Mariner Outboards, A Brief History
Mariner outboards were introduced in Australia in 1974 and two years later in the U.S. and Europe. However, the first MARINER outboards were Yamaha engines made by 'Sanshin Industries' and marketed in Japan by Yamaha under the Yamaha brand name - while sales in North America and Australia were marketed by Mercury under the Mariner brand name.
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.
Mariner was originally built under a joint venture with Yamaha,
which was ended by the Federal Trade Commission’s ruling that the
agreement hindered competition. 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 the second Mariner 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. 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 was found to 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 disappointed, 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 sales in the U.S.
Mariner Outboard Boat Motor OEM Factory Service and Repair Manuals
Locate OEM Mariner Outboard Boat Motor Manuals By Year |
|||||
| 1960 | 1970 | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 |
| 1961 | 1971 | 1981 | 1991 | 2001 | 2011 |
| 1962 | 1972 | 1982 | 1992 | 2002 | 2012 |
| 1963 | 1973 | 1983 | 1993 | 2003 | 2013 |
| 1964 | 1974 | 1984 | 1994 | 2004 | 2014 |
| 1965 | 1975 | 1985 | 1995 | 2005 | 2015 |
| 1966 | 1976 | 1986 | 1996 | 2006 | 2016 |
| 1967 | 1977 | 1987 | 1997 | 2007 | 2017 |
| 1968 | 1978 | 1988 | 1998 | 2008 | 2018 |
| 1969 | 1979 | 1989 | 1999 | 2009 | 2019 |
Mariner Outboard Motors
