Lincoln Finally Coming To China
There have been many rumors of an impending launch of the Lincoln brand in China, and so far, they had been rumors. Now, the rumor becomes reality. Ford will launch its Lincoln brand in China within two years, says Reuters. Ford is not banking on big iron alone. Ford, says Reuters, “is also developing a low-cost car under the mainstream brand to appeal to more price-sensitive consumers in the fast-growing cities in western China. This vehicle will compete with GM’s Sail car.”
The news of Lincoln finally coming to China were released by Ford’s global marketing chief Jim Farley at a Beijing media event today. “The brand in China could be a bright spot for Lincoln globally,” Farley said. “We have a chance to be different here.”
Ford hopes to have just the right product in the new MKZ. It supposedly is targeted at younger, more affluent buyers in America, but it turns out that the actual target is China. “Much of the design, including push-button transmission, was influenced by Chinese consumer tastes,” Reuters says.
Ford “faces considerable challenges in launching its Lincoln brand” in China, says Reuters. China’s luxury market is booming, but it is pretty much cornered by BMW, Mercedes and Audi from Germany. Cadillacs have a hard time in China.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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Cool. Now we can watch Lincoln fail over there and over here. I mean, if Lincoln is a joke and the saddest excuse for even a "near-luxury" brand in the only place it was ever sold...how is it going to be received over there? It's obvious by the mediocre 2013 Lincoln Fusion that Ford is not serious about Lincoln. Sure, it doesn't take much to have the night janitor peel off the Ford stickers and apply some Lincoln stickers, but they are losing money hand over fist. And this scam isn't going to help.
Push- button trans - reminds me of my sister's 1956 Chrysler New Yorker four door hardtop . Very trendy , maybe tail- fins too would be cool too .
And is it just me or does this look slightly reminiscent of the one year only 1949 Lincoln Cosmopolitan four - door Town Sedan ?
This does make some sense, with Volvo and Jaguar gone, Ford does need to at least try to make Lincoln a somewhat global brand - if they still have any interest in remaining in the premium market, that is. As weird as it may sound, American brand names generally have pretty good reputations in China, so Lincoln may be able to ride that perception. As mentioned, though, the biggest potential problems are the lack of local assembly and the lack of a LWB option. Importing from the US or Mexico will make the cars all but unaffordable, and the standard wheelbase will chase away the remaining customers.