10/06/2008 20:48. Pressed by reporters at a launch event for the 2009 Lincoln MKS in Michigan, Ford Motor Company 's president of the Americas, Mark Fields, says the firm is continuing to invest in Mercury , Reuters reports. The viability of the brand, which has few models and is sold only in North America, has been called into question in recent times, in particular by Jerry York, the forthright representative of minor shareholder Kirk Kerkorian.

"It is an important part of the stable of brands," Fields reportedly stated when questioned over the company's investment intentions.

In 2007, Mercury's sales fell by just under seven percent and its role as the major name by volume at Lincoln-Mercury dealerships is being reversed. Unlike Ford's... // Automotive World