Talking boating in a boat group...
On 3/26/19 10:10 AM, Mr. Luddite wrote:
On 3/26/2019 9:50 AM, Its Me wrote:
On Tuesday, March 26, 2019 at 9:35:22 AM UTC-4, Tim wrote:
I don’t know if this is allowed but here’s some history on
Mercury/Mariner
Mariner outboard history
Competition in the outboard market was tough in the early 1970s, and
Mercury Marine found itself at a slight disadvantage.
Rival engine builder Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC) sold two
outboard brands, Johnson and Evinrude. While Mercury enjoyed equal
market share in the category, it was thought that a second outboard
line could boost Mercury Marine’s distribution, both in the U.S. and
internationally.
The new Mercury engine brand was named “Mariner” to invoke a
reliable, durable outboard that would appeal to a different customer
than the fast, high-performance image of the Mercury brand.
Introduced in Australia in 1974 and two years later in the U.S. and
Europe, Mariner instantly doubled the distribution potential for
Mercury Marine. The new outboard brand established a foothold in
Europe, thanks in part to a decision by OMC to sell direct to
dealers, eliminating the loyal, long-term distributors. The new
Mariner Outboard in Australia had proved itself quickly, setting a
new endurance speed record in 1975 during a 546-mile run from Sydney
to Brisbane.* An 18-hour running time slashed more than nine hours
off the previous record.** In 1976, Mariner Outboards were introduced
in Europe and the United States; in conjunction with the American
debut, three Mariner-powered boats ran up the Mississippi River from
New Orleans to Chicago for a total of 4,500 boat miles.
Mariner was originally built under a joint venture with Yamaha, the
Federal Trade Commission made the unfortunate decision to block the
joint venture with Yamaha nine years after the successful launch of
the Mariner brand, and the details of the original agreement came
back to haunt Brunswick. The FTC felt that Mercury Marine was
monopolizing the market, and the separation of the Mercury and
Mariner brands would bring down prices. In the original agreement,
Yamaha was prohibited to sell the Mariner brand under its own name.
When the FTC ordered Brunswick to sell its shares back to Yamaha, the
door was opened and a new competitor rapidly emerged on the market.
In fact, the dealers had been conditioned to think of Yamaha as a
prestige product so after the FTC decision, Mariner prices increased
as it continued to be sold in direct competition with Mercury.* By
the early ’80s, Mariner and Mercury were becoming more similar than
different. When electronic fuel injection was introduced in 1986, the
transition was complete; the two outboards were mechanically the same.
In the mid 1990s, the future viability of a second outboard brand was
debated. While the distribution issue lessened as more boats and
motors were sold as a package by U.S. boat builders, Mariner enjoyed
a far larger market share internationally than at home. Still, the
perception remained that OMC would enjoy a “two-to-one advantage”
with its dual outboard brands.
However, the economies of scale did not bode well for a two-brand
strategy. With less risk of losing U.S. sales through a larger number
of committed boat builders, the savings in manufacturing and
marketing costs for a single outboard brand would be significant.
In 1999, the decision was reached to end Mariner sales in the U.S.
but to continue distribution internationally in markets where it
remains popular.
In the U.S., loyal Mariner owners were downhearted. Even though
Mercury and Mariner had been the same product — except for paint and
decals — for more than a decade, the faithful never accepted the
reality, expressing a wish for the return of Mariner in the U.S.
So now we know...
Interesting.
In this part of the country, both on inland lakes and at the coast,
Yamaha is the dominant brand.* It sure seems that on late-model boats,
the ratio is 7 or 8 out of 10 are Yamaha.
Sometimes I yearn for the good old days.* Firing up a 50 HP Mercury
"Tower of Power" to go water-skiing with the 16' "run-a-bout".
The smell of the blue, unburned mixed fuel wafting in the air
and the oil slicks in the water at idle.* Ah ... those were the
days.
---
It's a little hazy, but in my pre-teen days, my dad's buddy who had a
14' Yellow Jacket or something similar with a 25 hp Evinrude taught me
how to water ski. Buddy had a 15' or 16' Lyman, a beautiful boat, with a
Merc something or other, big engine for its time, I think, that really
hauled butt for its day. He could easily pull two skiers.
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