Ford’s arduous Lincoln turnaround is having another one of those awkward moments, as Ford and its dealers seem to once again be at odds about how to go about fixing Lincoln. And though it’s tough to tell what exactly is going on in Ford’s fandango with Lincoln dealers, it’s easy to see that it ain’t good. For starters, last week, Automotive News [sub] ran a blog item that noted
In just a few weeks, a group of Lincoln dealers will converge on Detroit for an invitation-only brand meeting with Ford Motor Co.
Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, promises that the meeting in early June will spell out some specifics about Ford’s plan to reignite its luxury brand.
But some dealers have put their invitations in the round file.
One says he won’t “waste” his money on airfare, adding that when Ford has “actual future product to show us, then I’ll go meet with them.”
One Lincoln dealer with a stand-alone store did not get an invitation, but he doesn’t care.
So, clearly things don’t sound happy in Lincoln Land. And what does Ford have to say to the non-attending and uninvited dealers? Ford’s Alan Mulally personally delivered a response the next day at Ford’s annual shareholder’s meeting…
Wards Auto reports that Mulally addressed The Lincoln Situation by calling it “an important transition,” by which he meant “dealers, hold onto your shorts.”
The plan is to right-size the Lincoln distribution network to increase throughput. The second part of the plan is a new set of Lincoln products.
Got that, dealers? You can not come to Detroit and not get a Coney Island dog and not get in on this product-led turnaround, because Ford doesn’t need you anyway (for throughput reasons). And you know what you’re going to miss out on? According to Wards
Mulally says Ford’s management team is seeking feedback from Lincoln dealers on the future direction of the brand, including what the luxury lineup should look like.
“Dealers are pleased,” he says. “Over the next year as products come to market and the distribution network gets right-sized, we’re going to be successful. But it is a transition period.”
Wait, isn’t that going to take time… considering that some dealers don’t even want to come to Detroit for a meeting that AN’s Jamie LaRue describes as being aimed at “reassuring Lincoln dealers that the automaker is committed to fixing Lincoln”?
So, assuming Ford gets the dealers it wants to come to Detroit and gets the dealers it doesn’t want to go away, then what? What does Ford have lined up for the lucky and patient dealers who share the true Lincoln faith in the face of declining sales? According to LaRue
Inside Ford, a team dedicated to rebuilding Lincoln is scrambling to develop distinct new or improved products, I’m told. Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s global product czar, has said that one of those products will be shown later this year.
One product, later this year. Probably either a compact sedan or a compact crossover. Check out the interior of the Lincoln Concept C (top) for clues (and let us know if you find any). Sounds like the right-sizing-to-increase-throughput step is going to be the easy one…
Fascinating situation. Mulally has done a lot of good things with Ford but this sounds like a situation ready to go seriously wrong. I would not be surprised if Lincoln is officially dead in the next 2 years. A US only Luxury brand is a hard slog (ask Honda with Acura – which is essentially North America only).
What would be interesting to know is if many dealers signed up earlier in the year to the improved standards Ford wanted (Lincoln loaner car, fresher looking buildings, free car wash etc). What would happen if no dealers played ball??
Don’t forget that Acuras are sold as Hondas overseas, eg TSX is an Accord in most other markets, RL is a Legend. Lincoln on the other hand, good luck with that…
‘I would not be surprised if Lincoln is officially dead in the next 2 years.’
Agreed. Why bother pouring money into trying to design ‘sort-of’ differentiated cars and then trying to market them? I suspect every dime they’d spend would earn a greater return if it was invested in improving the Ford line-up.
Ummm. Nope. I cannot find any clues.
The question is, does Ford have a clue when it comes to Lincoln.
Off topic, but what a gorgeous open interior on that concept.
Seconded. I’ve had about enough of gun-slit windows and dark, claustrophobic interiors, so the Concept C pic is a breath of fresh air. Glass is good. So is white, and I’ll bet you could color-key that thing really nicely.
