The Detroit News: Ford struggles to remake Lincoln
02-16-10, 04:47 PM
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The Detroit News: Ford struggles to remake Lincoln
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...etter-business
February 16, 2010
Ford struggles to remake Lincoln
Luxury brand's reinvention taking longer than expected
BRYCE G. HOFFMAN
The Detroit News
Dearborn --The refashioned Lincoln MKX that Ford Motor Co. unveiled at the North American International Auto Show last month may have brought the automaker one step closer to realizing its vision for the luxury brand, but dealers still are questioning the Lincoln strategy.
Lincoln did comparatively well last year, with demand dropping 22.8 percent while sales in the luxury segment overall fell 24.5 percent, according to Autodata Corp. But the rocket-like resurgence executives expected when they ordered a complete redesign of the brand in 2005 has failed to materialize.
Lincoln was supposed to overtake its sister brand, Mercury, become the dominant partner and ultimately eliminate the need for Mercury. Instead, Mercury continued to outsell Lincoln, and Ford now plans to add a small car to the Mercury lineup for 2012.
"You can credit some of that to the economy," said George Peterson, president of California-based consulting firm AutoPacific Inc. "But they've struggled with refashioning Lincoln into a bona fide American luxury brand."
It has been nearly five years since former Ford design chief Peter Horbury, fresh from an extreme makeover of Ford's Volvo brand, stood before Bill Ford Jr. and asked to do the same with Lincoln.
A screen behind Horbury displayed the next generation of every Lincoln product -- an unimpressive lineup of cars and trucks that bore an obvious resemblance to the Ford products on which they were based. A different grille and few different bends in the sheet metal was all that differentiated them.
Then a stunning array of modern luxury vehicles flashed on the screen, inspired by iconic cars like the 1941 Continental Cabriolet and the 1966 Continental. This, Horbury said, could be the future of Lincoln -- if Ford would pay for it.
With only minor differences, it was this lineup that surrounded Bill Ford as he introduced the new MKX last month at Cobo Center.
"In the early days, everybody knew what Lincoln stood for ... a Lincoln was simply luxury on wheels," said Ford, the grandson of Edsel Ford, who famously persuaded his father, Henry Ford, to buy the Lincoln brand in 1922. "As it was in my grandfather's day, when you look at today's product lineup, there is simply no question about what makes a Lincoln."
But there are questions about whether Lincoln's reinvention is going far enough, fast enough.
Ford acknowledges that the transformation of Lincoln is a work in progress, but prefers to emphasize the progress.
The company sold more Lincolns than Mercurys to retail customers in 2009, and says new models are attracting younger buyers and winning converts from other brands. Half of MKX crossover buyers, for example, are trading in competitors' vehicles. Lexus and Cadillac top that list.
Cutting-edge technology is a big part of the draw. But dealers say exclusive features such as automatic parallel parking and EcoBoost engines, which offer the power of a bigger engine with better fuel economy, were supposed to distinguish Lincolns in the luxury market but are migrating to Ford products too quickly.
"It's hard to sell a $48,000 MKS when the Ford guy down the street has a Taurus with the same features for $10,000 less," said Dave Knittel, general manager of Charlotte County Lincoln Mercury in Punta Gorda, Fla.
Dealers worry
While dealers are pleased plans to do away with Mercury were scuttled they also worry that both brands have been sidelined as Ford focuses on fixing its namesake Blue Oval marque. Responsibility for Lincoln Mercury, no longer a stand-alone division with its own leadership team, now rests with the same executives leading the Ford brand in North America.
"I have more dedicated Lincoln-Mercury employees than Ford Motor Co. does," said Chris Lemley, who owns Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealerships in suburban Boston. "They don't have any executives who wake up every day thinking about these brands."
Jim Farley, Ford's global head of marketing and sales, said dealers should not doubt Ford's commitment. "We have created a foundation for Lincoln we can build on," he said. "We have credible products that Lincoln loyalists and some new customers have embraced. We have an opportunity now to take the next step forward with Lincoln and start to grow and prosper again."
