If there's one thing Mercury needs right now, it's a messenger - someone, anyone - to send for help. The brand is in great danger of becoming the next Oldsmobile, and this concept from almost five years ago may have been the last exciting car to wear the Greek god's badge. With a powerful V8 and an innovative composite and aluminum monocoque structure, the Messenger coupe would have brought with it a magnificent revolution following decades of Mercury Cougar mediocrity. Instead, Mercury continues to badge-engineer itself into irrelevance.

Who says Ford needs big, chrome, safety-razor grilles to stand out on today's hectic highways? The Visos concept from the '03 Frankfurt show was bold, square, and distinctly American, but never slapped anyone in the face in saying so. Active body panels allowed the clean surfaces to aerodynamically optimize themselves when needed, which was a good thing when considering the Visos packed a twin-turbo V6 under its broad-shouldered hood. This concept make a better Focus America AND Europe. And does anyone else see a just a little touch of Volvo C30 in there?

Back in the early '60s, when "crossover" was just nice way to explain a family member's passing and no one had thought to stick the word "mini" in front of a van, Ford unveiled the Aurora concept. This wasn't just a big sedan with extra luggage space and maybe a tiny two-spot seat in the rear - it was as much a lifestyle statement as the Mustang. It was futuristic, sure, but not in the outlandish way of Ford's '50s concepts. With two doors and a long rear end, it took the Mercedes-Benz CLS idea of meshing coupe and sedan one step further forty years prior, fusing wagon and coupe into a supertourer for the open road. The interior blends 2001: A Space Odyssey with a swingin' bachelor pad, and the full glass roof was never a nuisance, thanks to a power-operated polarized sunscreen. This car was the American Dream.

The production Mini Cooper may be credited with making small cool again, but Ford had a good chance to beat that throwback to the punch. In 1999, the Blue Oval commissioned designer Mark Newson to build a small, minimalist city car, and the result was the 021C for that fall's Tokyo show. A few millimeters shorter than the Ford Ka, the 021C packed big style and surprising space in a small package - sound familiar, Mini owners? If only it were rear-wheel drive, the 021C could have been a modern day Datsun 510 or - better yet - a Ford Lotus Cortina, and it would have been years ahead of the highly anticipated BMW 1-series. The 021C was a stunner right down to its last detail, including the massive LCD-panel head- and taillights, the gauges by Ikepod Watch Company, the drawer-style trunk, and the front seats by Italian furniture maker B+B Italia. Ford, it isn't too late.

When it showed the Continental concept at the Los Angeles show in early 2002, Lincoln said this car would "show where we will take the brand in the near future." The earlier Mark X, and the MK9 shown a few years later, seemed to cement the brand's future design language, but the recent MKS and MKR concepts are proof of the contrary. Sure, the Continental's taillights probably inspired those of the production MKZ, and it would be hard to argue that the MK9's grille wasn't slapped right on to the front of the MKX crossover, but the core of what made these three one-offs special hasn't made it to any assembly lines. While GM and Chrysler continue to find success with uniquely American rear-drivers like the Cadillac CTS and the Chrysler LX cars, Ford and Lincoln keep passing up opportunities to cash in on the craze.

Jokes about the Crown Victoria's age needn't be made here - the car's Carter administration lineage speaks for itself. As with the similar Lincoln Continental above, Ford has teased the public with multiple modern and sinister big car concepts that could replace the old police fleet special. Elements of the 427 have gone into production, but only after being tumble dried on high heat to fit the Fusion. Both the 427 and the more recent Interceptor packed real panache, so this may be one entry on this list that still stands a chance. The 500-turned-Taurus still isn't selling and the Clown Vince has a date with death in 2009 - something will need to fill that gap.

What wasn't to like about the 2004 Bronco concept? It looked as if it were carved from one solid block of steel, with dimensions more macho than the Hummer H3, Toyota FJ, and Jeep Wrangler it would compete against. The Bronco's drivetrain, too, would be the envy of those vehicles, with a torquey 2.0-liter diesel mated to a pre-Volkswagen-DSG twin-clutch transmission. And we mustn't forget the NOS injection. The potential for incredible off-road capability coupled with impressive fuel economy and iconic styling could have instantly counteracted any damage O.J. Simpson did to this storied Ford badge. Who thought we'd see the day when Toyota is pushing exciting concepts to production in the same segment where Ford isn't?

Hindsight is, as the saying goes, 20:20. Still, axing Carrousel and Minimax concepts may have been the biggest "oops" in Ford's long history. The former was slated for production in 1975 as a smaller, garage-friendly version of the Econoline, but the gas crisis and recession put a halt on any all-new products in development. The Minimax was a smaller, front-wheel-drive alternative with less space but better economy. Henry Ford II fired Lee Iacocca in 1978, and with him went Minimax (and Dodge Caravan) designer Hal Sperlich. They continued the project at Chrysler, combining the space and packaging of the Carrousel with the size and efficiency of the Minimax to create a little bit of history. Now, Chrysler is still a leader in the minivan segment while Ford has struck out. The Carrousel didn't die off completely, though - take a look at the rear end of the 2009 Flex and guess what inspired it.

Like the Shelby Cobra concept car, the production Ford GT was a great heritage piece for a company that had just punched a century-long timecard. The GR-1 that was shown in both model (Pebble Beach) and operable (NAIAS) forms built on a good thing by taking the GT's track-proven component set and doing a front-engine, V10-powered riff on it. Unlike Ford's other supertoys of the past five years, the GR-1 could sit beside the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and the Audi R8 as pinnacles of drool-inducing designs. As Chevrolet and Dodge endeavor to keep Detroit relevant in the international sport-car market, Ford is still sitting on this potential world-beater.

In 1950, the newly established Motor Trend magazine teamed up with Ford to challenge designers to construct a dream car body to lay atop the Ford Anglia's frame. The winner was Vince Gardner, a young protégé of Cord 810 designer Gordon Buehrig (see it in the pop up headlights?). Ford didn't give Gardner enough money to actually build the car, but that didn't stop the ambitious designer. He caught a ride to Dearborn, stormed into Henry Ford II's office, and walked out a half-hour later with an $8000 check. Over the next three years, he handcrafted a machine that was lower and more stunning than even the Jaguar XK120. After being displayed as part of Ford's 50th anniversary celebration, the car slipped into hiding, but not before inspiring Henry Ford II to build his own two-seat roadster, the Thunderbird. As legendary as that car was, the Vega could have outdone it.