Side note: The talking Lysol ads in the sidebar… sheesh. I wanted to sneak a look at the TTAC home page at work and had not just one but TWO ads simultaneously screaming at me! So much for stealth. I know you guys need ad revenue and all, but good grief! Don’t make me download a flash blocker!
I agree about the noisy ads. I wouldn’t be surprised if they reduce readership.
What ads (happy adblock plus user)?
More than that, why does the site load twice? Twenty seconds after it finishes the firs time, it loads again and jerks me to the top of the page. This happens on every browser, on every device.
I would run to the first dealer who had a car with that interior and buy it, even if I had to pay for 20 years on the car! That is the most beautiful front seat I have ever seen.
I hope the Florida Lincoln/Mercury dealers get together and hold a hunger strike until they get a proper Town Car replacement.
The proper replacement being a current Town Car with an Ecoboost powerplant, IRS, and vent windows.
I can see the advertisement now:
“Lincoln Mob Car – now with Ecoboost for quick getaways”
@Szyznyk:
You realize that a hunger strike only works if there is some sympathy for the hunger striker?
And Mercury is already dead.
Put the moves on Land Rover and Jaguar? I kid. I kid.
“The plan is to right-size the Lincoln distribution network to increase throughput.”
Thoughtput? Is that some obscure new word that’s been added to Webster’s?
Throughput is a word to describe the amount one can put through something, normally used in engineering and science to describe the amount of capacity an object can handle (i.e. pipeline throughput). This sounds distinctly like “hey, back when it was Cadillac vs. Lincoln we were alright with 5 L-M dealers in the same area, now um….we need 1.” Scarcity adds to prestige if they can get the car right. A reworked Taurus with independent design and gussied up would be competitive with atleast Cadillac. A reworked focus would definitely be an IS fighter since arguably the new Euro-Focus runs circles around the Corolla. Now just make Lincoln a decent livery car (stretch the Taurus ala A8L) and Lincoln could recover easily. Ford makes a fortune selling cheap cars to the masses, rebuilding Lincoln is honestly an afterthought for them sadly.
The Lexus IS is RWD and the size of 3 series BMW. Hard to make a IS fighter out of a FWD compact car.
“reworked Taurus…”
You have heard of this MKS thing, yes?
Look, this isn’t hard. Lincoln could be a great brand, but it means waking up and getting with the program. Pure luxury cars are just an obsolete concept. There isn’t a gizmo or widget that can be had on a car that you can’t get on a value line model. To make it in the “Premium” segment, you have to offer a high level of engineering, a high level of quality, and a high level of performance and comfort and still pull off a high level of economy. Shoppers with money want the total package. They want more car for the money. If I’m fronting $40k for car I want to handle and accelerate like a sports car, be built like a tank, be as comfortable as a Gulfstream 5, and sip gas like an econobox. IT better have AWD, too. And for f’s sake, give it a dedicated platform, don’t tramp-up a Fusion or a Taurus and tell me it’s $10 better. Check around, Audi can do this, BMW can do this, Mercedes can do this.
and by the way, would a fraking stick shift really kill anyone?
There’s nothing wrong with platform sharing if the resultant cars differ enough in appearance and features to justify the price. Base model Mercedes and BMWs are used as taxi-cabs in Europe, and yet those brands still hold prestige. Audi uses VW platforms for its vehicles, yet it doesn’t seem to hurt them too much. The big sellers in the Lexus lineup, the ES and the RX are both based on Toyota platforms.
Lincoln is moving in the right direction here, while it’s easy to see that a Navigator and a MKZ are heavily Expedition and Fusion based (and the unmissed Mark LT was the worst of all when it came to a quick rebadge job) the most recent Lincoln models, the MKS and MKT, have very different sheetmetal and interiors compared to the Taurus and Flex. The next MKZ has been promised to step further away from the Fusion, and the upcoming Lincoln compact will not look like a Focus.