Understated luxury
Ford Americas President Mark Fields said the overall plan for Lincoln is unchanged. "Lincoln is the volume piece of the business going forward," he said. "We now have a cohesive Lincoln lineup that shares a common DNA."
Ford needs to tip the scale in Lincoln's favor because it makes significantly more money off the higher-priced models. But critics say Lincolns often have a higher base price than competing models. Fields agreed that is sometimes the case, but challenged consumers to compare what each offers for the money.
A top-of-the-line Lincoln MKT, for instance, sells for $49,995; a similarly equipped Audi Q7 would cost $61,825.
"If people were cross-shopping Audi and Lincoln, that would be great," said analyst Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics LLP in Birmingham. "Audi buyers are shopping for a style statement. They're not even looking at Lincoln. Lincoln still has not gotten back up to first-tier luxury."
Though Horbury has returned to Volvo, his replacement has promised to continue Lincoln's transformation. Ford Americas design chief Moray Callum said Lincoln will offer understated luxury he thinks is in line with the times.
"That's what we hope we're doing, bit by bit, vehicle by vehicle."
February 16, 2010
Ford struggles to remake Lincoln
Luxury brand's reinvention taking longer than expected
BRYCE G. HOFFMAN
The Detroit News
Dearborn --The refashioned Lincoln MKX that Ford Motor Co. unveiled at the North American International Auto Show last month may have brought the automaker one step closer to realizing its vision for the luxury brand, but dealers still are questioning the Lincoln strategy.
Lincoln did comparatively well last year, with demand dropping 22.8 percent while sales in the luxury segment overall fell 24.5 percent, according to Autodata Corp. But the rocket-like resurgence executives expected when they ordered a complete redesign of the brand in 2005 has failed to materialize.
Lincoln was supposed to overtake its sister brand, Mercury, become the dominant partner and ultimately eliminate the need for Mercury. Instead, Mercury continued to outsell Lincoln, and Ford now plans to add a small car to the Mercury lineup for 2012.
"You can credit some of that to the economy," said George Peterson, president of California-based consulting firm AutoPacific Inc. "But they've struggled with refashioning Lincoln into a bona fide American luxury brand."
It has been nearly five years since former Ford design chief Peter Horbury, fresh from an extreme makeover of Ford's Volvo brand, stood before Bill Ford Jr. and asked to do the same with Lincoln.
A screen behind Horbury displayed the next generation of every Lincoln product -- an unimpressive lineup of cars and trucks that bore an obvious resemblance to the Ford products on which they were based. A different grille and few different bends in the sheet metal was all that differentiated them.
Then a stunning array of modern luxury vehicles flashed on the screen, inspired by iconic cars like the 1941 Continental Cabriolet and the 1966 Continental. This, Horbury said, could be the future of Lincoln -- if Ford would pay for it.
With only minor differences, it was this lineup that surrounded Bill Ford as he introduced the new MKX last month at Cobo Center.
"In the early days, everybody knew what Lincoln stood for ... a Lincoln was simply luxury on wheels," said Ford, the grandson of Edsel Ford, who famously persuaded his father, Henry Ford, to buy the Lincoln brand in 1922. "As it was in my grandfather's day, when you look at today's product lineup, there is simply no question about what makes a Lincoln."
But there are questions about whether Lincoln's reinvention is going far enough, fast enough.
Ford acknowledges that the transformation of Lincoln is a work in progress, but prefers to emphasize the progress.
The company sold more Lincolns than Mercurys to retail customers in 2009, and says new models are attracting younger buyers and winning converts from other brands. Half of MKX crossover buyers, for example, are trading in competitors' vehicles. Lexus and Cadillac top that list.
Cutting-edge technology is a big part of the draw. But dealers say exclusive features such as automatic parallel parking and EcoBoost engines, which offer the power of a bigger engine with better fuel economy, were supposed to distinguish Lincolns in the luxury market but are migrating to Ford products too quickly.
"It's hard to sell a $48,000 MKS when the Ford guy down the street has a Taurus with the same features for $10,000 less," said Dave Knittel, general manager of Charlotte County Lincoln Mercury in Punta Gorda, Fla.
