Mercury Logo History

Mercury’s logo was originally a side profile of a Roman god, which was redesigned several times before the brand was discontinued in 2011.
Written by Jacqulyn Graber
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
Now a defunct division of the Ford Motor Company, Mercury was created in 1939 by Edsel Ford. The brand’s name comes from the Roman god known for his speed, and the original logo featured his profile and iconic winged hat. The logo underwent significant redesigns before being totally discontinued in 2011.
Mercury was marketed as a middle-priced brand, bridging the gap between the Ford and Lincoln model lines. While the original logo took a literal approach, several redesigns focused on the logo’s functionality as an impressive hood ornament. 
Read on to learn about the now-discontinued brand’s variety of logos. This article will walk you through Mercury’s logo history, and even offer some tips for securing
car insurance
for your used vehicle.
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Created by Henry Ford’s son, Edsel, in 1938 to appeal to working professionals whose salary fell somewhere between the practical
Ford
and the upscale
Lincoln
, the Mercury was named after a Roman god. Known as Hermes in Greek mythology, Mercury was the swift messenger of the gods whose main function was commerce and transit.
The original logo sought to represent the Mercury brand quite literally—but was changed dramatically several times, with the logo’s role as a chrome hood ornament greatly influencing its design.

Mercury logo changes through time

The various versions of the Mercury logo have seemingly little to do with one another. Here’s how the logo changed over the years:
  • 1938-1950s: The first Mercury logo took the literal approach, featuring the side-profile of the Roman god with a winged hat. This logo went through various iterations over the years, even gaining popularity as a coin-line hood ornament.
  • 1950s: By the 50s, Mercury was well on its way to success. The brand changed its logo to simply an “M” with horizontal lines underneath. “The Big M” became a chrome embellishment that stood out on the hood of the vehicle, often complimented by an airplane-shaped hood ornament.
  • 1960s-early 1980s: To jive with its new “Sign of the Cat” ad campaign, Mercury started using a cat logo. The entire cat appeared in the car’s front grill—just the cat’s head was used in hood ornaments. Some rare luxury models featured a red-and-blue shield instead.
  • 1980s-2011: The most modern iteration of the Mercury logo was nicknamed the “waterfall,” the “winding road,” and the “hockey stick.” You can read multiple meanings into the design, including a throwback to Mercury’s winged helmet from early logos. The three-arc design can also stand for mobility. The logo was silver—the color of the element Mercury—until the vehicle was retired in 2011. 
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What’s behind the Mercury logo design?

Though the Mercury logo went from literal to seemingly random interpretations of the brand, the most recent version took inspiration from the Roman god Mercury, as well as the element Mercury, much like the original. It also symbolized mobility and the open road—a slightly more artistic interpretation for modern buyers. 
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How to save money on car insurance for your Mercury

If you own a used Mercury, you likely already have a
car insurance
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