It’s a sad tale that the Merkur wasn’t the success story Ford had hoped for, and it’s certainly not for lack of high-performance capability. The fact that it was pushed through Mercury could have been a contributing factor, since those dealerships weren’t used to marketing a German-made automobile that was more of a racer than the luxurious cruisers the sales department was accustomed to finding homes for during this period. Only about 50,000 were made during the brief five-year run, with this 1987 model here on eBay seeming to tick many of the right boxes. This one is in Cincinnati, Ohio, with the current bid only up to $2,500, and I’m speculating that number is very likely to climb higher.
Sadly, this appears to be a situation where the owner has passed away, as the seller says he’s listing this one to help settle the estate of a classic car lover. He’s also quick to point out that this isn’t a flawless showpiece but a survivor that still wears its original paint, which is described as gorgeous. It’s also stated to have always been in a garage when not in use, with the body remaining straight and no obvious signs of rust or corrosion visible on any of the panels. The factory wheels are still present, but the tires are reported as very old, so it may be time to invest in a new set before considering any long-distance travel.
Only one engine size was available here in ’87 for the U.S. market, which was a 2.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder unit. Horsepower varied depending on which transmission was chosen, and those paired with an automatic received a factory HP rating of 145. Selecting the 5-speed manual increased that number to 175, and thankfully, that’s how this one is equipped. It’s easy to believe when the seller says this Merkur is a blast to drive, and he assures potential buyers it’s been well maintained and runs great.
Inside, things are laid out with the driver in mind, featuring a sporty dash and all the controls within easy reach. The leather seats look comfortable and supportive, with the condition of just about everything in here appearing to be strong. Another great component the seller doesn’t specifically point out is the sunroof, which can either tilt or retract into the roof. This 1987 Merkur XR4Ti seems to have plenty of positives awaiting the next owner, and it certainly gives the vibes of one that’s been shown love and special care since new. Is this European-styled sports car one you’d have any interest in pursuing?
I would like to place a Bid for $4,500 USD.
for the Mercury Merkur 1987.-
Please get back to me with next steps…
Thank you –
Rich Conti
Read the post above Rich.
It’s not a “Mercury Merkur,” it’s just a “Merkur.” Ford attempted to create a separate brand for European cars. Their biggest mistake was trying to sell them through Mercury dealers, who didn’t want them and had absolutely no idea how to sell them. A local dealer gave i good try, but in his radio commercials, he pronounced “Mare-KOOR” so carefully and deliberately that it was obvious he had been coached.
I agree. These were pretty cool cars, but we’re marketed poorly. Seems US manufacturers have never understood either how to market foreign cars or to compete against them.
I believe Merkur is Mercury in German…
In hindsight, rather than inventing the hard-to-pronounce Merkur marque with zero name recognition, Ford probably should have canceled or renamed the slow-selling Fox-body Mercury Capri, in order to revive using Capri as a well-known and still somewhat fondly-remembered submarque for sporty imported Euro Fords like this, and badged it as simply Capri, no other marque or model badging, as with the originals.
My first car out of college. Bought an 86 used in 1989. Same color but an automatic and that transmission gave me nothing but trouble. Sold it after the 4th time it dumped all its fluid on the interstate. I would like to try again with a manual…hhhmmmm
Pretty similar story with my ’85 that I bought in ’89. Except mine was a manual that ran through 4 transmissions in 2 years. Water leaks and electrical glitches were the final straw.
Other than that, it was a fun car to drive, just not fun to own.
My brother had an ’88 automatic and it got totaled by the insurance company on a minor fender bender.
I would be super afraid of parts availability on one of these now, so the initial buy-in would have to be very low.
my 1st real job was at a Merkur dealership in MN. These were really a fantastic car to drive. I remember the interior as being incredibly comfortable.
My 88 XR was a blast. This looks about as unmolested as you can get. There’s a robust community on FB and a few suppliers of NOS and repro parts.
I agree with CC, to most, it was a foreign way of spelling “Mercury”, and the last thing that was needed was another castaway from Mercury. I think some may have still had a bad taste from the Capri and besides, by the late 80s, Asian cars were the rule, nice try though. I think they were okay cars, I hardly remember seeing any. If we did, they had Ill. plates, as I don’t recall any L-M dealers stocking these in Beer City. Hollywood always makes fun of the underdog, and Principal Skinner drove a Merkur. It was frequently shown broke down or destroyed.
