Struggling to recoup the lost glory it enjoyed back in the 70's, Mercury->ke55 has become a prime candidate to be the next auto brand to be axed, according to reports from Bloomberg citing two unnamed sources that are familiar with Ford->ke31 - Mercury's parent company - and its plans.

When asked, Ford refused to give any indication on whether the reports of Mercury's demise were more than just birds talking. According to Ford spokesman, Mark Truby, "Our plans regarding Mercury have not changed. Like any good business, we constantly assess our business portfolio. If things change, we will let you know."

Despite the diplomatic response, some folks within the company have said that Bill Ford, the company's executive chairman, as well as members of the Ford family, have expressed their desire to see Mercury fall by the wayside and join GM's Pontiac->ke70, Saturn->ke77, and Hummer->ke35 brands in the growing list of axed car brands.

The move to kill off Mercury comes as no surprise to a lot of people, especially since the brand, which was golden back in the late seventies, has not made any significant impact in Ford's global sales over the years, highlighted - or is it lowlighted? - by a paltry 1.9% sales volume of all Ford vehicles all over the world for the first quarter of 2010.

.