Base model Mercedes and BMW’s are used as taxi cabs…. in Europe.
Therein lies the problem from a pure branding perspective in America.
The second problem is that there’s only so much makeup you can put on the pig. A Fusion is a fine sedan, but putting a baleen grille on the thing and spending a bit more on performance parts and stitched leather in the interior won’t make it equal to a 3-series, anymore than a nice interior made the Cimarron a luxury vehicle.
The thing with a BMW 3 series is that it that it really is a different creature from a run of the mill sedan. You can feel the difference in the steering wheel, you can hear the difference on the highway. Hell, the car just vibrates differently. The first luxury car I ever drove (the entry level Lexus) had a whole different feel from the BMW, but it was also clearly a very different car than I had ever driven before. A luxury car needs to make you feel like you are sitting in a higher caliber of car on a subliminal level, with the way it moves and feels and sounds. It needs to make you excited just to get to drive it for the first time. If it doesn’t have that, it won’t succeed. I just don’t see how adding some better parts and a new body kit to a Fusion can do that. It’s just the same slow death extended.
Nullmodo, platform sharing is a fact of life. BUT Lexus, Infiniti, Audi, Cadillac, etc all offer models that aren’t available as Toyotas, Nissans, VW’s and Chevy’s. If Ford really wanted Lincoln to succeed, then they needed to give them something that isn’t offered at the Ford dealership next door that isn’t just an option or trim package. Unless that happens, Lincoln is toast and might as well be eliminated. If they really wanted to, Ford could develop a new RWD platform that could be used for a new Mustang and new compact and mid-sized Lincoln sedans and maybe a mid-sized Lincoln SUV.
My biggest question is, was Ford really planning to keep Lincoln for the future when they closed down Mercury? When that was in the planning stages, they should have also planned on getting Lincoln product. I can’t believe that Ford decided to get rid of Mercury after only a few months of debate. Ford could have shipped in some tarted up rear wheel drive vehicles from Australia has a stop gap measure until they could get in some real product for Lincoln. It seems to me that Ford just wants to get rid of Lincoln and are trying to find a way to do it with minimal legal and financial costs.
…and a diesel model, and of course offer it as a wagon. Preferably under $15k.
The internet dream car!
Sundowner, platform sharing is all around you. Audi shares platforms aggressively with the rest of the VW empire, not to mention that Bentleys and top end VW’s share a platform. BMW does major platform sharing between the BMW and Rolls Royce brands. Mercedes managed to convince North Americans in the 1960s that Germany’s Buicks were actually high end luxury cars, not work a day taxi cabs (shhhh, most people in N.A. still don’t know this). Most of Lexus’ volume is in vehicles build on the Camry’s platform.
Also, AWD and sipping gas like an econobox are incompatible thoughts.
There is a lot wrong with Lincoln, but that lack of stick shifts is not a problem in that segment. You can’t buy a stick shift Lexus or Mercedes sedan either.
Yes you can. Lexus IS250 and Mercedes C300 sedans both come with six speed manuals standard. That is the factual part. I dont disagree that a manual trans Lincoln is probably not what they need right now, maybe later on a high-end performance model to compete with the Cadillac CTS-V, if they survive long enough.
Lexus volume may be on the Camry platform, but the brand would not exist at all if it wasnt for the RWD upmarket vehicles that got it started.
True, but I think Sundowner and toxicroach have a point. To make a great car requires focused engineering and clarity of purpose. The car company doesn’t want to do those things, because focused engineering requires money and clarity requires risk. So the easy thing to do is dress up an existing platform, because it requires neither of those things.
The trouble is that, in exchange for dressing up an existing platform, they are asking consumers to pay significantly larger chunks of cash.
The discerning consumer realizes that the added value does not measure up to the added price tag. Therefore, the product flounders.
