Report: Ford pumping $1 billion into Lincoln revival

[05 LS8]

About time.....


Of Detroit's three automakers, Ford may have emerged the strongest from the economic crisis, but its luxury division, Lincoln, isn't looking too rosy these days.

While Cadillac has been steadily rejuvenating itself with exciting new vehicles, Buick has reinvented itself from a stodgy old-man's brand into a fresh face of entry-level luxury, and even Chrysler has a strategy in place by pairing up with Lancia, Lincoln appears to be spiraling downwards. The days of luxury behemoths like the Town Car and Navigator are behind us, and the brand's latest products have failed to fill the void.

Sources anticipate Lincoln's sales will drop below 80,000 units this year, but a plan is reportedly in place to nearly double that number by 2015.

So how does Lincoln expect to get there? According to reports, through a large cash injection from its parent company. Sources state that Ford is preparing to invest $1 billion into Lincoln over the coming years.

So what will Lincoln get for all those zeros? As many as seven new products. The Navigator will reportedly be phased out by 2016, and the MKT is tipped to be dropped in favor of a luxury version of the Ford Explorer. A Focus-based C-segment sedan and crossover are also in the works, along with a new MKS sedan.

Dearborn reportedly plans to differentiate new Lincolns from their Blue Oval-badged counterparts with fresh sheetmetal, higher specification levels and stronger engines. Will that be enough? It had better be, as Lincoln is reportedly asking its dealers – many of which lost their Mercury lines when that brand was shuttered last year – to invest heavily in their showrooms as an integral component in bringing Lincoln up to the level at which it can compete with its German rivals.
[Source: The Detroit News]

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/21/ford-pumping-1-billion-into-lincoln-revival/

 

[Kumba]

New Sheetmetal... Does that mean we're stuck with that same fugly grill since it's plastic?!?!?!

 

[Ghaleon64]

They need to start competing with Cadillac. We need a supercharged LS type of car that can compete with the CTS-V in my opinion.

 

[Alax7]

I hope they don't bring out new futuristic, blimps that are hideous. We need something that isn't a freaken boat, with performance and luxury, please.

 

[hite337]

They need to start competing with Cadillac. We need a supercharged LS type of car that can compete with the CTS-V in my opinion.

i agree

 

[LS4me]

$1,000,000,000 isn't enough to bring ONE model to the line-up let alone 7. That tells me there are going to be a lot of re-badged Fords. Nothing I'll be looking forward to purchasing!

 

[LS4me]

They need to start competing with Cadillac. We need a supercharged LS type of car that can compete with the CTS-V in my opinion.

Ford/Lincoln has said that Buick and the ES3XX are their competitors.

 

[BlackLS06]

$1,000,000,000 isn't enough to bring ONE model to the line-up let alone 7. That tells me there are going to be a lot of re-badged Fords. Nothing I'll be looking forward to purchasing!

Ill take a rebadged lincoln version of the mustang anyday.

 

[Kumba]

Ill take a rebadged lincoln version of the mustang anyday.

As ugly as the MKR looked, I'll just buy a Mustang instead.

 

[JMT03LSV8]

Other than the LS, has there been a Lincoln lately that wasn't a re-badged For?. I've been a Ford fan for years and haven't owned much else, but the Lincoln line has been really disappointing for a while now.

 

[diskfunktional]

The Mercury line was even more of a shame. At least Ford realized that wasn't going anywhere and has decided to put money into Lincoln. I don't think we can expect anything game changing from the company like Toyota(scion)/Subaru's FRS. Now thats something worth mentioning. Supra like platform under the Scion name.

 

[Calabrio]

Jalopnik had a relevant article this week:

WHY LINCOLN SHOULD DIE
http://jalopnik.com/5814169/why-lincoln-should-die

Ford may spend $1 billion in yet another extreme makeover for Lincoln, with a flurry of new, tech-laden models aimed for Lexus, Cadillac and BMW. Ford should save its pennies and just kill Lincoln.

Ford has told dealers it will spend $1 billion through 2014 on pumping Lincoln with seven new or "refreshed" models arriving through 2015 chock full o' technology. It's also asking dealers to cough up $1 million apiece for showroom upgrades. It sounds like a big deal and a lot of money. It's not nearly enough.

To get behind the velvet rope into the VIP section of luxury automaking, Ford would need to spend a minimum of $3 billion on Lincoln. Ford has a track record for managing luxury automakers that can only be called Edsel-ish. And without buyers outside the United States, the argument for Lincoln's survival falls apart.

