Lincoln's Sputnik Moment

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Ford’s been fixing Lincoln for so long now, it’s almost surprising that things on the dealership level are still so broken. But, as Ford told its dealers at last weekend’s NADA convention [via Automotive News [sub]], it’s time to put up or become a former Lincoln dealership. By the end of this year, every Lincoln dealer must comply with a few of Ford’s “more than reasonable” expectations, to wit:

  • Offering what Lincoln calls “owner privileges.” That includes providing a free car wash and loaner vehicle to owners who come in for service
  • Having a dedicated service manager and dedicated sales staff for Lincoln, Bokich said. That applies specifically to Lincoln dealers paired with Ford stores.
  • Having only the word “Lincoln” appear on all franchise signage, not Mercury. Ford discontinued the Mercury brand as of Dec. 31.
  • Having at least 30 percent of used-vehicle inventory be certified pre-owned vehicles.

You know, those do sound like reasonable standards for a luxury brand dealer network… and if a Lincoln dealer doesn’t like them, well, Ford is looking to trim the network by 100 stores or so anyway. Still, isn’t Lincoln’s problem pretty conclusively product-related? There’s no word from Ford’s boffins on that front, which means some dealers may be happy to leave the Mercury sign up and become one of those used car lots that still has an Oldsmobile sign up. Yes, Lincoln needs a top-notch dealer experience (and an own-brand sales manager to keep marks away from the Taurus) to make Lincoln viable, but demanding it without even hinting at future product is to ask Lincoln dealers to make an incredible leap of faith.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

More by Edward Niedermeyer

Comments
Join the conversation
11 of 30 comments
  • VanillaDude VanillaDude on Feb 07, 2011

    I want a Lincoln. It is a big black sleek cruiser with an oversized engine. It has an interior that belongs in a presidential suite of a hotel. It is a car made for riding and being seen in. It has suicide doors. I has a standing hood ornament. It is a car for men who want to look successful, stable and rock solid. It is almost gauche, but the quality in detailing stands out. It is a little too shiny, a little too much chrome, a little too much of everything. It is second helpings of Thanksgiving Dinner. Owning one should bug your conscience until it rolls down the street devouring everything before it. It should be the SUV/CUV sedan equivalent of a Honda or a Toyota. It should look like it could be a lead car in a parade. It should have dark tinted rear door windows and a small backlight. It should look like it smells of leather, cigars, and expensive cologne. It should look like a small presidential limousine for regular well-off buyers. It should look like it could be carrying a celebrity. It should have too many LED lights sequentially signalling turns, marking fenders, lighting rooflines, and lighting ground entries. It should have a window separating the driver from the riders. There should be folding foot rests, DVD entertainment center, tissue dispenser, vanity mirrors and folks looking into the back seat should be opened mouthed when they see it. It is a car you want to ride in the backseat of, and look forward to having someone chauffeur you around in. I know what a Lincoln is supposed to be. And I think Ford also knows what it is supposed to be. But there are conditions preventing Ford from making a real Lincoln. Perhaps they imagined a Mercedes, or a Lexus. Maybe they are imagining a Cadillac STS or a Jaguar. But I want a Lincoln, not an American Lexus. I want a car I'd be willing to purchase used because I could only afford one that way. And I'd know that the quality of the car was so high, I know I would still love having a used Lincoln. If I was a Ford, I would have made the current lineup of Lincolns, Mercurys. And I would make a single Lincoln that turned heads with the designs I listed above. A Lincoln is supposed to be a rolling man cave. In this day and age of losing what used to be a man's world, a Lincoln should be the luxury auto equivalent of a barber shop, a men's only country club, and a cigar bar. Look at how pick ups are sold. They are sold as man caves too. Their popularity is partly to do with being a man who can lift heavy items, make stuff out of wood, steel and dirt, tow lesser vehicles out of the elements, and do a man's job. A Lincoln is supposed to be for a man who hires guys in pick up trucks and gives them a paycheck.

    • See 4 previous
    • PrincipalDan PrincipalDan on Feb 07, 2011

      Minus the divider, I'm with ya. Sounds like the kind of car I'd be proud to have sitting in the garage under a car cover when I pass on to will to my heirs.

  • Zackman Zackman on Feb 07, 2011

    A Lincoln should be just two models: A Continental and either a Town Car or a personal luxury Mark. Sell them as halo vehicles for Ford, in a sectioned-off area of the dealership. Maybe Lincoln has enough life for only one vehicle, which makes things easier. Let's face it, most of the classic American nameplates have disappeared and more are going to, it's just a matter of time. Why? Globalization. Period. They already have the Panther platform. Instead of tossing it, continue to use it for these vehicles. Since Ford will no longer have a Panther with its name, it's perfect for a Lincoln. Product separation and uniqueness. If Lincoln does die, what of Ford? Who will they merge with? Same for GM. Combine Ford and GM into a single entity on the order of Kia/Hyundai. Lee Iacocca advocated a Ford-Chrysler merger 30 years ago. We all see more consolidation coming, it's just a question of who will/won't survive. National pride? Forget about it. VanillaDude: Love what you wrote! Fantastic!

    • SVX pearlie SVX pearlie on Feb 07, 2011

      GM would never merge with Ford. And there's no need to - both companies are doing just fine (more-or-less) as-is. Plus, they hate each other. Chrysler, already merged with Fiat, so they're off the market.

  • Getacargetacheck Getacargetacheck on Feb 07, 2011
    If Lincoln does die, what of Ford? Who will they merge with? Huh??? So, you are suggesting that Ford cannot survive the death of it's American-only luxury nameplate which accounts for less than 1% of its total worldwide sales and probably less in profits? That faulty thinking is what got Ford in trouble with the Premier Automotive Group. Ford nor any other car maker needs a luxury brand to thrive and remain independent. If anything, it's the other way around. Daimler needs mass market Renault-Nissan, etc.
  • Z71_Silvy Z71_Silvy on Feb 07, 2011
    Ford’s been fixing Lincoln for so long now I guess...if by "fixing" you mean making Lincoln the most incompetent, mediocre luxury brand the world has ever seen. Face it...all Ford has done for Lincoln in the past 15 years is take a Ford appliance, scrape off the blue oval, slap on a Lincoln sticker, and paint the center stack silver which ultimately makes Lincoln nothing buy a trim level on a lowly Ford. And what Ford is doing with demanding Lincoln dealers to upgrade their facilities is illegal.
    • MikeAR MikeAR on Feb 07, 2011

      Nope, not illegal, the dealers are franchises. They have to meet certain requirements to keep the franchise. Although why anyone would want a lincoln or Mercury stand-alone is a mystery. Silvy you get the stopped clock award today.

Next