Mercury Dead, Lincoln Lineup to Expand

[68Cougar]

Mercury isn't going away, it's being rebranded "Titanium" .

There is some truth to that statement.

 

Ford is not a cheap brand, and seems to be moving up market some. This can only make Ford brand cars have higher ROI. They don't need the cheap market.

Edited June 2, 2010 by 68Cougar

[SVT_MAN]

There is some truth to that statement.

 

Ford is not a cheap brand, and seems to be moving up market some. This can only make Ford brand cars have higher ROI. They don't need the cheap market.

 

I can't say I disagree, but I bet there are people on this board who would like for the Mercury badge to be put on the Titanium models .... or maybe Ford should keep Mercury as the highest trim level of Fords ... just a thought. Special badging. Bragging rights. Etc.

[snooter]

where are all the this is going to cost ford money crowd?...oh yes where are they??...if true its good news..merc's time has come..blue hairs are talking dirt naps and merc needs a dirt nap as well...far as ford dont need cheap cars..another stupid asnine belief...probably same people who thought the earth was flat 500 years ago or the earth is the center of the universe...ford needs a cheap reliable truck and car....$20k for the fiesta is not cheap..more developments soon when they pile up on the lot and i can give ya an i told you so....ill pop an other one when small truck buyers go elsewhere as well

[ANTAUS]

I find it interesting how they mentioned a full retractable glass roof...wonder if this will be a "C" coupe like the Volvo C70 but with glass roof.

[weiweishen]

Does Ford's plan for Lincoln really inspire confidence? I mean does the following statement fill you with hope or fear?

 

'Ford is expanding its Lincoln lineup with seven all-new or significantly refreshed vehicles in the next four years – including its first-ever C-segment vehicle'

 

What do 7 all new or refreshed cars translate into in reality? And will the C-Segment vehicle really only be a rebadged Focus with a bit of leather and chrome?

 

Once Mercury does vacate all those Lincoln dealers won't many dealers be fatally weakened?

 

I can't help but wonder if Ford is really just working it's way round to a cull of Lincoln. If Ford can get dealers to fold by themselves then presumably this will avoid Ford having to compensate as many dealers if it does kill of Lincoln.

 

Sad to see any car brands go this way. As a Triumph fan I hope the real Mercury fans really cherish their cars now.

 

I guess the future 7 Lincoln car are MKZ, MKS, MKX, MKT, Larina, Lilan and C car

[bzcat]

I guess the future 7 Lincoln car are MKZ, MKS, MKX, MKT, Larina, Lilan and C car

 

Lol... [L]ilan and [L]ariner...

 

MKC (Tracer)

MKG (Mariner)

MKZ

MKX

MKS

MKT

Navigator

Edited June 3, 2010 by bzcat

[630land]

Ford needs to pay off debt and make $$, no need to spend $$ with Jill Wagner ads. Edsel Ford's decendants see the company as a whole and not just old names for old timers.

 

Here are some good quotes from Jalopnik's eulogy:

 

"Question: When your brand's only remaining sexiness is found in its spokesmodel, isn't it time to throw in the towel?"

 

"... the brand's current market penetration is a staggeringly low 0.8 percent, which shows that the American consumer is not wholly stupid. It offers hope, and it suggests that carmakers can no longer expect to play cut-and-paste with badges and reap benefits."

[twintornados]

Lol... [L]ilan and [L]ariner...

 

MKC (Tracer)

MKG (Mariner)

MKZ

MKX

MKS

MKT

Navigator

M.I.C....see you real soon

 

K.E.Y. ...Why?? Because we like you

 

L.I.N.C.O.L.N.......

[630land]

According to Automotive News, there are only 276 stand alone L-M dealers. Isn't this compatible to Lexus and Cadillac's footprint?

 

Also, with Buick pushed into luxury, there is no more "middle priced" brand. Never mind Fiat-Mopar, the competition is global, and buyers either look for mainstream or luxury makes. It isn't 1939 or 1989 anymore.

[FordBuyer]

I have to say this is a sad day for me. I have many fond Mercury memories in my life. My first car was a 1989 Mercury Sable LS. My second car was a 1995 Mercury Sable LS. If Mercury has to go away for Ford to survive, I understand. However, it seems silly to me that Ford has squandered this brand for years claiming that Mercury was not going away only to pull the plug when it looks like Ford is back on the upswing. The sheer brand equity in the Mercury badge alone should be enough to garner some attention. I still know people who will not buy a Ford but will buy a Mercury.