Lincoln has been struggling for years, throwing off concept after concept searching for an identity, and hasn't been hale since the late 1990s when Ford couldn't build enough Navigator SUVs even with a plant running 24 hours a day. After the "Premier Automotive Group" debacle, where Lincoln was paired with Volvo, Jaguar and crazed German management, Ford has see-sawed between overspending on Lincolns that never took off (the original Aviator, which had more than 300 changes from the Ford Explorer, most invisible) and spending as little as possible, giving Lincolns nothing to separate them from the Ford models usually in the same showroom for $10,000 less.

I didn't set out to write Lincoln's obit. Talking with some of my Twitter followers earlier this week set me thinking about what a good Lincoln lineup would look like, especially with the confusing MK-whosiwhatsit model names trashed. Start with a Lincoln Zephyr that would be a rear-wheel-drive competitor to the CTS, maybe off an upgraded Mustang platform (sans solid axie). Bring the Australian Ford Falcon over as the Lincoln Continental, along with one of Ford's secret weapons — the Australian supercharged "Miami" V8 with 449 hp, which may be Ford's best V8 worldwide.

Tart up the rest of the lineup so there's less familial resemblance to the Fords they're derived from, especially under the hood. And give Lincoln one model that's unique — say a production version of the Concept C that revives the Cosmopolitan name. There, easy-peasy.

Except it won't work, because Ford's not capable of making it so.

The real problem is that the luxury car business requires taking huge risks, and Ford is the most conservative, risk-averse automaker in the world. GM jump-started Cadillac by betting $4 billion in the late 1990s that it could make aging Baby Boomers give it one more chance with all-new cars from an all-new factory. Toyota and Nissan wagered similar amounts launching Lexus and Infiniti, businesses that are still a work in progress.

Ford's corporate culture doesn't like risk; it rewards finding sure things and maximizing profits, especially by selling as many copies of a model as possible, just like Henry Ford intended. That's why most Ford models in the United States and Europe now have high-end "Platinum" editions with Lexus-level pricetags; the Ford Flex Platinum I tested a couple months ago carried a sticker price of $49,990. I'd bet that the richest customers Ford has in the United States look down at Lincolns - and every other vehicle, because they're ensconced behind the wheels of $64,000 F-450 Super Duty King Ranch pickups.

And so the Ford plan will likely involve giving Lincolns more visual differences and tech gadgets while leaving them kissing mechanical cousins to Ford models. Real luxury buyers want world-class performance, which still requires rear-wheel-drive, as Acura has found out. And the tech push so far has only addled Lincoln and Ford buyers, giving Ford a black eye on key quality surveys.

The bean-counters that log-rolled Lincoln following the Navigator's heyday won such an utter victory that Lincoln is now too small to succeed. Even if one of the last-ditch Lincolns were to catch on, the rest of Ford would see it as a missed opportunity. If it's such a good Lincoln in America, wouldn't it be even better as a Ford in Europe, China and the rest of the world? And if so, why does it need to be a Lincoln at all?

After Plymouth, after Oldsmobile, after Saturn, after Pontiac and a dozen other once mighty names lost to history, we know how the play ends for Lincoln. Do this storied brand a favor and euthanize it now.

 

[Kumba]

I don't know. But with the exception of a towncar (cause they haven't beat it with the ugly stick yet), there's not a current model Lincoln I would consider owning. I'd rather just own the Ford version with a little less luxury and a lot less ugly.

What that article didn't touch on is how easy it is to debate that GM and Chrysler's recent success at risk taking is because they received quite a large gooberment loan on the verge of failure. So while it's easy to say that Ford should start rolling the dice, it's obvious that it doesn't always pan out well as GM and Chrysler have proven. Plus, when the company is failing and someone shows up to give you money for a one-shot turn around, it's pretty damn easy to bet the farm and go for it. In GM's case it paid off. Chrysler is still working on it.

Unfortunately some companies are only good at playing Phoenix. Being reborn from their own burning ashes. Ford has gone down this road before and they usually have to get to the tipping point before they go "Ohh Schit" and start making decent stuff again. Such has been my experience.

 

[hite337]

The Australian ford falcon is growing on me....except for the mustang grille opening and hood. Slap an LS style grill on it, Lincoln star and I'd buy that re-badged Ford

 

[1LoudLS]

like ive been saying for awhile now, give it right wheel drive, the option of two doors and a 5.0 and they cant go wrong. they have had a mustangish lincoln for a while, time to get back in that game!

