Lincoln model names *POLL*

[FordBuyer]

I voted for names. I cannot for the life of me quickly connect which MK(insert letter) name goes with which Lincoln vehicle without thought. I am always getting the MKZ confused with the MKS in conversations even though visually I can see the cars in my head. And I always have to try to remember which vehicle is named MKT and MKX...

 

Well established names like Continental automatically still have an instant recognition as being a Lincoln. It's not a tarnished name.. It's not an old sounding name. It just needs a modern representation of that model that defines the name's image as relavent and still contemporary.

 

On the other hand, the Town Car name need not reapply. It sounds like something permanently antiquated and not contemporary.

 

The Mark Series as a stand alone name for a single high end halo model for the entire Lincoln brand could return.

 

Mercury just got done using the Premier name on it's premuim models. It was a Lincoln name from the 1950's. That name is still contemporary and evokes something special and exlusive.

 

I always liked the Comopolitan name from the past but I think it is too associated with the magazine of the same name as people relate to it these days.

 

I will always be a fan of the Zephyr name which is the name of the Greek god of the west wind. It's phonetic sound has always appealed to me not to mention I remember reading about these as Lincoln models when I was quite young.

 

Navigator can stay as a name for a premium CUV. Aviator was a perfect name for the smaller companion to the Navigator.

 

 

If the Taurus can gain respect for redefining it's namesake, then the same can be applied to any of the historic Lincoln nameplates.

 

I know the present Lincoln names as well as anyone and I still have to think about what last letter to use on MK every time I want to say or write the name. That is not good. I don't do that with Ford branded vehicles.

[Blue II]

I think the only reason it passes muster at Bentley is because it sounds so ridiculously uppity that it fits their clientele well.

 

When I think Continental, I think:

 

 

Actually Continental tests well with all age groups as a large luxury sedan.

 

If you were interested in a Lincoln what would peak your interest enough to make a purchase?

[Blue II]

Then you'd have to limit Lincoln to eight body styles, wouldn't want to call one a K9 ( sounds doggy) lol

 

No just K-Series for a luxury lineup. No numerical designation. Performance and SCUV seperately under a different designation.

[Blue II]

NO! That makes me think of the K car that Chrysler did back when they needed federal bailout money. Never was a fan of the "K cars." I do like the name Cosmopolitan that Lincoln did many decades ago and Sentinel is cool. Remember, there are lots of former Lincoln customers out there waiting for Lincoln to do something that interests them. I don't know that Lincoln has to follow the crowd and do Alpha-Numeric names like them that take longer to get used to and remember. Porshce uses names like Boxster and Cayenne, and numbers like 911. Lincoln could mix it up like they used to with names and Mark 7 or whatever. Not a big deal....doesn't take years of lead time to glue on a chrome namelplate on trunk. You have to spend a lot of money to market vehicle no matter what the name. it's not like any present Lincoln name has caught on anyway, there are so few buyers of MKS, MKT especially. Aviator is a cooler name than MKT. And Sentinel is cooler name than MKS.

 

K=Series is actually a Lincoln designation from the 1930's.

[2b2]

imho

keep the MucK 'names' for the F-Awds

(tho forget about using "Mark" for a decade after dropping the MucK)

but

C O N T I N E N T A L for GRwdP & some new names too

(cuz ^ that ^ is the only available name Lincoln has that means anything anymore)

[StangBang]

I am sure by the time a potential buyer gets to the dealership after becoming interested in seeing what they saw Lincoln advertising in print, web or TV they cannot relay which model they are interested in until they see it. It's like trying to identify a suspect in a criminal lineup. I can only Imagine a potential customer calling the dealer on the phone asking for prices on "That Lincoln SUV" or "That Lincoln Sedan".

 

Salesperson: Which one?...the big one or smaller one?

Customer: I dunno? I believe it's called an MK something... It's not the Zephyr or Continental because those are not an SUV's. The front end sorta looks like the Oldsmobile Cutlass I used to have in the 80's...

Salesperson: Well we have one of each model in the showroom. If you come on down we can look at them together, see which one you like and write down the model number that is on the decklid.

 

I swear I have had customers that cannot tell me what Mercedes, BMW or Infiniti model they own without looking on the back of their car or running to get the owners manual. However I have yet had a person that could not tell me they own a Taurus, Mustang, Malibu, Impala, Charger, Sebring, Corolla, Civic, Camry, Accord, Jetta, Passat, etc.

