October marked the end of the line for yet another U.S. automotive brand. Assembly plants produced the final vehicles to carry the Mercury nameplate, an unceremonious end for a marque that had been introduced in 1939 as an upscale companion for basic Fords — but more recently allowed to atrophy to little more than a selection of lightly modified Ford sedans and SUVs.

Still, Mercury leaves behind a history peppered with compelling and even innovative cars that at once conveyed a clear message: based on Fords, but better. Depending on the year and the car, better could have meant any combination of bigger, more stylish, more powerful or more luxurious. Pairing Mercury with the Lincoln franchise after World War II underscored the theme of what is today called entry-level luxury.

Ford’s name for its new division was an allusion to the speedy messenger to the gods from ancient mythology, for many years depicted in the company’s logo with a winged helmet. It also represented business or financial success; for many, buying a Mercury flaunted upward mobility.

John Baumann of Holland, Mich., grew up with the brand. “My father sold Mercurys, so we always had them around,” said Baumann, who was a teenager when the first Mercury Cougar came out in 1967. Since then, he’s had eyes only for early Cougars, especially the 1969-70 convertibles. He owns five.

One of the most acclaimed Mercury designs, the first Cougar was based on Ford’s Mustang but offered a striking look of its own — a roomier, more luxurious interior and, its fans say, a smoother driving feel. But it was a success the company let go fallow.

“My sons drove Capris in the ’80s,” Baumann said. “But there’s nothing there today for the next generation — my grandsons — sporty enough to drive in high school.”

Brand evolution

The 1949-51 models, the brand’s first postwar redesign, were quickly successful — and their popularity proved durable. James Dean drove a ’49 coupe in the 1955 film “Rebel Without a Cause,” scoring a lifetime of coolness points for Mercury.

In fact, those models were already an established canvas for customizers. The cars were called “lead sleds” for the copious amounts of lead used to fill seams and smooth body cuts.

From the mid-1960s, full-size Mercurys adopted Lincoln-influenced designs and ran with Ford’s top engines. On TV, the top cop of the original “Hawaii Five-O” series, Steve McGarrett, cracked crimes in a black ’68 Park Lane.

Even with its parent Ford deeply involved in racing, Mercury filled its own trophy case. In NASCAR, Mercury had a strong presence in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and A.J. Foyt racking up wins.

In Mercury showrooms, the Cyclone and Cougar Eliminator muscle models stoked the performance image. As the Cougar began to grow into a model with luxury aspirations, Mercury turned to Ford’s German branch to lure younger buyers with the hot-selling Capri sports coupe in the 1970s. Mercury tried to keep a sporty streak going: The Capri name bounced to a Mustang-based modeland then to a small Australian-built, Mazda-powered convertible in the early ’90s; the Cougar badge later made a brief reprise on a small, front-wheel-drive sports coupe.

In 2003, Mercury revived the Marauder moniker for a performance-tuned Grand Marquis, but sold just 11,000 over two years. By then, the boundary between Ford and Mercury vehicles had all but vanished.

Enduring appeal

In Massapequa, N.Y., Bob McMinn credits his father with lighting the Mercury fire for him. “He had a ’55, and later a ’64 Comet,” said McMinn, an accountant who advertises his affection for the brand with a neon Mercury sign in the front window of his house. Eight of his 20 vehicles are Mercurys, from a ’46 woody wagon to a ’94 Capri.

The ’46 woody wagon is among the most valuable Mercury models today, with the best examples selling for more than $100,000. He bought his 20 years ago for $375, replacing its seized V-8 with a rebuilt engine from Ford.

McMinn bought his first Mercury in 1959, a ’54 two-door sedan. Today, he has a ’54, a ’56 and a ’57 in that same style, a cheaper alternative to the more popular pillarless hardtop models. What’s needed, he said, is more time to drive his cars — one thing he hopes to get when he retires.

Baumann, the Cougar enthusiast from Michigan, said his father remained loyal to Mercury and drove a Grand Marquis. “I’m old enough to drive that car now, but I don’t like it,” he said.

More his style, he added, would have been something like the Mercury Messenger design study that made its debut at the Detroit auto show in 2003. With classic Cougar design cues and a Mustang V-8 under its long hood, the Messenger hinted at a sporty Mercury revival that never came.

Top collectible Mercurys

Though the Mercury brand is a tiny sliver of the overall car collecting scene, said John Kraman of Mecum Auctions, it has some advantages. “It’s a little bit off the beaten path, but at the same time, a higher-line car like a Mercury can offer more enjoyment than the higher-priced collectible Chevys and Fords, because it was a bit more car,” he said.

Kraman suggested a top-five list of collectible Mercurys (listed values, from CPI and Cars That Matter price guides, are the top of the range for rare cars in excellent condition):

• 1946 Sportsman convertible, $238,000.

• 1946-51 woody wagons, $118,000.

• 1949-51 coupes and convertibles, $85,000.

• All other 1950s convertibles, $63,000 (for a ‘56 Montclair).

• Late ’60s and early ’70s performance models like the Cyclone, $30,000, and the ’69-70 Cougar Eliminator, $70,000.

“The ’49-’51 has a cultlike appeal, and many who are attracted to it were not even alive when those cars were new,” said Kraman. “It’s a car that jumps generations.”