Live Blogging Merkur Ads And Sterling Car Review

Merkur (1985-89) and Sterling (1987-92) were introduced to America with the intent of competing with European entry level luxo-sports cars like the BMW 3/5 series and the Baby Benz. Unfortunately for Merkur, it failed. Fortunately for the American public, Sterling failed.

Merkur XR4Ti:

0:07. Saab? The establishment?

0:14. The 2.3 liter turbo four mated with the manual transmission had 175hp. Did you know Ford once shoved a 3.0 liter SHO V6 (220hp) in a Merkur XR4Ti (and a Ford Ranger)?

0:23. Ah! You're gonna crash!

0:27. I think an XR4Ti rental car would be even cooler than a Hertz Mustang.

0:30. Ford actually sent a memo to all 800 of its dealers, making sure reps pronounced it MARE-koor.

Merkur Scorpio:

0:01. The Osterreichring hosted the Austrian GP from 1970 to 1987.

0:09. That guy has tartan everything. Okay, we get it, you're Scottish.

0:14. *Rear seat leg room disclaimer: Jackie is three feet tall.

0:21. Reclining rear seats! That's some BMW E32 750iL action right there.

Sterling 827:

0:12. John Davis was so easy going back then. He's like a loud, obnoxious, sing-songy robot now.

1:14. I HATE those passive seat belts.

2:00. I cannot imagine ever taking a Sterling on vacation.

2:27. Pushing that button turns your Sterling into an Audi S4.

2:47. I just spilled my cup of tea.

2:51. Front looks like Ferrari 400/412.

3:09. 27,000 1990 dollars for that?!

Carspotting (14): Runnels Automotive, South Lake Tahoe

During my stay at Tahoe this week, I noticed for the first time an eclectic automotive collection known as Runnels Automotive. It is a repair/restoration/used car lot at the Tahoe Y (intersection of Highways 50 and 89).

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What first caught my eye were the THREE (3!) Merkur XR4Tis facing the sidewalk on the lot. Three Merkurs, next to each other. What are the chances?

What was more shocking came later. I decided to go to the lot this morning at 7am so that no one would bother me. I found three more XR4Tis in the side lot! Six XR4Tis. In. One. Lot.

After I recovered from my Merkur-induced shock, I noticed the other automotive oddities on the lot.

These three Volvos were cool. The red P1800 looked sinister and ready for a brawl. The Amazon wagon wedged between the P1800 and PV was absolutely pedestrian...

...next to three more of these PVs.

I wish this picture turned out better. I sneaked a peek into the garage. An old non-descript car was on the lift but there was another one underneath. A third car was parked in the interior stall to those two cars' left. As I looked in and took the picture, you can see the reflection of a pick-up truck that was parked outside on the window pane.

CKY