"King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider" (king-ginger)
08/11/2013 at 00:00 • Filed to: Lincoln
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"King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider" (king-ginger)
08/11/2013 at 00:00 • Filed to: Lincoln | 1
| 18 |
While the tale of Lincoln is marred with some apocryphal statements, its decline is not in doubt. Average age of buyers is up, market share is shrinking, total sales volume is barely 43% of the best sales year in the brand's history. While quality has increased (as industry standards and shared platforms with Ford dictate), perception of product and rivals in the luxury game have left the noncompetitive products of AbeMoCo with a conundrum of the highest order and a future that is cloudy with a chance of failure.
With Cadillac and Jaguar as examples of brands resurgent, Lincoln is expected to roll out a new portfolio of products by 2015 in a sort of phoenix-y blitz with its now relaunched "company" tag; at least, that is the theory. Dany Bahar had similar dreams but not Ford's pocket book and so the possibility is there that everything will be fine. I wouldn't hang my hat on it. Cost is always an issue...Lincoln doesn't bring in enough to get a major makeover and anything short of a full line swap will be a wasted opportunity. So what should the fine folks in Dearborn do?
Close Lincoln.
No, not forever. Just long enough. For what? Well, shucks, I guess we SHOULD discuss that.
My theory is as follows: when Lincoln and Cadillac and other brands too numerous to recount were making a splash in the first half of the 20th century, their vehicles were on par (in price and design) with the best that any other country in the world could produce. While Cadillac has made its bed, focusing on the sporting luxury of the new semi-affluent, there is a space for Lincoln to inhabit, a niche not owned by an American brand since the price difference between RR and the products of Detroit began to separate.
An ultra luxury American car, the best the world can buy, for a price competitive with "the best" the world currently has on offer.
Does your Rolls have {insert bespoke option}? The 2020 Lincoln (no names, just the Brand) has two of those...probably made out of whale-something-or-other. The marketing will take care of itself. If not, just give a few away to some dictators, presidents, etc. and you will be off to the races.
Thoughts?
Victorious Secret
> King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
08/11/2013 at 00:02 |
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You close Lincoln and you get rid of a car that outdoes the M5 when simply changing tires.
If that isn't a testament to the fact that they at least made a capable car, I don't know what is.
desertdog5051
> King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
08/11/2013 at 00:17 |
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The market for Ultra Luxury is very small and dominated by some well established players.
Lincoln made a great car in the earlier Marks.
They have lost appearance and style.
1998 MKVIII.
They need to make more beautiful cars. That market is there. They know how to make them handle and perform.
marshknute
> King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
08/11/2013 at 00:35 |
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While Cadillac is taking aim at BMW, I think Lincoln can resurrect itself by taking aim at Audi. After all, many of Audi's products are based on flexible FWD VAG chassis architecture, and it stands to reason that Ford could do the same. Their cheaper offerings can use their existing FWD architecture from the Ford portfolio, but be offered exclusively with rear-biased AWD systems, and interiors which are as "concept-car-y" as is legally possible (like the Cadillac Ciel's interior).
The important thing for AbeMoCo to do is make sure that the aforementioned AWD system is completely unique to Lincoln (not shared on Fords, not even top end SHO's) and includes torque vectoring for maximum cornering performance. The same goes for the interior: it must not share anything in common with a lesser Ford (switchgear, electronics, or even design cues).
Mosqvich
> King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
08/11/2013 at 00:40 |
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Lincoln needs to work with its design history, amp up the luxury, as you suggest, and throw in phenomenal performance. Rebadging is not working and will not work.
Imagine a Continental bred with the design of a Fisker for example. Building Lincoln Escapes won't do the trick.
Jsmizira
> King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
08/11/2013 at 01:34 |
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I completely agree! The key for them would to also utilize the hybrid drive systems with ecoboost in the big FoMoCo motors like the coyote and the 6.2 l raptor motor but tune them for smoothness and reliability. Then take a mkt/flex size car and make it the baby. And then build the modern day duesenburg. Prices start at $200k and can be financed (rolls Royce doesn't finance).
GeorgeyBoy
> King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
08/11/2013 at 01:53 |
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I'm pretty satisfied with my Lincoln. Wish they would've kept in this direction.
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GeorgeyBoy
> Mosqvich
08/11/2013 at 02:00 |
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I have trouble agreeing with your statements. Yes I'm very dissatisfied of the direction Lincoln has headed in. But rebadging hasn't and will never work? Please. Lincoln has and still is selling many cars with barely any overhead because of its Ford counterparts. No I don't agree with it, no I don't like it, but money is the bottom line. Building Lincoln Escapes might sound weird, but there is money in it. Are you familiar with the Evoque? Well it's selling great, and this would be a hell of a competitor.