 

[hite337]

The Australian ford falcon is growing on me....except for the mustang grille opening and hood. Slap an LS style grill on it, Lincoln star and I'd buy that re-badged Ford

Providing it wasn't front wheel drive. Rear wheel drive is a must. Some of the newer AWD systems out there are sweet too.

 

[97 Octane]

Are the Lincoln brass reading these forums?

They should if anything else, to get a really good picture of what
current Lincoln owners think about their current lineup. As of today,
I don't even think Lincoln has anyone in their payroll capable of
designing any type of new sheet metal.




.

 

[Andrizzle]

I was @ the gas station the other day and a guy was talking to me about my car saying the LS is his favorite Lincoln. He drove a older toyota camry. The LS appeals to so many people's taste - such a shame it was left behind.

Basically like 1LoudLS said, a powerful 2 door with RWD. Then put all of that into a sleek styling like the LS - and that is pure money. A luxury option to compete with the CTS V. Seems like a no brainer to me...

 

[SoonerLS]

Are the Lincoln brass reading these forums?

Why would they? How many of our members are actually in a position to buy a new Lincoln? Maybe ten to fifteen? Even if we all were, we're such a statistically insignificant group that it wouldn't be worth their time...

As of today,
I don't even think Lincoln has anyone in their payroll capable of
designing any type of new sheet metal.

Considering that the current Lincolns have no sheetmetal that will interchange with their Ford platformmates, I think that statement is demonstrably false. Now, they may not design what you want, but they do design new sheetmetal.

 

[97 Octane]

Okay , you took that statement in a literal sense and that is fine.
There is nothig wrong in that.

I was generally referring to what a designer like Jay Mays would do for
Lincoln what he's done for Ford and many other clients. And that is to design
a new and appealing look for the brand. Call it sheetmetal or whatever you want.





.

 

[Kumba]

Why would they? How many of our members are actually in a position to buy a new Lincoln? Maybe ten to fifteen? Even if we all were, we're such a statistically insignificant group that it wouldn't be worth their time...

Considering that the current Lincolns have no sheetmetal that will interchange with their Ford platformmates, I think that statement is demonstrably false. Now, they may not design what you want, but they do design new sheetmetal.

I test drove an MKS and it was impressive for a V6 turbo-snail. But for the price they wanted it was pretty beat up with a fugly stick. Same reason I didn't like the SHO when I drove one although the front was much easier to look at. Everything else in the Lincoln lineup didn't appeal to me because it was either a tank, a cruise boat, or some kind of crossover thing.

So, they did loose one customer because their lineup sucked. And that's why I ended up with an '06 LS. I'd rather have their bastardized jaguar lovechild then their new stuff.

Personally I think they should :q:q:q:q can the whole MK thing and focus on a good 5 car line up. Keep their Navigator and Towncar icons, keep some sort of crossover/explorer type of thing, then have an LS and an LSC. There is no point in them having an economy luxury car. No one who has the money to buy a Lincoln wants something based off a Ford Fusion economy sedan. The whole reason you spend the money on a Luxury Car is for it's excess! Why do they not understand that? Performance is one of those luxuries. Looking better then the $20K econobox the car is based on is another luxury. I'd certainly rather buy a $20K Ford Fusion then a Lincoln MKZ currently. Specially since the only thing I really get is a Bafugly grill and "Bridge of Weir" leather interior.

[/rantover]

Going to drink beer now

 

[SoonerLS]

I'd certainly rather buy a $20K Ford Fusion then a Lincoln MKZ currently. Specially since the only thing I really get is a Bafugly grill and "Bridge of Weir" leather interior.

And a 4/50 warranty, loaner cars when yours goes in for service, free scheduled maintenance, thicker glass and other sound-deadening features, heated and cooled seats... And let's not forget that there will be Lincoln-exclusive engines in the future. Don't get me wrong--even knowing the inspiration for the Beak of Lincoln, I think it's ugly as sin, but there are features that extra money brings to the table.

$1B isn't enough to bring an all-new car to market, but the drivetrains and chassis are already (largely) there, so they get to spend the lion's share of that money on styling and luxury. Really, it wouldn't take that much to build a distinctive Lincoln version of the Mustang...

