DETROIT, Michigan - June 2, 2010 - Edsel Ford conceived the Mercury brand in the 1930s as a way to fill the gap between basic Fords and luxury Lincolns. Now, that gap will again go unfilled.

Ford Motor announced Wednesday that it would discontinue selling Mercury models this fall, ending a 71-year-old brand that once stood for innovation and speed but that became a “me, too” division.

Mark Fields, the president of Ford’s Americas region, said Ford directors approved the step on Wednesday. He said the company would focus its resources on its core Ford division as well as Lincoln.

“As we close this storied chapter on Mercury, we are opening a very exciting chapter, not only on Ford but on accelerating Lincoln,” Fields said.

Mercury came to life during the Depression, when Ford was striving to keep pace with General Motors, which had passed Ford to become the country’s top-selling automaker. At its cultural height in the 1950s, Mercury became known for innovative cars like the Turnpike Cruiser, whose features included a power rear window, the “seat-o-matic” adjusting seat, and the “Merc-o-matic” automatic transmission.