 

Now that Mercury is defunct, Lincoln can pull new names no one remembers from Mercury trim levels like Voga or Premier. If Ford can make a success out of using a former Ranger Edge trim package name, then Lincoln can do this as well. Also, there is a president for reusing the Capri name.

Edited September 8, 2010 by StangBang

[silvrsvt]

If you were interested in a Lincoln what would peak your interest enough to make a purchase?

 

 

I think most of us would be happy along the lines of a Australian Falcon made into a Lincoln...basically a 4 door luxury Mustang

 

 

[NickF1011]

Actually Continental tests well with all age groups as a large luxury sedan.

 

If you were interested in a Lincoln what would peak your interest enough to make a purchase?

 

For the age group that I feel Continental appeals to, they should probably rename it Incontinental.

 

If I was interested enough in a Lincoln to seriously consider one, the name really wouldn't matter to me. But Continental would actually turn me off more than MK-soup.

 

I do like the Sentinel name that has been mentioned a few times.

[FordBuyer]

For the age group that I feel Continental appeals to, they should probably rename it Incontinental.

 

If I was interested enough in a Lincoln to seriously consider one, the name really wouldn't matter to me. But Continental would actually turn me off more than MK-soup.

 

I do like the Sentinel name that has been mentioned a few times.

 

 

Let's be realistic here. Most customers of Lincoln are going to be up there in years no matter what. An empty nester, college costs over with, in peak earning years or enjoying a top retirement with lots of investments, and looking for a bauble to drive as retirement approaches or is there. Lincoln may be able to drop average age from 70 down to 57 or so, but that will be it. The average age on a Camry is like 56. And these are people born at the right time with defined pensions and lucrative benefits. Young people coming up now are facing sketchy 401K pensions and prospect of never seeing Social Security. Not to mention lower pay and less job opportunities. Yes, Lincoln needs to appeal to the older generation, not 30 somethings still facing huge college loans 10 years after graduating and leaner job prospects. I really don't care if Lincoln uses the Continental name again or not, but I don't think it would hurt looking at their demographics. Make it a cool, but mature name.

[atvman]

Names, definitely names. I'm not sold on the whole alphanumeric thing yet.

[NickF1011]

Let's be realistic here. Most customers of Lincoln are going to be up there in years no matter what. An empty nester, college costs over with, in peak earning years or enjoying a top retirement with lots of investments, and looking for a bauble to drive as retirement approaches or is there. Lincoln may be able to drop average age from 70 down to 57 or so, but that will be it. The average age on a Camry is like 56. And these are people born at the right time with defined pensions and lucrative benefits. Young people coming up now are facing sketchy 401K pensions and prospect of never seeing Social Security. Not to mention lower pay and less job opportunities. Yes, Lincoln needs to appeal to the older generation, not 30 somethings still facing huge college loans 10 years after graduating and leaner job prospects. I really don't care if Lincoln uses the Continental name again or not, but I don't think it would hurt looking at their demographics. Make it a cool, but mature name.

 

People in their 50's and 60's now aren't the same people who were in their 50's and 60's a couple decades ago when Lincoln was on top of the luxury market though. Today's luxury buyer is far more image conscious than previous buyers. Luxury buyers will only become moreso as time goes on. Sure, the luxury buyer Lincoln wants today might be talked into buying a "Continental", but we (nor Lincoln) should be concerned about today's luxury car buyer. We should be more concerned about the long-term approach to the brand. Today's 30-somethings (that you so generally categorize as debt-ridden po-folk -- thanks, by the way) will be tomorrow's Lincoln customers.

[FordBuyer]

Names, definitely names. I'm not sold on the whole alphanumeric thing yet.

 

Looking at the poll results so far, BOF posters seem to agree. I bet if you polled most Ford customers the results wouldn't be much different. I hope Ford is paying attention to this. However, I don't mind much the MB system of S Class, E Class, and so on or BMW 3, 5, 7 series and so on. Not hard to remember and makes sense. Lexus way of branding is so difficult to remember. And using both like Porsche does is not bad. Almost everyone knows what a 911 is. Audi system makes sense with A4 and A6. The only vehicle name that makes sense to me with Lincoln is MKZ since it was once called Zephyr. I have no understanding of what MKS, MKT, and MKX means. So hard to remember. Make it easy Ford to understand and then remember. Make the name memorable.

