Chengdu Motor Show: White, Brown, And Black Lincolns Are In Fact Grey
A few days ago, an anonymous source told us that Lincolns have been in China for years, and that Ford won’t admit it. Ford said they probably were grey imports. Before the Chengdu Motor Show opened its doors, three Lincolns were seen entering the hall with big grins on their faces, and everybody thought they were brought by Ford. No they were not.
Grey imports again! The source of these grey imports are said to be dealers on the US West Coast, who make their quota by shipping the beasts to China.
Says Tycho of Carnewschina:
The Lincolns, two MKT, two MKX and a Navigator, were on display at the booth of a local Chengdu dealer group. On these smaller shows in the Chinese hinterlands, dealer booths are quite the norm. Some dealers offer cars that the brands officially don’t sell, and this is the case here. The Navigator is widely sold grey all over China, but this is the first time I see the MKT and MKZ. “
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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Chengdu has one of two panda research centers in China. It's open to the public, worth a look.
Yes, Lincoln is but a shell of its former self. But in city after city, all around the world, what is the predominant stretch limo? A white Town Car. Guess that will change now that they are out of production. I will say this, the standard Town Car is not a very impressive vehicle, but the majority of riders in the stretch versions are quite impressed. And not just by the free champagne.