Dealers worry
While dealers are pleased plans to do away with Mercury were scuttled they also worry that both brands have been sidelined as Ford focuses on fixing its namesake Blue Oval marque. Responsibility for Lincoln Mercury, no longer a stand-alone division with its own leadership team, now rests with the same executives leading the Ford brand in North America.
"I have more dedicated Lincoln-Mercury employees than Ford Motor Co. does," said Chris Lemley, who owns Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealerships in suburban Boston. "They don't have any executives who wake up every day thinking about these brands."
Jim Farley, Ford's global head of marketing and sales, said dealers should not doubt Ford's commitment. "We have created a foundation for Lincoln we can build on," he said. "We have credible products that Lincoln loyalists and some new customers have embraced. We have an opportunity now to take the next step forward with Lincoln and start to grow and prosper again."
Understated luxury
Ford Americas President Mark Fields said the overall plan for Lincoln is unchanged. "Lincoln is the volume piece of the business going forward," he said. "We now have a cohesive Lincoln lineup that shares a common DNA."
Ford needs to tip the scale in Lincoln's favor because it makes significantly more money off the higher-priced models. But critics say Lincolns often have a higher base price than competing models. Fields agreed that is sometimes the case, but challenged consumers to compare what each offers for the money.
A top-of-the-line Lincoln MKT, for instance, sells for $49,995; a similarly equipped Audi Q7 would cost $61,825.
"If people were cross-shopping Audi and Lincoln, that would be great," said analyst Jim Hall of 2953 Analytics LLP in Birmingham. "Audi buyers are shopping for a style statement. They're not even looking at Lincoln. Lincoln still has not gotten back up to first-tier luxury."
Though Horbury has returned to Volvo, his replacement has promised to continue Lincoln's transformation. Ford Americas design chief Moray Callum said Lincoln will offer understated luxury he thinks is in line with the times.
"That's what we hope we're doing, bit by bit, vehicle by vehicle."
02-16-10, 08:35 PM
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I admire what Ford has done to Ford, but Lincoln? it's hopeless. i basically hate everything about the lincoln right now.
and please please, don't confuse me with all these same names. and that huge giant nostrils on MK whatever SUV is the most hideous thing i've ever seen since Aztek.
and please please, don't confuse me with all these same names. and that huge giant nostrils on MK whatever SUV is the most hideous thing i've ever seen since Aztek.
02-16-10, 09:37 PM
#5
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Lincoln was supposed to overtake its sister brand, Mercury, become the dominant partner and ultimately eliminate the need for Mercury. Instead, Mercury continued to outsell Lincoln, and Ford now plans to add a small car to the Mercury lineup for 2012.
This is what I've said in numerous threads......that Mercury was far from dead. And, there is a current CL thread going on right now about another new entry-level Tracer for the Merury line.
02-16-10, 10:11 PM
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02-17-10, 12:49 AM
#9
Lexus Test Driver
LOL! I love articles like this! They go way out of their way to analyze why they are not selling well and the simple answer is ***THEY ARE FREAKIN UGLY AND NO ONE WANTS TO BUY OVERBLOATED, ROCKING HORSE, ANT-EATER, BATH TUB MONSTROSITY TOY VEHICLES!*** Period! The end! Waste of paper, waste of time, waste of sheetmetal, waste of everything. Go to the store Lincoln and buy a box of reality, please. And while they're at it, the auto media needs to grow some you know whats and state what is really going on. I read the article in AutoBlog this morning and LOL'ed that they actually bought the arguement- all the while showing the same behometh just above the text. *pukes* 
Last edited by Fizzboy7; 02-17-10 at 01:56 AM.
