Ford CEO: 'There's No Plan To Phase Out Mercury Brand'

Ford Motor Co. President and CEO Jacques Nasser said his company's Mercury brand was an important one and that there were no plans to phase it out. Speculation around the brand has continued and peaked when General Motors Corp. discontinued Oldsmobile. Nasser also said that the automaker expects a strong year in 2001 even though it will be below the record-setting pace of 2000.