QOTD: You Knew This Was Coming…

Forgive us for this post, one which yet again delves into a vehicle that, for good or bad, came in like the proverbial wrecking ball. Busted up the joint. People are abuzz, and so is Adam, whose opinions on the Ford Mustang Mach-E flowed like water through a breached dam on Monday.

Again and again (and not just from Adam) a hypothetical scenario reared its head — what if the Mustang Mach-E emerged from behind the curtain wearing another badge?

There’s only one other badge it could wear, as this isn’t an anything-goes exercise. It’s Lincoln. Keep the overall design almost entirely the same, obviously minus the ‘Stang-derived taillights and embryonic grille, throw on a Lincoln badge, and call the thing the Mark E.

Inquiring minds asked for an image, and Twitter provided:

Here’s a two minute attempt. pic.twitter.com/iaYnA8a5CK

— Matthew (@Plays_With_Cars) November 18, 2019

Compelling? Some thought so. Now, this ‘solution’ is only really a solution for those offended by the creation of a “Mustang family” in the first place — a family of which an electric, four-door crossover is now a member. Black sheep or red-headed stepchild, many would say.

Listen, as we’ve stated before, the transformation of a boring “compliance” EV of unflattering proportions into a sport-oriented, musclebound electric that kicks eco-justice messaging to the background is not a bad thing. If Ford wanted to make money off the thing, and that is its intent, the makeover was necessary. “I want to buy this” is a better sales motivator than “I should probably be buying this.”

And yet even shaplier curves and added grunt wasn’t seen as a sure-fire remedy. We’re talking EVs here; Ford doesn’t have the dedicated — and quite rabid — fan base Tesla enjoys. Ford can’t fall back on its “disruptor/tech adopter” status among those who line up outside the Apple store for their biannual phone purchase. And so the Mustang name was sacrificed, many would claim, in order to give the upcoming model a much-needed PR and mojo boost. Hell, we wouldn’t be talking about it if the crossover emerged under the name “EcoSport-E.” Lampooning it, perhaps…

While accepting that Ford’s EV clearly needed the combined might of all the King’s horses and all the King’s men to stand a chance of making it, the branding is still an acrimonious thing. Slap on a Lincoln badge, and the problem almost entirely disappears. While the Lincoln Mark series, minus the MK. VI, was strictly a coupe affair, the blowback wouldn’t have been nearly as immediate and venomous had Ford introduced a Lincoln Mark E Sunday night.

And it may have hit the market with a thud, regardless of its attributes (time will tell how the Mach-E fares on that score). After all, to get an invite to the big dance, first you have to get noticed.

So, with this in mind, do you think Ford would have been better off launching this crossover as a Lincoln? Okay, now throw dollars and cents into the equation. Do you still feel the same way?

[Image: Ford]