LA motor show: a missed opportunity for Lincoln
12/2/12, 11:36 PM
#1
TMS Post # 1,000,000
Serbian Steamer
Serbian Steamer
Thread Starter
Join Date: January 30, 2004
Location: Wisconsin / Serbia
Posts: 12,630
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
LA motor show: a missed opportunity for Lincoln
If you're going to launch an all-new car, don't hide it behind a wall of pretty classics.
It’s only right and proper that long-established brands lean on their heritage. History sells cars if it connects with the people.
Ford, Fiat, Mercedes and BMW have all made a big play of their models of yesteryear in an effort to make sales. Mini has more heritage than most, even if the Issigonis era is now several places removed from the latest models.
But a brand needs to ask some searching questions when planning a motor show stand that suggest heritage is all they have. Particularly when just months earlier it cited the then-forthcoming MKZ as the saviour of the struggling brand.
That brand is Lincoln. Half a dozen Continentals and Zephyr Tourings sat proudly on the luxury marque’s stand at the LA motor show, as beautiful as they were large.
The new model was almost completely hidden from view in a tinted glass-walled box that resembled a tiny showroom. The doors were manned by Lincoln heavies.
As a result, few motoring hacks were aware of the car, which is the first of four to be introduced over the coming years. Even fewer took a look inside. Not even Autocar’s snapper, Stan, could shoot it. A black car, in a dark room, with no space to fit the car in his view finder. Column inches will almost certainly elude it.
Me? I found the 1956 Continental MkII and 1961 Continental Sedan far more interesting.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/la-mo...ed-opportunity
It’s only right and proper that long-established brands lean on their heritage. History sells cars if it connects with the people.
Ford, Fiat, Mercedes and BMW have all made a big play of their models of yesteryear in an effort to make sales. Mini has more heritage than most, even if the Issigonis era is now several places removed from the latest models.
But a brand needs to ask some searching questions when planning a motor show stand that suggest heritage is all they have. Particularly when just months earlier it cited the then-forthcoming MKZ as the saviour of the struggling brand.
That brand is Lincoln. Half a dozen Continentals and Zephyr Tourings sat proudly on the luxury marque’s stand at the LA motor show, as beautiful as they were large.
The new model was almost completely hidden from view in a tinted glass-walled box that resembled a tiny showroom. The doors were manned by Lincoln heavies.
As a result, few motoring hacks were aware of the car, which is the first of four to be introduced over the coming years. Even fewer took a look inside. Not even Autocar’s snapper, Stan, could shoot it. A black car, in a dark room, with no space to fit the car in his view finder. Column inches will almost certainly elude it.
Me? I found the 1956 Continental MkII and 1961 Continental Sedan far more interesting.
http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/la-mo...ed-opportunity
12/3/12, 01:46 PM
#6
TMS Post # 1,000,000
Serbian Steamer
Serbian Steamer
Thread Starter
Join Date: January 30, 2004
Location: Wisconsin / Serbia
Posts: 12,630
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lincoln’s Future Includes No RWD or V-8s, C-Segment Compact at Detroit
http://wot.motortrend.com/retro-mode...#axzz2E0vZ9SzO
http://wot.motortrend.com/retro-mode...#axzz2E0vZ9SzO
12/3/12, 02:41 PM
#7
MOTM Committee Member
The MKZ was out. They had two you could sit in and 2 more on rotating display stands.
I have several pics on my phone. My friend (lifelong Toyota fan) is strongly considering an MKZ hybrid. Hard to beat 45/45 with the looks and luxury at only just under $34k
I have several pics on my phone. My friend (lifelong Toyota fan) is strongly considering an MKZ hybrid. Hard to beat 45/45 with the looks and luxury at only just under $34k
12/4/12, 12:36 AM
#8
GTR Member
Would Ford really produce a bespoke RWD platform just for Mustang? Seems hard to believe............unless it'll also underpin a new Falcon for Australia.
12/4/12, 12:47 AM
#9
I saw a Lincoln commercial on TV tonight for the first time in quite a while. It said "Introducing the Lincoln Motor Company" as if it were new.
Only part I remember was the end and it was blasting across a dry lake bed past a little glass box (I thought of what was mentioned earlier in this thread about the glass room).
Edit: I don't think it was this entire commercial, but a shortened version of it.
Only part I remember was the end and it was blasting across a dry lake bed past a little glass box (I thought of what was mentioned earlier in this thread about the glass room).
Edit: I don't think it was this entire commercial, but a shortened version of it.