“Pure luxury cars are just an obsolete concept. There isn’t a gizmo or widget that can be had on a car that you can’t get on a value line model.”
So true. Over the weekend, we had a Budget rental Kia Forte in the Tampa-Clearwater area and it had features my 2004 Impala doesn’t have. For one thing, it was trimmed nicer with “Forte” embroidered floor mats, a nice two-tone interior, soft-touch materials everywhere, comfortable manual seats, nice lighting accents and turn signal indicators on the outside mirrors, plus it was pretty nice-looking – AND – larger windows for the all-important outward visibility!
So yes, “luxury” as described years ago no longer has the aura it once had, since features that used to be considered “luxurious” are available on the lowliest models.
By the way – I saw my first Chevy Camaro convertible! Where? In the Budget rental car garage at the Tampa airport! Yellow with black interior and top. You thought the coupe’s windows were gun-slit small? Ha! Take a look at one of these. I doubt with my vision limitation I could safely drive one on a daily basis, but boy, do I want one! In red. Saddle brown interior. Black top. Please.
Our local LM dealer recently “debranded” (although their old URL still works, and the site still shows LM branding in pictures). To no-ones surprise, the inventory of this now independent dealer is heavily FoMoCo based. http://www.fiorelm.com/ The backstory goes that Ford approached them for a pricetag, dealer came up with a price, Ford wrote a check, bada bing bada boom. Quicker, less stressful, and probably cheaper than litigation.
Does anyone know of any new Lincoln product coming? A small car(I assume a rebadged Focus) and a small SUV (rebadged Escape) are it? If that is all that is coming, then let Lincoln die too. They killed Mercury just for Lincoln to become Mercury.
I have a few suggestions. First, the Aussie Falcon. Rebody it, and load it with luxury stuff. Eco-boost and the 5 liter V8. And a supercharged V8. Compete directly with CTS. And CTS-V
A big rear drive sedan. Yes, a Town Car. But not prehistoric, like the outgoing car. A modern large car. Eco-boost and V-8. And Hybrid.
A luxury sporty car/convertible. For old people with some money, in Florida
I don’t blame the dealer network’s frustration. The old Lincoln vs Cadillac debate is dead, dead, dead. CHRYSLER out Lincoln’d Lincoln with the original 300. Warmed over Volvo’s and F-150’s do not a brand make.
If I’m Mullaly, I’m pulling out the old yearbooks, and I’m turning to the 60’s to early 70’s. Then, I’m cranking out Continentals, Marks, and the like. But the cars should be pure just-signed-a-contract-with-the-NBA style. A Mercedes S class driver won’t go near it. They’ll scoff at it. But who cares? The folks with dough who have a different idea of style will fight for them.
It takes courage and a whole lot of money to offer a line of cars like this. The risks are huge. But I believe the gamble will pay off in huge profits — that’s if Ford can manage the parts bin correctly.
Which means massaging and managing the non-truck rear drive platform they have.
(look at all the praise the live rear axle Mustang has received)
Still, that’s what Lincoln should be — Old school, chromed, powerful rear drive style. Lincoln should be a little bit dark, foreboding and “dangerous.”
It’s no coincidence the car that was chopped in Animal House was a Lincoln.
If Lincoln had a legit S-class competitor with “Continental” badging, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Of course, first, they need the world-class product…
Agreed.
A Kennedy-era relatively squared off style (i.e., NO MORE of the currently-in-vogue gun slit windows PLEASE, and none of the eco-progressive-metrosexual rounding / softening of the body) in a largish, comfortable and nice-handling (doesn’t have to chase BMW) car, i.e., an updated interpretation of the “classic” American luxury car would I think do well.
Just imagine a convertible with suicide doors. Mmmmm …
Didn’t Lincoln insist that dealers spend about 1million+ on stand alone stores only a year or so ago?
Last week, while driving around town, I spotted a 1963 Lincoln Continental Hardtop sitting on the street. For decades, it’s lurked back in the driveway, but for some reason it was on the street.
