What exactly is a Black Max?

[Rick Pierce]

I came across this thread doing a search and thought I’d add to it. Black Max was an advertising campaign Mercury Marine ran beginning around the original 175 Mercury in 1975. The campaigns first advertising shots were done at Oakland Marina on Bull Shoals Lake, AR.

It was chosen as a lot of the Saint Louis market frequented the Oakland area at that time and it was a popular destination. Home to the Meramac Bass Club annual December event, and Tony Albright frequented the area, eventually retiring in Pontiac. It was home to Black Oak Arkansas, Jim Dandy (Mangrum), Ruby Star and Grey Ghost, plus a few more smaller rock bands, also their manager Butch Stone.

The advertising models were not striking the look desired and the agency and Mercury culled the shots. Though when going through dock shots they came upon a picture of “Lenny” Jaeger, who owned Oakland Marina and operated it with his wife Barb. The Mercury team liked the bearded jean jacket look Lenny had and the facial features of his heritage. They inquired about shooting images more images of Lenny around the dock and Bull Shoals, which spawned a mega advertisement campaign that filled every outdoor publication with the picture of Lenny as the Black Max. Lenny was flown to countless boat shows and meetings as the “Black Max” signing autographs and taking pictures.

After a nice run of several years the “Black Max” campaign was ended as Mercury moved on to XR and EFI engines, spinning Mariner off in the early 1980’s, begun to use pervious Mercury parts on a year newer model series. Closing out inventory was the goal and their marketing team changed, which will always change a campaign.

Leonard and Barbara sold Oakland Marina years ago and today they reside a few miles outside Mountain Home, on the way to Oakland. Leonard still fishes frequently and both are retired after a long career as EMT and Nurses in the medical field.

[John S]

What exactly is a black max??? One of the greatest memories of my childhood. My pop's Vking/black max and his 34 ford 3 window werey two favorite things as a kid.

[mr fun]

I came across this thread doing a search and thought I’d add to it. spinning Mariner off in the early 1980’s, begun to use pervious Mercury parts on a year newer model series. Closing out inventory was the goal and their marketing team changed, which will always change a campaign.

Leonard and Barbara sold Oakland Marina years ago and today they reside a few miles outside Mountain Home, on the way to Oakland. Leonard still fishes frequently and both are retired after a long career as EMT and Nurses in the medical field.

I herd Mariner was an effort to build engines in japan and market them here, any truth to that ? thanks

[David]

I think smaller Mariners were Yamahas, bigger ones were re-badged Mercs, but it's probably more complicated than that.

[Capt.Insane-o]

60 and below were mariners..I think 92 was the last year a Yamaha was in the line..40hp I believe.

[scott reierson]

Thanks for the story Rick. I remember that period.

[Markus]

In the early seventies, Brunswick bought a stake in Yamaha's outboard manufacturing company, Sanshin (which, last time I checked, still was the name of the company manufacturing Yamaha outboards). This resulted in a joint venture that manufactured engines for both Yamaha and Brunswick. Notably, though, the Yamaha engine range would not be sold in the US market.

Due to Mercury's reputation of being a freshwater engine with saltwater corrosion problems, Brunswick chose the name Mariner for its engine range, which launched in 1974. I think Australia was the first market.

Then, in the early eighties, there was an anti-trust lawsuit, saying that the Sanshin JV was a collusion attempt between Mercury and Yamaha, aiming at keeping Yamaha outboards away from the US market. Yamaha claimed that its engines were of too high quality for the US market, and there was no point in selling them there anyway, but the FTC did not buy into that.

As a result, the Sanshin JV was broken up. Brunswick kept the Mariner brand, and the manufacturing operations went back to Yamaha. In 1984, Yamaha launched a full range of engines in the US market.

When Brunswick was no longer able to source quality engines from Japan, it made huge efforts to close the quality gap to Yamaha in its own manufacturing operations. It took a long time, though, and those efforts were not really visible until the early nineties (the 2.5 liter engines were a big step forward from the 2.4 liter engines), and the gap was not closed until about 10 years later (compare the reputation of Optimax to that of HPDI). However, it was enough to compete successfully against Brunswick's main domestic competitor, the Outboard Marine Corporation, which went bankrupt at around the turn of the century.

At the same time, Mercury's corrosion problems were long forgotten, so the Mariner brand was discontinued in the US, as the Mercury brand was much stronger.

However, Mariner lives on in other markets where you can buy a Mariner Verado V8: https://www.barrus.co.uk/divisions/m...erado-250-300/

And you can buy a Black Max propeller for your Mariner:
https://www.sandsmarineonline.co.uk/...60hp-Outboards

[scott reierson]

Wow! Cool. Thanks Marcus. Looked up that Mariner stuff in the UK. Very interesting.

[FUJIMO]

[FUJIMO]

[FUJIMO]

[InjectorService]

Some really cool history there! Thanks Guys!

[FUJIMO]

[Instigator]

Marketing 101.

[FUJIMO]