Ford Challenges Lynk & Co for Sounding Too Much Like Lincoln

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Ford Motor Company is finally challenging Geely Holding Group’s trademark application for the Lynk & Co automotive moniker. We’ve been waiting on this one for a while and are a little curious as to why it took Ford so long to realize the Geely-backed brand sounded so similar to Lincoln Motor Company.

While Chinese manufacturers enjoy a rich history of borrowing designs and names from competing automakers, the brunt of their more brazen attempts at thievery exist in the past — probably because they traditionally end up in court. Geely also has the benefit of plausible deniability since the Lynk name is supposed to hint at the vehicle’s unparalleled level of connectivity. It would be reasonable to assume this was a big coincidence.

Still, even if that is the case, nothing is going to halt the corporate litigation train now that it has left Ford Station.

Lynk & Co was granted one month extension by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to formally oppose the trademark and until November 15th to file its opposition.

“The Lincoln brand has a rich 100-year history and we intend to protect its reputation,” a Lincoln spokesman expressed to Automotive News in an email. “Lynk & CO is infringing on the Lincoln … trademark and we are taking legal actions to prevent them from using their infringing mark. Their name as it stands will confuse customers.”

Slotted between Geely’s namesake brand and Swedish-made Volvo, Lynk is slated to provide small, technology focused vehicles using the company’s shared Compact Modular Architecture. Starting with the 01 SUV, the Chinese automaker wants to sell digitally sharable vehicles using a direct-to-consumer sales model in Asia and Europe. A sedan — the expertly designated 03 — is expected to reach production sometime later.

With such creatively named vehicle models, it’s not impossible to think the Chinese brand might intentionally steal another company’s name. However, considering it is spelled so dissimilarly, it’s exceptionally difficult to assume this could have possibly been a malicious act. Either way, you can see why Ford might be concerned — they do sound alike and Geely hopes to get those cars into practically every market Lincoln already exists in. Ford has to give its lawyers something to do.

Lynk & Co hopes to migrate sales to North America, but has yet to devise a way around the United States’ dealer model. Brand head Alain Visser hinted that the vehicles might make their way to urban Volvo dealerships and would almost assuredly be serviced there if they were ever to go on sale within the Americas.

[Image: Lynk & Co]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Arach Arach on Aug 01, 2017

    LYNK-AMP-ER-SAND-CO Vs LINC-OLN Nope, not getting them confused any more than I confuses: Ford Fer-arr-i Thats a MONDEOGREEN, get it? haha... Mondegreen... Ford Mondeo.. haha. Really though, this is ridiculous. Next your going to tell Oal

    • Marko Marko on Aug 01, 2017

      So you pronounce them as "AT-AMPERSAND-T", "A-AMPERSAND-W", and "DOLCE-AMPERSAND-GABBANA"? Hmmm....doesn't quite work that way. Try pronouncing "Link and..." and get back to us.

  • EBFlex EBFlex on Aug 01, 2017

    Ford is so stupid. This is as dumb as when they threatened Ferrari for wanting to use F150 on a formula one car or when they sued a Mustang club for a calendar.

  • CoastieLenn No idea why, but nothing about a 4Runner excites me post-2004. To me, they're peak "try-hard", even above the Wrangler and Gladiator.
  • AZFelix A well earned anniversary.Can they also attend to the Mach-E?
  • Jalop1991 The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged due to suspected improper assembly by the supplier. Over time, partial engagement can cause damage to the intermediate shaft splines. Damaged shaft splines may result in unintended vehicle movement while in Park if the parking brake is not engagedGee, my Chrysler van automatically engages the parking brake when we put it in Park. Do you mean to tell me that the idjits at Kia, and the idjit buyers, couldn't figure out wanting this in THEIR MOST EXPENSIVE VEHICLE????
  • Dukeisduke I've been waiting to see if they were going to do something special for the 60th Anniversary. I was four years old when the Mustang was introduced. I can remember that one of our neighbors bought a '65 coupe (they were all titled as '65 models, even the '64-1/2 cars), and it's the first one I can remember seeing. In the '90s I knew an older gentleman that owned a '64-1/2 model coupe with the 260 V8.
  • SCE to AUX "...the complete Mustang model lineup to peruse"Will the fake Mustang show up, too?
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