Mercury Through The Years...

**Dave Strong** · 03-11-2018, 06:32 PM

When Mariner was introduced back in mid 70's, I remember sitting in a big pow wow in the Merc Auditorium where we were told it would be International only - I don't think it was two years later there were Mariner dealers everywhere in the US to counter the Johnson/ Evinrude market. I came very close to being Fond du Lac's Mariner dealer put couldn't pull the financing together to lease a shop, get boat lines, parts inventory, full engine lineup, etc.[/QUOTE]

Back when Mariner was first around a lot of the smaller motors were not even built in North America.

Dave

**powerabout** · 03-11-2018, 06:56 PM

Mariner was Mercury helping Yamaha start a global business, didnt make sense then, now they are sorry

**jackiewilson** · 03-12-2018, 02:12 AM

Thought the deal was supposed to be, Mercury made all motors above 55 hp and Yamaha those under. Reciprocal trade world wide ?—— which simply didn’t happen. Yamaha were racing V6 Mercs in no time flat——- slippery little buggers——- musta been hard to screw a deal together back then.

**powerabout** · 03-12-2018, 04:47 AM

The 55 was the engine they started with in Asia (copy of a 2 cyl omc but more powerfull)
Had a merc lower unit with all steel parts in seawater as typical of merc in those days.
You can still buy a new carby one today in Asia but bottom end is yam.

**bernie** · 03-12-2018, 08:55 AM

In the beginning, that was where the product line stopped, at 60 hp 2 cylinder, Yammy made. Don't remember how long it was before the bigger motors (Fond du Lac made) started to get painted grey. My brother in law wanted a motor, we could get a deal on Mariners, he wanted like a 70 but wanted a Merc because he didn't want "Jap junk". Didn't know that his motor came out of FDL.
Later on Yamaha got into the "dumping" issue, and Brunswick won that lawsuit. But somebody screwed up the deal and there was no clause anywhere that said Yam had to sell Merc service parts - so to get even they cut off all service part sales to Merc. Merc was replacing entire motors for a while because they couldn't get parts. Gotta love big business.

**FUJIMO** · 03-12-2018, 09:50 AM

**lars strom** · 03-12-2018, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by powerabout

Mariner was Mercury helping Yamaha start a global business, didnt make sense then, now they are sorry

Another great Mercury V-6 100% built by Yamaha in Japan. This 225 HP V-6 Merc model was available for many years, but only in the USA.
Pictures by Lars Strom

**GENE LANHAM** · 03-12-2018, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by FUJIMO

-----and if you believe that, I have a bridge across the East River that-----

**powerabout** · 03-12-2018, 06:21 PM

I think the 60 built in China is a Yam as well

**lars strom** · 03-12-2018, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by lars strom

Another great Mercury V-6 100% built by Yamaha in Japan. This 225 HP V-6 Merc model was available for many years, but only in the USA.
Pictures by Lars Strom

More Mercury V6 225HP 4 stroke made 100% by Yamaha.
Pictures by Lars Strom

**powerabout** · 03-12-2018, 08:45 PM

didnt know it was such a mixed can of worms...
https://www.mercurymarine.com/en/us/...history/week14

**Capt.Insane-o** · 03-13-2018, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by bernie

In the beginning, that was where the product line stopped, at 60 hp 2 cylinder, Yammy made. Don't remember how long it was before the bigger motors (Fond du Lac made) started to get painted grey. My brother in law wanted a motor, we could get a deal on Mariners, he wanted like a 70 but wanted a Merc because he didn't want "Jap junk". Didn't know that his motor came out of FDL.
Later on Yamaha got into the "dumping" issue, and Brunswick won that lawsuit. But somebody screwed up the deal and there was no clause anywhere that said Yam had to sell Merc service parts - so to get even they cut off all service part sales to Merc. Merc was replacing entire motors for a while because they couldn't get parts. Gotta love big business.

Not quite correct. I was in Yammer school when the judgement/settlement litigation went down and YamahaCo couldn't have been any happier....and Brunswick continued to prove they could step on their own dicks with the best of them.

"2/4/2005 - Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. settled its lawsuit today with Brunswick Corp. over the sale of Yamaha-manufactured 75 - 115 horsepower four-stroke powerheads to Brunswick. Yamaha will continue to manufacture these powerheads in the existing quantities and prices specified under their agreement until it expires in March, 2006. After that time, Yamaha will no longer build or supply these powerheads to Brunswick. Brunswick Corp. v. Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., No. 04-C-854 (E.D. Wis.)
The dispute arose after Brunswick initiated a dumping investigation and included these 75 - 115 horsepower four-stroke powerheads in its dumping complaint. Yamaha agreed to continue to sell these powerheads to Brunswick only if Brunswick either excluded these powerheads from the dumping investigation or agreed to pay higher (non-dumped) prices for them. Brunswick filed suit in Wisconsin federal court Sept. 7, 2004, demanding that Yamaha continue selling at the price Brunswick said in its dumping complaint was an unlawful dumped price. The lawsuit resulted in a concurrent arbitration proceeding as well.
In November, 2004, despite having gone to federal court and defended its inclusion of the powerheads in the dumping complaint before that court, Brunswick withdrew the United States specification powerheads being made for Brunswick by Yamaha from the dumping investigation; and on Dec. 28, 2004, the Department of Commerce accepted this withdrawal in its final margin calculation.
On Feb. 2, 2005, the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled in Yamaha's favor and announced a negative decision in its final phase anti-dumping investigation concerning outboard engines from Japan. "Yamaha has consistently stated that from the day that Brunswick filed its complaint that there wasn't any dumping," stated Phil Dyskow, president of the Marine Group of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. "We appreciate the fact the ITC investigated the facts, listened to our arguments and voted in favor of our position."
"This entire litigation could have been avoided," explained Russell D. Jura, general counsel of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., "By not following prudent business practices, Brunswick precipitated the expenditure of excessively large legal fees and costs for both parties for no reason whatsoever.
"Brunswick's last-minute withdrawal of these powerheads from the dumping investigation and the final ITC ruling is a complete vindication of Yamaha's position," continued Jura. "The American public and Yamaha have won and Brunswick has lost. Now, we can put this matter behind us and invest our time and resources into better serving our customers and the boating public."

Somewhere in my certificate records I have the press release Yammie handed out to us.

**powerabout** · 03-13-2018, 12:44 AM

Yam still got successfully sued several other times for dumping engines then the last one re stealing company data from OMC/Volvo.
that stuck, cant buy a Yam sterndrive in the USA/Australia can you, then I think they folded that up without access to the USA market.
You might find they are making them for Toyota in Japan..