Durham Lincoln Mercury dealer to close

Add Michael Jordan Lincoln Mercury in Durhamto the growing list of Triangle auto dealers closing for business.

The dealership at 3621 Chapel Hill Blvd. will close at the end of the month, said sales manager Mark Sidney.

Sidney declined to say why the dealership is closing, though it’s no secret that sales for all automakers have been slumping. General Motors and Chrysler are closing hundreds of dealers across the country to cut costs and reduce supply.

While Ford has not followed GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy, sales for the Detroit automaker were down 24.2 percent in May, compared to the same month a year earlier. On the plus side, May’s results were the highest monthly sales figures since July for Ford.

Sidney said the dealership’s eight sales and service employees will mostly transfer to the company’s nearby Nissan dealership. The body shop will remain open as it serviced Nissans in addition to Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.

“It’s a shame, for sure,” he said.