A day in automotive pop culture has occurred, readers. And it's not a happy one.

The final Grand Marquis, and last Mercury car, has departed the assembly line at Ford's plant in St. Thomas, Ontario, reports Automotive News. The sleek car had become a staple for livery drivers thanks to its smooth ride and classy style.

Ford sold over 21 million Mercury vehicles over its history, which began in 1938. We didn't know it was so old, but we had one in the early 90s and it was a fantastically fun car.

Apparently, the event meant nothing to the automotive giant, or perhaps the tragedy was just too much to handle. "Unfortunately, there is no photo of that specific unit — sorry," wrote Christian Bokich, Lincoln public relations manager in response to an e-mail query by Inside Line. They didn't take a photo of their last Grand Marquis EVER?! What the...

Instead of being angry, however, let us celebrate the Mercury brand for its fantastic designs, place in history as the connecting thread between Ford and Lincoln and general classiness.

Time of death? 7:46a.m., January 4, 2011. RIP, Grand Marquis. RIP.