First Ford Apes Audi with the 500 and now
 

Ford, through Mercury, is copying Honda! As unreal as it sounds I spotted a Mercury Milan last evening undergoing beauty shots. The car is a dead ringer for a Honda Accord sedan save for the grille and the Mercury badge. The rear taillamp, however, looks very similar to a Saab. What's next? Perhaps this is why some automakers are exploring different designs, Audi and BMW included.

Maybe one of these days Ford management will realize that following design trends are less important than actual product performance. Ford tried to make it cars look like Mercedes in the past. Now it tries to look like Audi and Honda, but lacks the essential qualities of both marques. When will Ford and GM learn?

Cordially,

John J. Szobocsan

It really does not matter how much a car looks
 

like another car if the quality is not there. Who cares if a Dodge or a Ford looks like a German car? I don't.

I'm flattered that my neighbours want to imitate my car choice. We all know that what they have is a poor copy.

What Ford has ever looked like a Mercedes?

At the time, the Granada had Mercedes styling.
 

<center><img src="http://www.tocmp.com/pix/Ford/images/1975%20Ford%20Granada%20Ghia%20Sedan%20f3q_jpg.jpg "></center><p>This picture does not capture it really. They copied Mercedes wheelcovers in later models. What a peach!

By Jove, I think he's got it
 

Just how much time is it going to take for Ford, GM and Chrysler to successfully reverse-engineer a Camry or Accord? Even if they can't or won't design a truly competitive car on their own, at least copy the damned things and try to take advantage of their success!!

The point I was trying to make
 

Several automakers feel that they can equal the competition by copying the design. Quality and the performance of the product is usually more important, unless, the car is the Pontiac Aztek. No amount of performance and inherent quality can overcome the looks of that thing. I remember seeing when it debuted several years ago at Detroit. The display model was metallic olive green with bile green swirl velour (sp?) interior. This was probably one of the least appealing cars and color combinations ever to be shown at a major auto show. Can we say junk?

Cordially,

John J. Szobocsan

I was amazed how similar it looks to an Accord
 

One look on the Mercury website of the interior of the Milan will convince you that it is no Accord!

I was always a Monarch man, myself.

I did not notice any Honda resemblance when I saw the Fusion/Milan duo at the NY Show.
 

I'll even go out on a limb and say that the Fusion and Milan are the most promising new cars to come out of Detroit in a long time. Not that my name is on any waiting list though...

Lowbrow. I was a Versailles man!
 

<center><img src="http://www.lincolnversailles.com/vershome2.jpg"></center><p>
All the guys at the tennis club with their BMWs and Mercedes were green with envy when I pulled up in this baby. The best part is that the spare tire really wasn't standing up in the trunk! That made it much easier to access my alligator-skin golf bag.