In the driveway were two brand new Cadillac Escalades.
Interesting.
Anyway, the Lincoln was a pale yellow with a creamy leather interior and pale wood.
It. Was. Gorgeous.
I drove around the block and drooled.
Can you make a car like that today, Lincoln?
The “smart luxury” idea seems like it has potential with as much focus as there is on the environment now. But what’s the compelling reason to buy a Lincoln? Why not just buy the Ford counterpart? Is there any prestige left in the Lincoln name?
Why buy any luxury car over an equivalent mainstream brand? Based on the luxury car sales charts we recently saw it looks like a lot of people buy for the image and brand snob reasons, which is an area where Lincoln isn’t seen as the equal of Mercedes, BMW, or even Lexus, and which will need to be improved.
Focusing purely on product, the question isn’t how the Lincoln model compared to the Ford model, but how the Lincoln model compares to the competitive luxury models. The MKX is similar to the Edge, yes, but it does have unique features that set it apart, and set it apart from all mainstream brand crossovers as well. Compare the MKX to the Lexus RX, Cadillac SRX, or Acura MDX and you will see that there is nothing the other vehicles offer that the MKX doesn’t match or exceed, whether it comes to features, fuel economy, performance, interior quality and materials, or warranty and perks of ownership. If the MKX compares favorably the the Lexus RX does it matter that you can buy and Edge with less features for less money that happens to be very similar to the MKX? If anything, it just shows how great of a value the Edge is, not that the MKX is lacking.
That’s part of the problem, customers can directly compare the two vehicles. Also the profile view is nearly identical, only the taillight shape and a couple strips of shiny plastic set them apart when viewed from the side.
“Compare the MKX to the Lexus RX, Cadillac SRX, or Acura MDX and you will see that there is nothing the other vehicles offer that the MKX doesn’t match or exceed……”
Nullo, you forgot to mention the resale of a Lincoln value versus a similar Lexus in 3 to 5 years.
Let’s remember our history here, of how the Japanese invaded the US luxury market. First, they created new brands — because Toyota, Nissan/Datsun and Honda were identified with economy cars. Then their launch products were just stuffed with good features and a unique platform (well, not Honda, given that the first Legend looked pretty much like a tarted-up Accord, FWD and all. Perhaps its no accident that Acura is the least succesful of the Japanese luxury brands).
Sure Toyota and Nissan used the Benz S class as the bogey, but so what? Check out the quality of everything about the first generation LS 400. Toyota had the currency advantage running in their favor, but they had to have been accepting much less than luxury car margins on the first generation LS 400.
I would suggest that FoMoCo do the same thing with a re-launched Lincoln. Make the car a unique (and, obviously, RWD) platform, stuff it with content and be satisfied for a few years of econo-car margins to build volume.
“Compare the MKX to the Lexus RX, Cadillac SRX, or Acura MDX and you will see that there is nothing the other vehicles offer that the MKX doesn’t match or exceed”
The Lincoln Edge has a 3rd row like the Acura MDX? Really?
I thought it was just a 2-row hauler.
Ford’s requirements for Lincoln dealers are overall pretty reasonable. My dealer is already successful with the current product line, but the message from upper management isn’t one of fear or resistance to change. We’ve already been seeing the shift in our customers from comparing out products to Chrysler and Chevy to competing mostly with Toyota, Honda, Nissan. On the Lincoln side there is still a lot of cross shopping with Cadillac and Buick, but we are seeing more and more customers trying to decide between a Lincoln and a Lexus, Infiniti or Acura.
The forward thinking dealers are going to embrace the changes to help bring in the new target customers. The dealers still playing by the old rules with dirty showrooms, half empty lots, and 70s style negotiation shenanigans are going to resist change just like they have for the last few decades, and if it means they get cut and left behind, it’s probably better for everyone remaining anyway.