 

If you ask me, Lincoln is the more screwed up brand between Mercury and Lincoln. Look at all the money invested in Lincoln and the small return on investment (if any). I don't know. I don't want either Lincoln nor Mercury to go away. I can't imagine Lincoln Mercury dealers are too happy about this.

 

You are losing me. Wasn't it a sad day for you when Ford ended the Sable as it brought out a new 2010 Taurus? Was it a sad day for you a couple years ago when Ford announced the closing of St. Thomas next year and thus the end of the Mercury Grand Marquis? Was it a sad day when Ford gave Lincoln the Ford Edge version instead of Mercury? Was it a sad day for you when Ford said this was last year for the Mountaineer? In so many words, Ford ended Mercury a couple years ago. Ford today just turned off the respirator of a patient already brain dead.

[FordBuyer]

Lol... [L]ilan and [L]ariner...

 

MKC (Tracer)

MKG (Mariner)

MKZ

MKX

MKS

MKT

Navigator

 

The MKT I believe is the symbol of what Ford will do with future Lincolns. While I don't care for the MKT, it does show that Ford finally means business in making Lincoln very different from the Ford brand. Although the MKT and Flex share the same platform, you wouldn't know it by looking at them. However, the same can't be said for the new MKX...still looks like Edge in most ways. Hopefully future Lincolns will have totally different tophats and a new platform for a new MKR that is RWD oriented. Lincolns should be the fastest, most powerful vehicles Ford makes. Drivers should lust after them. A RWD biased sport sedan with Lincoln nameplate would be a nice start. The MKS Ecoboost really doesn't do it since Ford already has the Taurus SHO that is FWD based. A RWD MKR that comes in 2 dr. coupe, convertible, and 4 dr. sedan would be very nice.

[twintornados]

At least Ford is compensating the dealer network for the loss of Mercury instead of slinking into bankruptcy court and just plain sticking it in the dealers keisters....

Edited June 3, 2010 by twintornados

[snooter]

Ford needs to pay off debt and make $$, no need to spend $$ with Jill Wagner ads. Edsel Ford's decendants see the company as a whole and not just old names for old timers.

 

Here are some good quotes from Jalopnik's eulogy:

 

"Question: When your brand's only remaining sexiness is found in its spokesmodel, isn't it time to throw in the towel?"

 

"... the brand's current market penetration is a staggeringly low 0.8 percent, which shows that the American consumer is not wholly stupid. It offers hope, and it suggests that carmakers can no longer expect to play cut-and-paste with badges and reap benefits."

 

 

seriously... penetration and sexiness (jilly wagonner) should never be writing in the same artice..i need alone time

[LM4EVR]

Mercury was killed through neglect. Pure and simple. Sort of like having a grocery store and only stocking half the shelves and then wondering why you weren't selling anything. Mercury didn't die it was starved.

 

Of course the experts will disagree but this is truly a shorted sighted move on Ford's part. As the Ford Motor Company as a whole becomes more profitable there would be money, in time, to give Mercury more unique models. Until then Mercury could have continued as a badge engineered Ford. It is very difficult to bring a new make (or brand if you prefer) to market. Much easier reinvigorate an existing make. Since WW II only one new US make has been successfully introduced. Every other new post-war US make has failed.

 