Skinner’s car changed frequently. He also drove a caricature of a Volvo, Camry, Kia and Merkur.
My neighbor and best friend at the time was a doctor who bought one new. I had the opportunity to drive it and it was a great car. This car looks like a nice survivor.
Howard A–yes, I agree, a marketing problem.
As for the Capri–I had a 1976 Capri (Ghia redesign) and completely loved it. Built like many German cars, which is to say very sturdy and over designed!
wish I still had it–but with a better engine than the 2.3 4 banger!
I would say that maybe 1/4 of Americans ever heard of a Merkur XR4ti….And I also heard they were nothing but a Money Pit
If only these were available with a turbocharged DOHC 2 litre Cosworth motor …..
Perfect candidate for a 2.3L Ford EcoBoost conversion.
sure, is ugly.
Fellow USAF dentist owned one. I never had a chance to drive it, but it must’ve been a great road car to compensate for the ersatz styling. Even the name was awkward Xr4ti.
The model name was part of the romance of the XR4ti. It sounds very technical.
In the early 1980s, the dollar was at record highs against European currencies and it was much cheaper to build a car in Europe than it was in North America. This made the prospect of bringing a ready-made sports sedan to the US tempting. Unfortunately, by the time the Cars went to market in 1986 the dollar had collapsed and it was impossible to price these excellent sedans at a point where customers would buy and Ford would make a profit.
Then, they hid them in the Lincoln Mercury showrooms were absolutely no one has ever gone looking for a sports sedan.
Apparently these were a better German version of the Ford Sierra Cosworth that outperformed their BMW, Audi and Mercedes competitors.
The reason they didn’t sell was, according to Jason Cammisa, was that Ford hid them away at Lincoln-Mecury dealers who had no incentive to sell them, as GerogeB mentioned above.
Looking at the performance numbers, they were quite impressive at the time, and and on the track, could keep up with many of the cars the Big Three were putting out at the time.
Yes, Ford hid them at the Mercury dealer where no one knew how to sell them, but they were marketed as an upmarket performance car that was priced as such.
No one went to Mercury to buy this car new unless you knew about it and what it offered. I’m sure that they were more than happy to knock several thousand off the sticker, because 2 – 3 years later, buying a used one was a real bargain – which is what I ended up doing. Sticker for an 85 was 25K. I paid $6,500 just a few years later.
Wheeler Dealer made some mods to improve an XR4Ti. imdb.com/title/tt12552216/?ref_=mv_close
I saw this posted for 8k a while back on either craigslist or marketplace. I’ll bet that is what buys it.
Had one
Great little car , quick off the jump, nice ride. Had a lot of fun with it.
SubGothius, Have you heard the “Tales from the Crypt” level hollering in reaction to a possible four-door Mustang? While the “Capri” name doesn’t have the same equity as “Mustang,” it still means “sports coupé,” not “sports sedan.”
About the stying. Ford realized that slick aerodynamic bodies could get improved fuel economy cheaply, without shrinking cars too much or paying for new engines. Two concepts were built by Ghia, Probe IV and Probe V to introduce the buying public to the look. The Ford Sierra, the basis of this car, was introduced in 1982. The beautiful 1983 Thunderbird was next, and finally, the Lincoln Continental Mark VII
The Lincoln was actually developed before the Thunderbird, but it was delayed to let more conservative luxury car buyers get used to the look. I believe the two American cars were better received than the European Sierra, which quickly became known as the “Jellybean,” and which got a more conventional notchback roof and trunk in short order.
I owned a 86 model just like this one. Great to drive, I had a lemon. At the dealer every month. I traded it with 3 days left on the warranty, the engine was blown the next day. A spirited test drive I assume. The engine was replaced under warranty.. I still regret not buying a Mustang GT.
I remember all the different warning lights flashing off and on like a Christmas tree. It was a great handling car
LOL! Mine did that too, traded it for a Mitsubishi Eclipse. I told the salesman to run away as far as he could form that car and he said it was already sold to a wholesaler that was taking it to an auction. LOL!
Cars I gave owned; 64 Malibu SS, 66 Impala SS, 69 Roadrunner, 87 XR4ti. All manuals except the Roadrunner. Favorite, easy XR4ti.