The quality of the showroom experience apparently makes a difference to luxury car buyers, so if Lincoln wants to move back upmarket and gain share in the segment, dealer will need to invest in making the experience of customers on par with the import luxury brands where it comes to sales and service. As far as the product goes, Lincoln is already on the right path by reducing incentives and offering more technology, fuel efficiency and luxury in the current lineup that they have in the past ten years.
The move upmarket has to be somewhat gradual – no one is going to buy a $70,000 Lincoln sedan today, but by improving the product consistently the image of the brand, and therefore the level of cars and the prices asked for them, can both be increased over time.
“70s style negotiation shenanigans” How true! My local dealership reeks of this. Young men in cheap suits milling around the entrance. Also, they oddly built a new combined Lincoln-Mazda facility across the street from the Ford store.
“Move upmarket” … ?!
If you can’t sell a $50,000 Lincoln sedan, why would you expect to be able to sell a $70,000 one?
Moving upmarket is not a new idea … it has worked in some cases (Hyundai) and not in others (Saab).
You may have a bit of a chicken-egg conundrum there at Lincoln. In order to come out with good products, you need to know there are buyers. But buyers have to see good products before they will appear.
If you drive off all the buyers, I think that puts you back at square one. You have to invest money … and wait … and then the good products come out. Then you put the good products out for sale … and wait … and then the buyers start to show up. Then you invest more money … and wait … and the next wave of products comes out. Then the buyers really start to show up. And, assuming nothing major goes wrong, then you are in good shape. And 10 years older.
It can happen. Will it? I don’t know.
If people know I paid a bunch more, that’s one point.
If the reskin/makeover distinguishes from it’s mainstream counterpart, that’s two.
If comes with free loaner cars, free scheduled maintenance, free extended warranty, courteous and problem solving non TSA-like service department, then SOLD!
All those things wouldn’t cost Ford/Lincoln a terrible lot and I don’t think it’s too much to ask. The scheduled maintenance BMW includes is less than $1000 retail and car shoppers fall all over it while it might cost the dealer a fraction of that.
Also I don’t care to have too fancy a dealership. I know I paid too much. Don’t need a reminder.
Why would a dealer invest in Lincoln when there is so little product to get truly excited about at the moment. The competition from the big 3 in Germany is just getting worse and the likes of JLR are now spending billions to invest in lots of new product lines to hurt Lincoln and co with. In a decade will Lincoln even exist anymore?
Management at Ford/Lincoln must think that if you chrome up a Ford it will create a more classy look. Not so. For example,the grill is an overstatement and screams “bling bling,poor taste” The build platform can be the same as a Ford , the profile should not be. Lexus got that right.
+1
When I was growing up, Lincoln was the most desireable car to own – next to Cadillacs. All of my uncles own or owned a Lincoln at this point. They absolutely refuse to buy imports and some of them talk smack about me even though I choose a different route: Mercedes Benz and Chrysler – cars that offer WAY more than theirs.
Lincoln is a brand recognized by old people and unlike Cadillac, they haven’t rejuvenated their image. Their cars cost too much when compared to the equivalent Ford model and when you add to that – my generation would rather be driving Foreign imports – you’ve got a rapidly aging/declining consumer base.
Sad thing is, Lincoln usually offers more features for less money and are more reliable than BMW, Audi and Mercedes. However, my generation would rather break their backs for the import.
Lincoln’s drive nothing like BMWs and that is why Lincoln fails. Most younger luxury buyers are image buyers but many also want dynamics and performance. That is the main difference between the old and new generation of luxury buyers.
My father still doesn’t understand why someone would pay so much money for such a small car (referreing to the 3 and even 5 series BMWs). The driving enjoyment aspect was always completely lost on him. He wanted a big, fast, quiet, comfortable car like rode like a cloud which is why he always lusted after a Lexus.