12/4/12, 05:15 AM
#10
Good article on Lincoln this week via Peter/http://www.autoextremist.com/
And this is where Lincoln brand strategists got smart and didn't try to make Lincoln into something it's not. Rather than go for the space that Cadillac occupies, which is as perennial German luxury car contender, Lincoln, in a tip of the hat to its roots, is going after the premium motorcar ideal, one not solely limited to luxury, but that includes refinement and a composed capability as well.
That means you won't see any lap times listed by the new MKZ from the famed Nurburgring Nordschleife. And I say thank goodness. Believe me I've been to that famous track and it is an awesome monument to speed. And for certain high-performance cars those lap times do matter when it comes to marketing, but frankly, not every car needs to be designed to blaze a trail around the Nordschleife, and that's a key distinction about the cars that will come from the Lincoln Motor Company.
(I loved the 50s rockabilly hit "Hot Rod Lincoln" made famous again by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen in 1972 as much as anyone, but the notion is irrelevant when it comes to selling the new Lincoln.)
That means you won't see any lap times listed by the new MKZ from the famed Nurburgring Nordschleife. And I say thank goodness. Believe me I've been to that famous track and it is an awesome monument to speed. And for certain high-performance cars those lap times do matter when it comes to marketing, but frankly, not every car needs to be designed to blaze a trail around the Nordschleife, and that's a key distinction about the cars that will come from the Lincoln Motor Company.
(I loved the 50s rockabilly hit "Hot Rod Lincoln" made famous again by Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen in 1972 as much as anyone, but the notion is irrelevant when it comes to selling the new Lincoln.)
Last edited by Evil_Capri; 12/4/12 at 05:17 AM.
12/4/12, 10:33 AM
#11
been seeing the new LMC commercials all day yesterday and today. Seem to be hitting the market hard with them.
I will say this, I don't agree with the whole "reinvent the brand, then reinvent the lineup" strategy they seem to be doing. I do think with the LMC launch yesterday that they're really pushing things forward to try and make the best of what they have. Not showing anything other than the MKZ at LA seems goofy, but they need to supplement their big marketing push with an aggressive refresh, similar to what Chrysler did to the 200, Avenger, and others in that 18 month span.
If they're going to launch a RWD sedan, as many rumors suggest, why not use the Falcon chassis and build it here? It gives them a unique wheelbase, unique engine options, and they can mold a bespoke style to it that no other NA Ford product would have. If they use the S550 chassis with some modification, that may work as well, as long as it doesn't get proliferated to other models in the Ford stable.
Right now they need 4-5 models in the showroom that exude the "new" language. The MKS, MKT, and current Navigator do none of that. Why not do a small grille change to the MKS and MKT to the "angel wing" design to help reinforce the new styling direction? The refreshed grilles on both of those are awful.
I want to see Lincoln succeed, but in the next 3-6 months they better put the pedal to the metal and start showing people what they're made of, or you can start digging the grave next to Mercury...
I will say this, I don't agree with the whole "reinvent the brand, then reinvent the lineup" strategy they seem to be doing. I do think with the LMC launch yesterday that they're really pushing things forward to try and make the best of what they have. Not showing anything other than the MKZ at LA seems goofy, but they need to supplement their big marketing push with an aggressive refresh, similar to what Chrysler did to the 200, Avenger, and others in that 18 month span.
If they're going to launch a RWD sedan, as many rumors suggest, why not use the Falcon chassis and build it here? It gives them a unique wheelbase, unique engine options, and they can mold a bespoke style to it that no other NA Ford product would have. If they use the S550 chassis with some modification, that may work as well, as long as it doesn't get proliferated to other models in the Ford stable.
Right now they need 4-5 models in the showroom that exude the "new" language. The MKS, MKT, and current Navigator do none of that. Why not do a small grille change to the MKS and MKT to the "angel wing" design to help reinforce the new styling direction? The refreshed grilles on both of those are awful.
I want to see Lincoln succeed, but in the next 3-6 months they better put the pedal to the metal and start showing people what they're made of, or you can start digging the grave next to Mercury...
12/4/12, 10:57 AM
#12
GTR Member
I agree Steve. Cadillac turned around the brand by offering excellent products in the first place......the refreshing of the brand was a bi-product of this. Lincoln need to let the product do the talking.
Better news today though
(sorry, I'm cross posting from the 2015 Platform thread, too)
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/04/r...n-mkz-success/
The product portfolio at Lincoln may seem a bit sparse at the moment, but if a report is to be believed, new products are on the way. TheDetroitBureau.com spoke with sources at Lincoln and Ford, who claimed the American premium brand is working on, perhaps more than one, rear-wheel-drive vehicle.