 

[diskfunktional]

And a 4/50 warranty, loaner cars when yours goes in for service, free scheduled maintenance, thicker glass and other sound-deadening features, heated and cooled seats... And let's not forget that there will be Lincoln-exclusive engines in the future. Don't get me wrong--even knowing the inspiration for the Beak of Lincoln, I think it's ugly as sin, but there are features that extra money brings to the table.

$1B isn't enough to bring an all-new car to market, but the drivetrains and chassis are already (largely) there, so they get to spend the lion's share of that money on styling and luxury. Really, it wouldn't take that much to build a distinctive Lincoln version of the Mustang...

Is this only for the original owner of the car? Or within the warranty range?

 

[funkcity]

well.....

Lincoln has the hardware now as Ford has a bunch of new engines.
Transmissions are a sore point as the current rage is 7 speed autos and 8 speed autos.

The new head of Lincoln comes from Jaguar and they just built a great looking vehicle called the XF. What will he bring to the table?
Somehow I'm still worried!

The competitors:
MB the styling of the AMG CL63 coupe is stunningly correct!
BMW The new 5 series and 3 series will always be leaders
Audi The S5 has terrific body lines (but I hate the front grill)
Lexus Always hi quality even though a bit derivative.
Cadillac They keep building on the CTS with 2 door and a sport coupe in standard or V trim.....We told this to the Ford brass way back in02/03!
Hyundai....yes Hyundai! They continue to build and refine and sell for the most reasonable prices in the biz.

For styling I'd also look at the Porsche Panamera and the Aston Martin Rapid.

The BMW is finally losing the Bangle grip in styling.

The CTS coupe from the back looks....terrible but the sport wagon seems to take the CTS lines better.

Audi S5 has great lines but the've married the Audi double grill trademark...ugh.

MB AMG CL63 is a study in balanced styling. I do not see a bad angle at all.
Yes I know it costs 150K but hey?

 

[Kumba]

And a 4/50 warranty, loaner cars when yours goes in for service, free scheduled maintenance, thicker glass and other sound-deadening features, heated and cooled seats... And let's not forget that there will be Lincoln-exclusive engines in the future. Don't get me wrong--even knowing the inspiration for the Beak of Lincoln, I think it's ugly as sin, but there are features that extra money brings to the table.

$1B isn't enough to bring an all-new car to market, but the drivetrains and chassis are already (largely) there, so they get to spend the lion's share of that money on styling and luxury. Really, it wouldn't take that much to build a distinctive Lincoln version of the Mustang...

I'm not saying that the extra cash doesn't get you extra things. But the question at the end of the day is if the juice was worth the squeeze. I just do not see enough differentiation between Lincoln's current line up and what Ford has to offer. I think Ford has better styling currently then Lincoln. There is no real performance gain between a Fusion and an MKZ so that's out the window too. And unfortunately what things are Lincoln specific just aren't doing enough on their own to justify the $10K+ price increase. I think that's evident by this whole thread and their sales figure.

Not really sure where there has been a Lincoln exclusive engine in the recent past. There was the Intech 4.6 which was somewhat exclusive to the continental. The Mark8 and Mark7 shared mustang motors for the most part with slight revisions. The 3.9 V8 in the LS is probably the most exclusive V8 they've used considering it didn't come from any of Fords other engine lines when it was introduced and it didn't survive after the LS and Thunderbird were killed off.

I'd personally love to see Lincoln get in bed with the SVT guys and start turning out some of the stuff Ford won't do. Imagine a Ford Fusion or Focus type of vehicle with an EcoBoost in it. The Mustang GT500 redone in Lincoln luxury (which they just need to do anyways). Assuming they didn't beat it too hard with the ugly stick, I'd be interested in buying one of those BECAUSE that is something I can't get comparatively close to at a Ford dealer. That's what I think their missing. They need to quit thinking about just skinning the car and upgrading the interior to thinking about how to actually change the car from whatever Ford originally made it for. This is what has served them well in the past. Lately they just seem to be phoning it in.

Is this only for the original owner of the car? Or within the warranty range?

What was left on my LS transferred to me when I bought it. It was about 5 months of the factory bumper-to-bumper. Although the Lincoln dealers (two of them) said that the loaner is only if the car needs to stick around for more then an hour. Basically, you aren't getting a loaner when you get an oil change and basic maintenance. They also don't care once your warranty is expired. But then again, the two Lincoln dealers I've been to around here have been pretty :q:q:q:qty really. I get better service from the Ford dealer down the road. Outside of those two Lincoln dealers though, the next closest ones are about an hours drive for me.