02-17-10, 01:54 AM
#10
Lexus Fanatic
hahahah
that's what i was gonna say
that thing looks grotesque. Appearance is 90% of the package. I guess Ford and Honda didn't get the memo. It's better to be generic and decent, than unique and ugly
it's shaped like a hippopotamus
the front looks like darth vader's helmet
and the back looks like a cyclops robot, or just cyclops headgear from xmen
02-17-10, 02:15 AM
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Maybe it's just the obvious, Lincoln is nothing more then re-badged Fords, the high end loaded Fords come with all the same options as Lincolns minus the Chrome, the Lincoln Mark LT pickup is gone, all that was, was an F150 with Chrome
02-17-10, 09:10 AM
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Lincoln has "domestic" syndrome. They have a vastly improved lineup and people ignore them for being "Lincoln". Now that is their problem they created, they have confused people with styling, names and no direction seemingly the last couple of decades.
That said I wasn't a fan of the MKT until I checked it out in person. Very well built and looks better. I find it funny people think the MKT is hideous but probably give ugly imports like the FX, ZDX, X6 kudos and unlike the MKT they are USELESS. The MKT seats 7.
I rather the useful MKT thank you out of the ugly bunch.
The MKS and MKZ look great in person, especially the MKS. They sell resonably well but Lincoln has to keep pushing on. I think with Cadillac thinking they are some America BMW, Lincoln can stay someone true to its America roots, big luxury cars with a nice ride.
That said I wasn't a fan of the MKT until I checked it out in person. Very well built and looks better. I find it funny people think the MKT is hideous but probably give ugly imports like the FX, ZDX, X6 kudos and unlike the MKT they are USELESS. The MKT seats 7.
I rather the useful MKT thank you out of the ugly bunch.
The MKS and MKZ look great in person, especially the MKS. They sell resonably well but Lincoln has to keep pushing on. I think with Cadillac thinking they are some America BMW, Lincoln can stay someone true to its America roots, big luxury cars with a nice ride.
02-17-10, 09:22 AM
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I really wish Lincoln would just stop hitting their cars with ugly sticks. They just seem to exaggerate all their design ques as of late. Their grills have become a real freak show. I saw one of these new things at the show this year (forget which one) and the only way I can discribe the initial response is that the front end of that car gave me the same feeling that I got when I tried liver for the first time.
02-17-10, 09:23 AM
#14
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That said I wasn't a fan of the MKT until I checked it out in person. Very well built and looks better. I find it funny people think the MKT is hideous but probably give ugly imports like the FX, ZDX, X6 kudos and unlike the MKT they are USELESS. The MKT seats 7.
I rather the useful MKT thank you out of the ugly bunch.
I rather the useful MKT thank you out of the ugly bunch.
I find it funny people think the MKT is hideous but probably give ugly imports like the FX, ZDX, X6 kudos and unlike the MKT they are USELESS. The MKT seats 7.
02-17-10, 09:25 AM
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Ummmmmm that's looks WAY better than an Acura........
Btw I still see a lot of Acura's on the road so ugly sells........
+1
Btw I still see a lot of Acura's on the road so ugly sells........
Lincoln has "domestic" syndrome. They have a vastly improved lineup and people ignore them for being "Lincoln". Now that is their problem they created, they have confused people with styling, names and no direction seemingly the last couple of decades.
That said I wasn't a fan of the MKT until I checked it out in person. Very well built and looks better. I find it funny people think the MKT is hideous but probably give ugly imports like the FX, ZDX, X6 kudos and unlike the MKT they are USELESS. The MKT seats 7.
I rather the useful MKT thank you out of the ugly bunch.
The MKS and MKZ look great in person, especially the MKS. They sell resonably well but Lincoln has to keep pushing on. I think with Cadillac thinking they are some America BMW, Lincoln can stay someone true to its America roots, big luxury cars with a nice ride.
That said I wasn't a fan of the MKT until I checked it out in person. Very well built and looks better. I find it funny people think the MKT is hideous but probably give ugly imports like the FX, ZDX, X6 kudos and unlike the MKT they are USELESS. The MKT seats 7.
I rather the useful MKT thank you out of the ugly bunch.
The MKS and MKZ look great in person, especially the MKS. They sell resonably well but Lincoln has to keep pushing on. I think with Cadillac thinking they are some America BMW, Lincoln can stay someone true to its America roots, big luxury cars with a nice ride.