Now the whole idea that Lincoln can only expand by "laser focusing" is bogus. You mean to tell me that there couldn't be Ford, Lincoln and Mercury staff? By focusing on Lincoln are they going to neglect Ford? So Toyota can have people who focus on Toyota, Scion and Lexus but Ford can not handle three makes. BMW can handle BMW, Rolls-Royce and Mini but Ford can not handle Ford, Mercury and Lincoln? Doesn't sound right. Also, if Lincoln is going to chase Cadillac and Lexus, how do they do that through Ford showrooms. In my area most Ford and L-M dealers are dueled. Now, if Lincoln were going to fill in the price spot under Cadillac but above Ford that might work. But having Lincoln go up market in the same showrooms with Ford is a tough sell. There is a lot of history to show this is not a good idea. Toyota and Nissan brought out Lexus and Infiniti with stand alone show rooms, even though the initial model offering weren't very broad. A luxury make has to have it's own aura above and beyond its lower price cousin. Most people do not think of a Lexus as a Toyota, but they do think of Lincoln as a expensive Ford. In Cadillac's heyday one of the things that made it a step "above" other GM offerings was the fact that Cadillac actually engineered and built its own cars. Yes, prior to 1984 Cadillac was more than a marketing organization. Cadillac was a manufacturer. When you bought a Cadillac you bought a car that was built by Cadillac in a Cadillac plant. Lincoln hasn't had that distinction since before WW II (excluding the 1956-57 Continental which wasn't a Lincoln)Packard tried selling up market and mass market cars through the same showrooms using the same name and died as a result. Imperial never shook it's image as a fancy Chrysler. That is why Toyota and Nissan so carefully cultivated independent images for Lexus and Infinity. Spending (let's say) an extra $1,500 dollars a unit on upgrading Fords into Mercurys and selling the Mercury for an extra $1,500, even in a limited model range, would give an independent L-M dealer network a lower priced car to sell to help support the dealer without the mass-market feel. The Ford=Lincoln dealer set up is not the way to go if Lincoln is to take on the world.

 

It is also short sighted in regards to the competition. So Ford keeps Mercury around with a limited model line-up. Considering that 1/2 of GM is gone and that no one can seriously think Chrysler, as it stands now, is long for this world, Mercury could be poised to take the lost Saturn, Pontiac and perhaps Dodge customer. I find it interesting that Fiat is beginning to spin Ram off as a separate brand from Dodge. What does this say about Dodge's long term prospects? Plenty of makes sell both passenger vehicles and trucks (Ford, Chevy, Toyota) quite successfully. Why should, all of a sudden, Dodge and Ram diverge? The jewels in the Chrysler crown are Jeep and Dodge pick-ups. I wouldn't bet on Dodge living a second 100 years. I would think even Chrysler's future is iffy. Nope, Ford has jumped the gun by dumping Mercury.

 

Once GM let Olds go it became a little too easy for US automakers to drop makes. But perhaps there is little future for the US auto industry.

 

It is a done deal. The oddest thing is why not let Mercury go until the end of the 2011 model year? Since the St. Thomas plant will be open through 2011 why kill the GM right now? They must have enough CV and TC volume for the remaining 18 months or so. They could have had a collector's edition GM in special colors to celebrate Mercury's departure. A final spring fling.

 

Edited June 3, 2010 by LM4EVR

[ironhorse]

?...are you oblivious to how far they have come in a mere 5 years?

 

Not at all,however Lincoln has to increase volume and margin. Look at the numbers. I would like to see what Ford has planned for Lincoln to accomplish that.

[suv_guy_19]

Not at all,however Lincoln has to increase volume and margin. Look at the numbers.

 

The numbers show them greatly increasing market share in a down market.

[Pioneer]

Just some random thougts. I haven't read the whole board yet because I just woke up, but:

 

How do some people feel about Mulally now? He was treated like a god before.....

 

If Jil Wagoner needs a place to stay now that she lost her job, she is more than welcome to stay at my house. I haven't discussed it with the wife yet, but itls just mind over matter.

 

Its not that I wanted Mercury to shut down,but at least now we don't have to hear people whine about Mercury anymore. You know who you are.

 

In the immortal words of the band Firehouse.

 

"Bye bye baby, bye bye. And that was all she wrote"

[7Mary3]

Let's face it, Mercury was another Pontiac. A decent RWD platform and a nice little sports car couldn't save Pontiac, and there is no reason to think similar cars would have saved Mercury either. Nonetheless, I am sorry to see Mercury go. As for Lincoln, if dropping Mercury can save Lincoln, then so be it. The problem is currently Lincoln competes with Buick and needs to more upscale in a hurry. Small Lincolns to replace Mercurys that were not selling is clearly not the answer.

[Marginal Economist]

How do some people feel about Mulally now? He was treated like a god before.....

Mulally had done a great job and continues to do a great job. This was the right move, but it will be hard for some to swallow.

