QOTD: You Knew This Was Coming…

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

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]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Matt51 Matt51 on Nov 19, 2019

    Ford..is..Stupid. Won't sell, won't get their invested money back, young people won't be able to afford it.

  • Tankinbeans Tankinbeans on Nov 19, 2019

    They could call it the Musk Oxcart, or The Streetcar Named Desire, for all I care. It doesn't fit my driving needs yet so I won't be gnashing my teeth too greatly.

  • 1995 SC At least you can still get one. There isn't much for Ford folks to be happy about nowadays, but the existence of the Mustang and the fact that the lessons from back in the 90s when Ford tried to kill it and replace it with the then flavor of the day seem to have been learned (the only lessons they seem to remember) are a win not only for Ford folks but for car people in general. One day my Super Coupe will pop its headgaskets (I know it will...I read it on the Internet). I hope I will still be physically up to dropping the supercharged Terminator Cobra motor into it. in all seriousness, The Mustang is a.win for car guys.
  • Lorenzo Heh. The major powers, military or economic, set up these regulators for the smaller countries - the big guys do what they want, and always have. Are the Chinese that unaware?
  • Lorenzo The original 4-Runner, by its very name, promised something different in the future. What happened?
  • Lorenzo At my age, excitement is dangerous. one thing to note: the older models being displayed are more stylish than their current versions, and the old Subaru Forester looks more utilitarian than the current version. I thought the annual model change was dead.
  • Lorenzo Well, it was never an off-roader, much less a military vehicle, so let the people with too much money play make believe.
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