Ford may consider selling its luxury Lincoln brand outside of North America

It’s possible for Ford Motor Co. to soon sell its luxury Lincoln brand outside of North America, according to Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas. But for right now, sales of the Lincoln are focused in North America and that this point, there’s still no plan to make it global.

Selling Lincoln outside of the country is believed to fill a void created by Ford’s dwindling luxury portfolio and a 28-year sales low last year.
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pushrod27 - 1/15/2010 3:43:48 PM

+5 Boost

lol... Americans don't even want Lincolns. Ford is on a roll lately, but the Lincoln brand is a reminder of some of their bonehead decisions.

Lincoln should have been killed when they bought Jaguar, Volvo, and Land Rover, all brands that were and are much more reputable than Lincoln several times over.

Why bother with the second place, domestic-only luxury brand when you own names like Jaguar, Volvo, and Land Rover? All of these brands have worldwide name recognition and very specific, established reputations (style/performance, safety, off-road capability with luxury; respectively)... What is Lincoln, aside from Cadillac's arch-nemesis?

pushrod27 - 1/15/2010 3:47:38 PM

+4 Boost

going worldwide with Lincoln won't work. If they'd killed Lincoln long ago, they could have concentrated on Jaguar and Volvo, and they wouldn't have had to sell them. I remember when Jacques Nasser bought all those brands and formed the 'Premier' group within Ford. I knew that it wouldn't work unless they killed Lincol; just like I KNEW that the Volkswagen Phaeton would fail. (Off topic, but seriously... Peich wanted a sedan to compete with the S-Class and went on to promote and pursue it as if the Audi A8 did not exist.)

MSP6 - 1/15/2010 4:03:45 PM

+2 Boost

Piech was wet-dreaming about VW becoming premium and having Audi has an economy brand.

I also think Ford should have kept Volvo has their global luxury brand and just axe that irrelevant Lincoln brand.

veyron1001 - 1/15/2010 7:54:05 PM

-2 Boost

You learn something everyday. Never knew that. The only models I see are 10 years plus on the road.

veyron1001 - 1/17/2010 3:39:34 PM

+2 Boost

Wouldnt know since I have never been there. The only new lincolns i see are the suv models with the hitler stash on it.

LuxuryFan - 1/16/2010 4:57:23 AM

+2 Boost

Nothing in Lincoln's product range is particularly desirable or substantially luxurious. An international launch would be embarrassing for Ford, who really should just kill the middling brand.

Buick is a more interesting near-premium brand than Lincoln.

91z4me - 1/16/2010 8:13:51 AM

+1 Boost

I understand the distaste for Lincoln ans they aren't really a luxury brand but what is the point of Mercury? Honestly it is practically a trim line on Ford models now. Take a Ford put in nicer seats, a few more options, different fascias in the front and rear w/new headlights and you get a Mercury.

So should Ford dump Lincoln and Mercury and just concentrate/grow the Ford brand (I think I will write up a new post/opinion article asking just that)?

iamdabest1 - 1/17/2010 11:55:07 AM

+2 Boost

im not crazy about any lincolns other than the the navigator ( which i wouldnt take over an escalade)
the mk - what ever, i dont even know which letter it is, looks similar to the ford edge.
i think they should kill of Mercury completely.
the greatest car lincol ever had/made was the towncar and with new TLC regulations, the car is finished.