The Mercury brand is unique in that it is the only brand created by Ford Motor Company. In the mid-1930s, Ford's management recognized that there was a market opportunity between the economical Ford and the luxurious Lincoln, so in 1935 the Mercury brand was developed to enter the mid-range market, and in October 1938 the Mercury product was officially launched. The Mercury was equipped with a powerful 95-horsepower, V-8 engine and was so popular that it captured 2.19% of the U.S. sedan market within a year.