[BlackHorse]

The MKT I believe is the symbol of what Ford will do with future Lincolns. While I don't care for the MKT, it does show that Ford finally means business in making Lincoln very different from the Ford brand. Although the MKT and Flex share the same platform, you wouldn't know it by looking at them. However, the same can't be said for the new MKX...still looks like Edge in most ways. Hopefully future Lincolns will have totally different tophats and a new platform for a new MKR that is RWD oriented. Lincolns should be the fastest, most powerful vehicles Ford makes. Drivers should lust after them. A RWD biased sport sedan with Lincoln nameplate would be a nice start. The MKS Ecoboost really doesn't do it since Ford already has the Taurus SHO that is FWD based. A RWD MKR that comes in 2 dr. coupe, convertible, and 4 dr. sedan would be very nice.

 

I like Lincoln too but I think it suffers from the same problem that Oldsmobile did. It has a perecption problem. People think it's a car for old people even with all the improvements that have been made and all the advertising that Ford has put into it. The other problem it is has is that like Mercury it is percieved as a rebadged, gussied up Ford and lets face it, for half of their lineup that is true. The MKX, Navigator and Town Car just scream Ford. The other three vehicles in the lineup are nice but are they selling enough of them? Lets face it, in the North American market when a customer sets out to buy a luxury car in the 35 to 55 thousand range they are much more likely to buy a Lexus, BMW or Infinnitti. A lot of this fueled by the still lingering misperception that import cars are better quality. Some of it is fueled by the "old person" stigma attached to Lincoln. What it all boils down to is customers are not as likely to consider Lincoln against its competitors. It's just not an "in" car anymore. I again have to wonder if Ford is considering dropping the brand and bringing out an all new luxury brand under a different name with different models in order to compete with the likes of Lexus and BMW and so on.

Edited June 3, 2010 by BlackHorse

[630land]

I'd be sad if Ford Motor Company filed Chapter 7 liqidation. I do not care that an outdated label was reitred. Just like CBS canceling ancient soap operas with low ratings, it was time to go.

 

Brand fanatics have to get a life. The real car market doesnt care, and younger buyers, who outnumber all the nostolgic "good old BIg car days" old timers, will buy more and more Fords and Lincolns in the coming decades. Fake cut and paste "mid price" badge jobs are dead. Mercury joins Olds, Pontiac, Saturn, Edsel, Hudson, Nash, and DeSoto in redundancy.

 

Cry, whine, scream all day, write a petition, do a sit in, or protest, but Ford is making $$ good nite,

[ausrutherford]

Mybe they should do a A1 competitor based off the Focus.

[OAC_Sparky]

If Jil Wagoner needs a place to stay now that she lost her job, she is more than welcome to stay at my house. I haven't discussed it with the wife yet, but itls just mind over matter.

Be careful what you wish for, pal. You might end up on the outside looking in.... your own window...

[waltchan]

Will there be 2011 models? Production of 2011 models usually begin in July 2010. Ford said production will end at the 2010 year, which means December 2010.

[Pioneer]

The progression of states is:

 

1. Denial – "I feel fine."; "This can't be happening, not to Mercury."

Denial is usually only a temporary defense for the individual. This feeling is generally replaced with heightened awareness of situations and orphaned models that will be left behind after death.

 

2. Anger – "Why Mercury? It's not fair!"; "How can this happen to Mercury?"; "Who is to blame?"

Once in the second stage, the individual recognizes that denial cannot continue. Because of anger, the company is very difficult to care about due to

misplaced feelings of rage and envy. Any division or marquee that symbolizes life or energy is subject to projected resentment and jealousy.

 

3. Bargaining – "Just let me live to see a new Mercury Cougar."; "I'll do anything for a few more years."; "I will give my life savings if..."

The third stage involves the hope that the division can somehow postpone or delay death. Usually, the negotiation for an extended life is made with a

higher power in exchange for a reformed lifestyle. Psychologically, the individual is saying, "I understand Mercury will die, but if I could just have more

time..."

 

4. Depression – "I'm so sad, why bother with Lincoln?"; "Ford Motor Company will surely die... What's the point?"; "I miss my beloved Mercury, why go on?"

During the fourth stage, the dying marquee begins to understand the certainty of death. Because of this, the Mercury customer may become silent, refuse

visitors and spend much of the time crying and grieving. This process allows the dying division to disconnect oneself from things of love and affection. It is

not recommended to attempt to cheer up an individual who is in this stage. It is an important time for grieving that must be processed.

 

5. Acceptance – "It's going to be okay."; "I can't fight it, I may as well prepare for it."

In this last stage, the individual begins to come to terms with their favorite model or that of their beloved car brand.

 

POTW!!!!!!