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Oddly matched brands have checkered history
Lincoln Mercury owns two distinctions in Ford Motor Co. history: Established in 1945, it was the automaker's first vehicle division predating Ford Division by four years.
And it is the only surviving Ford Motor vehicle unit to have been headed by a Ford family member. Benson Ford was general manager from 1948 to 1955. William Clay Ford Sr. ran the short-lived spinoff Continental Division in the 1950s.
The Lincoln-Mercury combination was born of necessity. Many auto veterans say that neither brand could have survived alone. Lincoln vs. Cadillac, or Mercury vs. Oldsmobile? No way.
Stingy with support
Henry Ford never fully approved of the...