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Where Is Ford taking the Lincoln Motor Company?
4167 messages, Last post on May 20, 2013 at 10:03 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum.What is this discussion about? Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKS, Lincoln MKX
#1833 of 4167 Re: Ford's Non-Bankruptcy Bankruptcy [explorerx4] by gregg_vw
Mar 08, 2007 (6:40 am)
Replying to: explorerx4 (Mar 07, 2007 5:52 pm)
Well, yes, I had several sets of Firestones, but only a couple of instances of tread separation. I would have rather had none. I do think Ford may have gotten a raw deal with the Explorer-Firestone clap trap, but they did themselves in by cutting product development to try to cover the costs it incurred. That company has see-sawed throughout its history with innovative products followed by neglect, and amnesia for the fact they are in the business of creating and moving products.
The 2001 Sport Trac (which had Firestones) was a good example. A decent design, which was saddled with one rather anemic engine. They never increased the hp or did much of anything with what was at first a relatively popular niche model. They instead allowed it to die off by the 2006 model year, and then belatedly updated it a couple of Explorer generations, while managing to keep the same exact shape and style (the old body with a new grill and pickup box). Consequently, I never saw a reason to buy another Sport Trac. Not exactly the way to take the 4 door pickup world by storm, but that is what Ford often does.
Lincoln needs the MKS now. It needs more differentiated products from the corresponding Fords, at the very least unique Lincoln styling. The dumb Marky letters should go, and the Marky R (Murky Er or Merkur or whatever it is called) or something close needs to be in the pipeline.
I see they are still throwing lots of money (but perhaps still too little to actually turn anything around) at Jaguar. Whether the new F sedan to replace the S will become a volume seller is anyone's guess. And they are putting money into cosmetic changes to the boring looking XJ until they belatedly bring out the replacement for the 2010 model year. 2010???? It's a total dud at sales. Waiting that long for the new one is a stupid business decision.
But in my opinion, Ford could be making a lot more $$ by putting Jaguar out to pasture, and putting those resources into Lincoln. lincoln was a volume seller, and models could be prepared for export. Or Jaguar could be the new Ford Aston Martin...forget about volume.
#1834 of 4167 Prelude had 4WS by marsha7
Mar 08, 2007 (9:49 am)
for about four years, I believe, and, oddly, Mazda also had it as an option in the 626 if I recall...In the Prelude it was a $1200 option, if memory serves, and it was worth every penny, making turns on a dime, parallel parking was a breeze...
Leave it to GM to take "old" technology and charge $5000 for the option, Liberty diesel engine was $5000 option if what I read was correct...
I certainly believe they should make money, but how many people paid an extra 5 grand for an option that probably barely cost a grand, if that???...another $1200, maybe, but 5 thousand dollars???...and they wonder why folks like japanese products???
#1835 of 4167 Re: Ford's Non-Bankruptcy Bankruptcy [explorerx4] by heyjewel
Mar 08, 2007 (10:03 am)
Replying to: explorerx4 (Mar 07, 2007 5:52 pm)
Oh, so if a tree falls in the forest and you didn't see it then it didnt really fall? Since you know of no one killed in a burning Pinto, rolling Explorer or exploding Police cruiser they didnt really happen? Or perhaps dont matter? Did u take logic 101 in college? Look, my point here is a simple one- do u see anyone getting immolated in Toyotas because of gas tanks that are positioned such that they tend to explode on rear impact? Or cruise control switches that happen to catch fire at the most inopportune moment? Has GM been convicted by a jury of poor design and using inferior tires leading to lots and lots of casualties? No no and no. Only Ford has gone down these roads. (Please dont bring up the GM pickups of years ago - even the leftie hitmen at NBC news had to jury rig their 'investigative tests' to get thier pickups to burn so that was a non issue.)
So with a rep like Ford has, why in creation would they bring out an important product (Edge, mkx) with anything less than the best brakes money could buy? Even at an extra, what, $20 or even $100 per car? And why would they overrule the engineering standards of Volvo, the most respected name in auto safety in the world? Instead of learning from Volvo and applying those safety standards to ALL Ford vehicles? Instead they decide to dumb down everything to the barely adequate Ford "Standards" for safety? It's unbelieveable to me, but that's reality.
As for Firestone, apparently those explorer tires sucked big time and were defectively designed and/or manufactured. My 2001 LS came with Firestones and I wanted Ford to change to something else. They told me to jump in a lake (though they themselves changed tires in 2002). I took my chances and they were such good tires, that I replaced them with another set of Stones and now have my third set of Firestones (these called Wide Ovals to bring back old memories, kinda like Taurus:>) on my LS and never had an issue or a problem. I do give credit where it's due.
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