In the business the Mercury Marquis was euphemistically called the “final purchase plan.”

[NNN0LHI]

http://searchchicago.suntimes.com/autos/autoshow/news/2009982,2010Lincolnmercury-21310.article

February 13, 2010

BY AL VINIKOUR SearchChicago – Autos Correspondent

Lincoln Mercury Division, Ford’s two upscale brands, always has seemed to be looking for two things: respect … and respect. For the past decade or two it has been saddled with re-badged Fords – and not very good ones. Lately, however, the two lines have been given great products and what they’ve done with them has made them even better.

MERCURY

First, the good news: Mercury finally freed itself from its “old people” image by removing the Marquis from the product lineup. For years Mercury has sold the big sedan on what’s euphemistically called the “final purchase plan.” Also, the slow-selling Sable has been discontinued.

[Tobin S.]

1. I never thought of the Marquis that way

But Buicks and Cadillacs? Yep.

[NNN0LHI]

2. My dad had one when he died a couple of years ago

He wouldn't part with that thing for nothing. It was his home away from home. He would take my mother shopping and go to sleep in the store parking lot like he was in his easy chair at home.

My mother sold it a few days after he died and got a smaller car. She hated driving that big thing.

Don

[Bucky]

3. I loved my granpa's Marquis. It was roomy, slow & squealed like a squirrel was trapped in the engine

It was that orangy shade of gold that only existed in the mid 1970s.

[Gidney N Cloyd]

4. My folks went through 5 or 6 of those over the last 20 years.

When Dad died last year, Mom bought a little Hyundai.