GhostZ
> King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
08/11/2013 at 06:43 |
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Cadillac needs to be an American Consumerist Mercedes. Lincoln needs to be a Patriotic BMW.
Goshen, formerly Darkcode
> GeorgeyBoy
08/11/2013 at 07:28 |
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Last good Lincoln.
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King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
> Victorious Secret
08/11/2013 at 10:02 |
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I agree that Ford can make great cars...but I think the MKS was as much a product of the well executed Taurus platform as it was prescience on the side of the Lincoln folks.
Besides, this is all ridiculously hypothetical; the hurdles are too great:
1) Shutting down the remaining network of Lincoln dealers is a non-starter from a legal cost perspective.
2) Lincoln still makes money for Ford in large quantities. While they would like their products to be more competitive, it is only for incremental share. Cadillac has specifically stated they want to be the top name in the luxury segment...Lincoln would like to keep turning a profit and stay relevant.
3) Losing the existing market share for the promise of a much smaller, untested one is probably brand suicide.
A boy can dream though...
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King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
> marshknute
08/11/2013 at 10:07 |
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There is certainly a lot of room to play in near-luxury. With the average mid-size sedan and almost all full-size sedan prices firmly overlapping the entry point of the luxury brands, Lincoln can make a case for itself if it can distinguish its look/feel from the Ford underpinnings.
The current styling is actually quite splendid, but the dynamics and gadgets need some work. Also, the relaunch that is required to shift customer percentage needs to be spot on. I worry that without all the right pieces in place (product, design, dynamics, price) the customer will view it as "status quo" at Lincoln and a new generation of cross-shoppers won't be there.
I do like the idea of having a sportier version of the AWD be a Lincoln standard (since I don't know if the Ford folks will allow them to lose that drive option).
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King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
> GeorgeyBoy
08/11/2013 at 10:10 |
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I loved the LS...great dimensions.
Sectorgraphics
> King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
08/11/2013 at 10:11 |
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King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
> Sectorgraphics
08/11/2013 at 11:36 |
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What has been seen can not be unseen.
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Mosqvich
> GeorgeyBoy
08/11/2013 at 14:08 |
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But you know what? Lincolns are typically not built alongside Fords, some of them are built at the Wixom plant from what I recall. The bottom line is that they are sliding down to oblivion in comparison to Cadillac. There is no reason for this because Ford has the chops to do some spectacular work, we see it in the ST cars for instance. A "me too" approach isn't going to work.
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GeorgeyBoy
> Mosqvich
08/11/2013 at 20:17 |
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Wixom plant? Pretty sure they are just now reopening that. Built along side Fords? Umm yeah they are Fords. Last I remember the mkz is in the same plant as the Fusion down in Mexico. They share the same platforms, same engines, transmissions, suspension designs, pretty much all the $$$$$ spent to develop the Fusion was shared with the MKZ. Don't even bring up Cadillac, Lincoln announced their main domestic competitor a few years ago, BUICK. There isn't enough money in the segment Cadillac is in... Just tooo damn competitive.
Dean
> King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
08/15/2013 at 15:10 |
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My employer and I like getting our checks from the Lincoln Motor Co., thank you very much. Closing dealers down would be a very, very tough thing to do. We are all in the understanding that the MKZ is the only competitive product right now, and we're all just holding our collective breath. At least I have plenty of Fusions, Escapes, Focuses, and Explorers to sell, and they are all pretty fantastic.
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King Ginger, not writing for Business Insider
> Dean
08/15/2013 at 16:12 |
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Absolutely...per my response to another commentor:
"Besides, this is all ridiculously hypothetical; the hurdles are too great:
1) Shutting down the remaining network of Lincoln dealers is a non-starter from a legal cost perspective.
2) Lincoln still makes money for Ford in large quantities. While they would like their products to be more competitive, it is only for incremental share. Cadillac has specifically stated they want to be the top name in the luxury segment...Lincoln would like to keep turning a profit and stay relevant.
3) Losing the existing market share for the promise of a much smaller, untested one is probably brand suicide."
Having worked in the auto industry for almost a decade with my focus on interacting with dealers...there is no doubt that decisions made by the manufacturers can hurt dealers overnight and often times they don't take that into account before rolling out promotions, products, or programs. Its all a big beautiful interconnected clusterfuck we live in.
This was simply a thought experiment.