. For 2008 a fifth generation arrived, reviving the nameplate to replace the Montego just as Ford brought back the Taurus; the Chicago plant built this full-size version. Poor sales and the retirement of the Mercury brand ended the Sable after the 2009 model year. The final car was produced on 21 May 2009, and in total more than 2.1 million Mercury Sables were built, the third-highest figure for a Mercury line behind the Grand Marquis and the Cougar.
Design and features
- Taurus twin: the Sable was Mercury’s version of the Ford Taurus for its entire production.
- Aerodynamic styling: part of the generation of Fords that made smooth shapes mainstream.
- Sedan and wagon: both body styles were offered through the mid-size generations.
- Front-wheel drive: the largest front-wheel-drive model Mercury sold.
- 2.1 million built: the third most-produced Mercury line.
Mercury Sable versions
- Sable (1986–1991): the first generation, launched in December 1985.
- Sable (1992–1995): the second generation mid-size car.
- Sable (1996–2005): the later mid-size generations, sedan and wagon.
- Sable (2008–2009): the fifth generation, a full-size car replacing the Montego.
The Sable sat between the Topaz and the Grand Marquis, and was later replaced by the Montego and Milan. More cars are in the Mercury collection.
Video: Regular Car Reviews: 2002 Mercury Sable
Video by Regular Car Reviews on YouTube.
Sources
- Mercury Sable, English Wikipedia: development, launch, generations, plants, Midler case and production totals