I’ll take a modern LS with a 3.6 liter direct-injected engine and a six-speed transmission. Oh yes, better reliability than the 90’s-00’s version. Make it cheaper, natch.
Call me “dated”, but I agree. I was looking at a MKZ near by a LS in the local Wally World parking lot recently, and I thought that the LS still looked two order of magnitudes classier than the MKZ.
I always wanted a LS V8 :)
I know everyone thought Mercury needed to die. And as it was, killing Mercury might have been the best idea…on paper.
But I think, with Mercury dead, even older customers are starting to realize that their prized Lincolns are just tarted up Fords. They’re paying a premium for a badge, not a better vehicle. That’s where Mercury came in.
How many customers came into a dealership looking at a Merc, only to leave in a Lincoln? I don’t know, and neither does Ford I think, but I imagine it is a lot easier to upsell from Mercury to Lincoln, than from Ford to Lincoln.
The only path to salvation for Lincoln is to make it a sporty luxury brand not unlike BMW or Cadillac. The idea of bringing over the old Falcon is a nice thought, but that car is soon to be replaced. What Lincoln needs is its own version of the next-gen Mustang. They need a four-door sports sedan with RWD bias.
They DON’T NEED A COMPACT CAR.
I would love to see Mercury brought back as a “performance badge” not unlike BMW M. New Cougar plz? Not gonna happen. Sigh.
I’m not sure Lincoln is long for this world.
I think Ford missed their chance to do what GM has done – Chev is the bargain line with Korean-based cars, Buick takes the more sophisticated Euro-based cars and Cadillac doesn’t have to reach so far downmarket. For example, while the US market Focus evolved on the old platform the Euro version could have been sold as a genuinely higher-value car through Mercury. They could also have offered Aussie Fords at the larger end of the scale. I don’t think these would necessarily have been huge sellers but I doubt the badge engineered cars provided much in the way of incremental sales either.
Ford, I detect serious rumblings deep within, and that’s not good. The remaining “American” OEMs need to re-visit the old designs and be inspired and come up with something different, or in the case of the teaser photo above – re-visit the Jetsons for inspiration as well. That photo is beautiful!
I agree with the above commenter that Chrysler trumped Lincoln with the original 300 – what Lincoln should have been doing all along.
Unless Lincoln pulls a nice retro out of its hat, it is doomed.
No matter what brand you’re talking about, there are going to be a few disgruntled dealers here and there. I’m sure there are even a couple Hyundai and Kia dealers who are upset about something-or-other with their corporate partners.
While I’ll grant that Lincoln dealers have good reason to be upset with their brand’s decline, they should thank their lucky stars they don’t own Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Mazda, or (whinces) Saab franchises.
Bring back the bench seat. If Lincoln produced a car with an interior that really looked like that, they’d really differentiate themselves. Look what Citroen is doing with their avant garde interiors–really doing something different, and it gives the brand credence and a fan base.
As I’ve stated in other threads about Lincoln I believe Ford intends to have Lincoln sold through Ford dealerships and by eliminating Mercury Ford will accomplish this goal without having to buy out the standalone Lincoln dealerships.
A standalone Lincoln dealership is simply not a viable business model. There is no question about it, that is a fact. On the other hand the remaining standalone Lincoln dealers will have no problems selling their franchises to Ford dealers because that will mean incremental sales for the Ford stores. I truly believe Ford’s dictate for Lincoln dealers to upgrade their stores is merely a smokescreen intended to push the Lincoln dealers to sell their franchises. From an economic standpoint it makes absolutely no sense for a Lincoln dealer to spend money on upgrades. As it is now they are not profitable so why would they spend more money especially considering no viable new products are forthcoming?
Ford I believe has come up with a way to eliminate LM dealers without the expensive buyouts ala Oldsmobile. As far as Lincoln itself, everyone knows the brand is death walking. There is no business case for Ford to spend huge amounts of money developing new Lincoln models. The only viable business case for Lincoln is to continue to offer derivatives of Ford models which come at a very minor expense compared to developing new exclusive Lincoln models.