Lincoln would likely platform-share with the next-generation Ford Mustang to develop those RWD offerings in the early going. Moving forward, the report indicates that Lincoln could take the lead on other rear-drive projects in the future. As the RWD architecture continues to take shape, "most or all" of the front-wheel-drive portfolio will also be offered with all-wheel drive as an option, ala Audi.
But wait, there's more! The report also suggests that a replacement for the full-size MKS is on the way, as well as a new Navigator and a luxury crossover based on the current Ford Escape.
These plans sound bold and optimistic, but they all hinge on the performance of the MKZ. Ford CEO Alan Mulally has not been shy about the possibility of abandoning Lincoln if things don't turn around soon. Currently the only all-new product in the brand's stable is the MKS, and it will need to be an immediate sales success for any talk of any future product to come to fruition.
Better news today though
(sorry, I'm cross posting from the 2015 Platform thread, too)
http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/04/r...n-mkz-success/
The product portfolio at Lincoln may seem a bit sparse at the moment, but if a report is to be believed, new products are on the way. TheDetroitBureau.com spoke with sources at Lincoln and Ford, who claimed the American premium brand is working on, perhaps more than one, rear-wheel-drive vehicle.
Lincoln would likely platform-share with the next-generation Ford Mustang to develop those RWD offerings in the early going. Moving forward, the report indicates that Lincoln could take the lead on other rear-drive projects in the future. As the RWD architecture continues to take shape, "most or all" of the front-wheel-drive portfolio will also be offered with all-wheel drive as an option, ala Audi.
But wait, there's more! The report also suggests that a replacement for the full-size MKS is on the way, as well as a new Navigator and a luxury crossover based on the current Ford Escape.
These plans sound bold and optimistic, but they all hinge on the performance of the MKZ. Ford CEO Alan Mulally has not been shy about the possibility of abandoning Lincoln if things don't turn around soon. Currently the only all-new product in the brand's stable is the MKS, and it will need to be an immediate sales success for any talk of any future product to come to fruition.
12/4/12, 11:16 AM
#13
TMS Post # 1,000,000
Serbian Steamer
Serbian Steamer
Thread Starter
Join Date: January 30, 2004
Location: Wisconsin / Serbia
Posts: 12,630
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have said this many times before and I will say it again - Lincoln needs to stop trying to be an American BMW.
I love the looks of the new MKZ, its the first real Lincoln in a while.
It's not a sports car, its what made Lincoln famous in the past - being very comfortable and a perfect car for slow driving.
Lincoln had the most success in his history when they were building boats like this ... basically being a poor man's Rolls Royce.
I love the looks of the new MKZ, its the first real Lincoln in a while.
It's not a sports car, its what made Lincoln famous in the past - being very comfortable and a perfect car for slow driving.
Lincoln had the most success in his history when they were building boats like this ... basically being a poor man's Rolls Royce.
12/4/12, 11:27 AM
#14
I have said this many times before and I will say it again - Lincoln needs to stop trying to be an American BMW.
I love the looks of the new MKZ, its the first real Lincoln in a while.
It's not a sports car, its what made Lincoln famous in the past - being very comfortable and a perfect car for slow driving.
Lincoln had the most success in his history when they were building boats like this ... basically being a poor man's Rolls Royce.
I love the looks of the new MKZ, its the first real Lincoln in a while.
It's not a sports car, its what made Lincoln famous in the past - being very comfortable and a perfect car for slow driving.
Lincoln had the most success in his history when they were building boats like this ... basically being a poor man's Rolls Royce.
12/4/12, 11:33 AM
#16
Cobra Member
Join Date: February 12, 2010
Location: MA (north shore)
Posts: 1,411
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by Flagstang
long story short... dump Lincoln and put that money into new better fords. Like a turbo awd 6 speed fiesta 2 door hatch.
12/4/12, 12:57 PM
#17
TMS Post # 1,000,000
Serbian Steamer
Serbian Steamer
Thread Starter
Join Date: January 30, 2004
Location: Wisconsin / Serbia
Posts: 12,630
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
12/4/12, 01:00 PM
#18
Legacy TMS Member
Originally Posted by Zastava_101
Its not a Ford, but it meets all your other requirements.
12/4/12, 01:56 PM
#20
TMS Post # 1,000,000
Serbian Steamer
Serbian Steamer
Thread Starter
Join Date: January 30, 2004
Location: Wisconsin / Serbia
Posts: 12,630
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts