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Would Ford Ever sell Lincoln? - READ ONLY

66 messages,  Last post on Aug 22, 2010 at 5:04 PM

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Messages Page 3 of 7

#17 of 66 Why would I buy a Lincoln... by lemko

Mar 02, 2006 (11:02 am)

...two reasons:
 
If Cadillac and Lexus didn't exist.
If Cadillac and Lexus became too expensive.
 
Under these conditions I might consider a Town Car. The rest of Lincoln's lineup leaves me cold. A gussied-up F-150? Blecchh!!!

#18 of 66 Re: . [fintail] by au1994

Mar 07, 2006 (6:56 am)

Replying to: fintail (Mar 02, 2006 10:34 am)
If we were in the market for a luxury or near luxury sedan, I would look at the Zephyr. Just based on the pics, its not bad looking outside or inside and performance would not be much of a consideration as my wife would be the primary driver. That's not a big deal to her, although she really likes the power in her Volvo S40 T5. It's not a deal breaker for her though. Plus with the inevitable incentives that would be available, we'd probably give it a look.
 
The MKX looks promising, but everything else does not appeal to me.

#19 of 66 I like the looks of the Zephyr... by andre1969

Apr 20, 2006 (7:55 am)

for the most part. I don't care for the rear-end, because the taillights just look like they belong on a much bigger car. I really like the front though, with its wide grille flanked by a nicely proportioned headlight cluster that recalls the old quad-lamp setups of days gone by. And the interior is nice.
 
But I don't know if it's nice enough for me to consider a Zephyr over a Mercury Milan or a Ford Fusion.
 
The Town Car is one of those vehicles that in theory I should like, but I just don't. It's big, RWD, V-8, and easy on the eye, but I just don't care for it. For one thing, as big as they are I don't think they're that roomy inside. I swear those older, boxier 1980's styles were roomier. I've noticed that with the Crown Vic and Grand Marquis too...the older, boxy style just seemed roomier, more plush, and more comfy.
 
Also, they just seem cheap inside. It's like all the cost-cutting and hard plastics from the lesser Fords is finding its way into the Lincolns. I think Lincoln has always had that problem though, moreso than Cadillac.
 
You can put leather seats and power everything in a cheap car, but it still just comes off as a cheap car. They need to pay attention to other things, such as plastics, the grade of the carpet, switchgear, etc.

#21 of 66 Nothing to sell by nvbanker

Jul 09, 2008 (8:59 am)

IMO, Lincoln, once my favorite brand, has nothing to sell anymore. Ford has cheapened this brand to a Buick level, and there is nothing to offer anybody as a brand anymore.

#22 of 66 Re: Nothing to sell [nvbanker] by euphonium

Jul 09, 2008 (2:22 pm)

Replying to: nvbanker (Jul 09, 2008 8:59 am)
A luxury Lincoln is a self contradiction. There's not the value difference between the Crown Vic and the Town Car.

#23 of 66 I Think by jchan2

Jul 09, 2008 (2:38 pm)

Ford will keep Lincoln, but they'll need to revitalize the brand and put some serious time and money. The MKS should really have been a RWD sport sedan, but instead its a Taurus based FWD car with optional AWD...
 
Also, this may be controversial, but I think the future success of the Lincoln brand rests on Mercury closing. Who wants to visit a Lincoln dealership and see Milans and Mountaineers all over the place advertised at bargain basement prices? But then again, Mercury's death is just a matter of time. All Lincoln dealers should be Lincoln only.
 
I think the Mark LT has no replacement in the works.. Navigator could probably continue unchanged for a few years; MKX and MKZ should be ok stop gap replacements, but I don't know what Ford has that they could use off the shelf to deliver results without spending too much. Lincoln is going to require some serious attention, and I don't know if Ford can afford to dump that much money into its luxury brand.
 
They may have been better off closing Lincoln and trying to pump more cash into Jaguar/Land Rover...

#24 of 66 Re: I Think [jchan2] by fezo

Jul 09, 2008 (3:35 pm)

Replying to: jchan2 (Jul 09, 2008 2:38 pm)
It's been quite a while since Lincoln has really been Lincoln. I remember driving a Town Car as a loaner a good dozen years ago and it was just a gussied up Crown Vic.
 
I don't know that Ford could sell it off. Kill it off, maybe, but I don't see a big dollar value in the Lincoln name which is a shame.
 
Saw a 56 Lincoln convertible on a TV car auction. Now you KNEW that was a step up from its mates at Ford. Like the Imperials of the same vintage.

#25 of 66 Re: I Think [jchan2] by jae5

Jul 11, 2008 (10:48 am)

Replying to: jchan2 (Jul 09, 2008 2:38 pm)
I agree. I think Ford will keep Lincoln in that they "have" to; they have no luxury player except Lincoln right now. But as you and others have stated, they need to pump funding it the marque, which they really can't do. Passing off guissed-up Fords, making the taillamps as big as ba-donk-a-donk-donk butt-cheeks, and renaming them MK-whatever (which I still think is stupid and won't go into the idiotic reasoning behind it) is not going to do.
 
I myself haven't looked at Lincolns since the first couple years of LS production, which I thought was a good started on a type of rebirth for them. This vehicle allowed them to be notice, if not taken seriously about being an entry-level player in the luxury market. It gave them a real foot in the door to that playing field and could have been a springboard to mid- and eventually upper-level product. Instead we got a re-grilled Expedition, Blackwooded F-150 (WTH was with those chrome strips along the bed), re-grilled Explorer with the Navigator taillamps - though I did think the Aviator was a nice upgrade until I saw the taillamps. And that sticker price
 
If I was in the market for a Lincoln it would be an older one, like the Mark I & II, early-mid 60s Continental, Mark VII LSC and lastly LS V8. If I was in the market for a luxury-type car, Lincoln would not be on my radar; hell in the market for ANY car Lincoln would not be on my radar.

#26 of 66 Re: I Think [jae5] by nvbanker

Aug 07, 2008 (10:20 am)

Replying to: jae5 (Jul 11, 2008 10:48 am)
Ford will keep Lincoln in that they "have" to; they have no luxury player except Lincoln right now.
 
If the company wasn't in such dire straits, keeping Jag & Land Rover and finishing the great job they started with those two brands would probably have been the best luxury strategy for Ford, inasmuch as Lincoln had been neglected to near death by now. However, though the turnaround may have been close - there was no money left to pump into Jag or L/R and they had to be cut off from the parent to stop the bleeding.
 
Mercury would not be missed if it went away by many, and Lincoln Dealers need much better and more product to sell than they have. However, Volvo isn't a bad fit with Lincoln, IF Volvo isn't sold off for that last bit of cash so desperately needed to stave off the wolves of bankruptcy. Volvo Dealers and Lincoln Dealers could be combined to give the customer some fairly upscale product to cross shop. This never seems to be given any real consideration, but I would think the dealers would be open to it. Couldn't hurt, could it? Are Volvo owners that smug that they would be insulted if Lincolns shared their waiting room in the service department?
 
Anyway, as I said before, Lincoln has nothing to sell. The brand equity has been depleted already and it will be a long time before it's restored in any measurable degree.
 
If Ford is to have a true luxury brand, Lincoln is all they have left, and need to invest the dollars for a Cadillac like comeback. Although, Cadillac is starving now for product and resting on their laurels pretty much too these days......

Messages Page 3 of 7

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