Through Ford’s well proven and totally inept luxury brand management they have all but totally destroyed Lincoln and the brand is literally at the point now that it would be throwing good dollars after bad to revive it and I don’t see Ford doing that when the alternative is to make incremental income.
I think it’s pretty clear that the goal is to integrate the Lincoln dealers with the Ford dealers. It makes a lot of sense to have both brands in the same location, and it allows for dealers who can’t make a deal on a Lincoln for a particular customer to at least have the chance to move them to a Ford to keep the same in the company.
I disagree about Lincoln being a dead brand walking. Ford has been neglecting Lincoln a bit, yes, but that’s because so much time and effort was being spent righting the ship for the core Ford brand. Now that that things are moving in the right direction for Ford, there’s time to figure out what’s going on with Lincoln and make it right.
Remember, before the CTS came out Lincoln had more brand credibility than Cadillac. Just like Cadillac has been able to revitalize its image all it will take are a couple killer products for Lincoln to do the same.
To say Ford has neglected Lincoln a bit is like saying the tsunami in Japan caused a bit of flooding. Lincoln’s current sales #’s make it an also ran in the luxury segment. The brand isn’t even on the radar of probably 95%+ of luxury buyers. If Lincoln isn’t a dead brand walking then I don’t know what is.
Consider this, BMW, Lexus, MB, Infiniti are viable standalone dealerships Lincoln is not.
While you are correct in stating Lincoln is only a few hit models away from getting back into the luxury car market where are those models? I contend Ford will not spend the development money to bring them to market but will instead continue to offer Ford derivatives as that is the only path that makes any economic sense. The reason Ford will not spend the money to develop exclusive Lincoln vehicles is the ROI does not exist for a brand so heavily damaged and sold only in the U.S. for the most part. Ford does not have the development money to spend that would be necessary to develop exclusive Lincoln models and I don’t see the proverbial snowball’s chance in hell of Lincoln ever becoming a global brand.
I wonder, though. Maybe Ford’s problem is Ford?
How luxurious do Ford’s cars need to be? Do they really sell a lot of $35-40k Tauruses? Is that taking away from potential Lincoln sales?
I don’t mind the platform sharing but maybe Lincoln should really differentiate itself with RWD/AWD, more power, and more luxury.
I’m not saying there shouldn’t be a fully loaded SHO or Taurus Limited, but the gap between luxury and a loaded Ford is closing…
Lincoln is not modern. Not even in name. I’d like to see a trendy marketing campaign for “Lincoln”. The Styling is sorta retro, square and slow. The Ford products are a better value.
I can say with authority that Lincoln has the Ford retiree demographic covered in the Detroit burbs. The same goes for coastal Florida if the retiree was well compensated and has a winter condo.
Other than that…no Lincolns to be seen. Scary.
Ford G6E, even sounds like a BMW, 4 doors, goes like sh*t off a shovel and has nice luxury. Doesn’t look like anything Ford NA makes therefore dirrentiating itself from the “common” herd. And it will easily pass the $50,000 barrier for exclusivity.
besides, looking at that dash, I don’t know wether I want to drive it or eat my dinner off the table. Didn’t Citroen do a similar thing to the steering wheel, waaaaay back when.
Lincoln needs a flagship model to survive and the MKS (or whatever its called) is not it. It needs to be big, brash, and unapoligetically American in style. It needs to be built of the finest materials, with V-8 power driving the rear wheels. It needs to be dynamically precise and be beautiful to look at. It needs to be coveted not only here but in overseas markets as well. It should not be based on a FWD Ford model. The flagship model can then set the design language/mission for the rest of the Lincoln line up. If Ford does not do this I think they will fail at saving the brand.
It actually sounds like you just described the 2012 Chrysler 300C Executive, and that is probably a big problem for Lincoln.