[Noah Harbinger]

I agree it doesn't, I was just trying to present an alternative way to differentiate the names better.

 

....and I'll take that as a hint........ :D I know you can't say, but does it look anything like this? If so, that'd be a 3rd design of mine they've used (2010 Taurus, 2011 Edge script, MKR....my Jag XJ rear taillights/design were spot on too, all 2-4 years before any were released).

 

 

 

You need a better watermark - something that doesn't distract so much from the image itself. An emboss would probably be better than straight text - and harder to remove, too.

[Critic]

ˈlɪŋkən <- my 1st. submission

'lɪŋkən pəəny

'lɪŋkən tonnəl

'lɪŋkən ɪndɪən'æplɪs

 

[ANTAUS]

So who wants to start a Facebook page so Ford can see we don't care for the MK scheme? We could pull a "Betty White" all over again ;-)

[rmc523]

You need a better watermark - something that doesn't distract so much from the image itself. An emboss would probably be better than straight text - and harder to remove, too.

 

How about this:

 

 

 

 

The one I had was better than what I had before.....nothing.

[Critic]

'lɪŋkən Ag $ <- Now that is really taking it upscale

 

What's interesting is, the MK names came about when the X was introduced, and no one seems to have seen the resemblence then to the '62 / '63 Continental Grill.

 

Since it was a new model and it probably would have followed to say "Lets resurrect the name Continental with this". They probably sat down and had this same discussion that has gone on here. Big decision that finally got signed off by the highest man possible as it affects the entire line.

 

Now Ferd is a conservative company by all standards, and change seems to be slow to them, but they do and will do it. 500/Tarsus change was done during a very week sales period where the cars were languishing and that model name was a wing and a prayer. MK/Mark <- not much thought put into that eh? Then X over, S edan, T ransport, C ompact, Z epher, F utura, G lobal...

 

I wil wait to read the final outcome on Wikipedia

[akirby]

500/Tarsus change was done during a very week sales period where the cars were languishing and that model name was a wing and a prayer.

 

No it wasn't. It was simply a recognition by the management team that they were about to THROW AWAY one of Ford's most recognizable brand names for no reason. It also allowed them to advertise the "new" Taurus for 2010. It was a smarter move than letting such a well recognized model name just die.

[Critic]

No it wasn't. It was simply a recognition by the management team that they were about to THROW AWAY one of Ford's most recognizable brand names for no reason. It also allowed them to advertise the "new" Taurus for 2010. It was a smarter move than letting such a well recognized model name just die.

 

 

500 had No sales going on, had NO sales going on AFTER the name change too, You can't change history . Mullany said it was a shame to toss the name aside and it was put back onto the same car. Only now the new model is recognized as a Tarsus, but that 500 name switch was based on hopes the old name might help it. Then it would slot onto the new body style..

 

Sorry it hurt your feelings, but it still never raised sales but perhaps 1%. 500 Would have been a great name, but not on such a dud of a body style the conservative approach doesn't always work.

 

Name die? they hold copyrights to tons of names.. they pull them out all the time.. Nothing DIES

Edited September 8, 2010 by Critic

[Edstock]

Name die? they hold copyrights to tons of names.. they pull them out all the time.. Nothing DIES

You mean we might get a return of the Aztek?

[T'Cal]

While the new Taurus is a very good car, that name has always been associated with a midsize sedan and wagon. The replacement for Five Hundred should've been named Interceptor while the Fusion should've been called Taurus. The old Taurus and the Fusion are actually very close in size.

[akirby]

500 had No sales going on, had NO sales going on AFTER the name change too, You can't change history . Mullany said it was a shame to toss the name aside and it was put back onto the same car. Only now the new model is recognized as a Tarsus, but that 500 name switch was based on hopes the old name might help it. Then it would slot onto the new body style..

 

Sorry it hurt your feelings, but it still never raised sales but perhaps 1%. 500 Would have been a great name, but not on such a dud of a body style the conservative approach doesn't always work.

 

Why would it hurt my feelings? Who's trying to change history? I never said it did anything to help sales but it certainly didn't hurt sales either. If you have a choice to use one name (five hundred) that only a few people recognize versus another one (Taurus) that is recognized by over 80% of buyers - it's a no-brainer.

 

The new Taurus wouldn't be selling nearly as well as it is if it was named Five Hundred.

[twintornados]

What shot the 500 down was the near simultaneous introduction of the Chrysler 300M with gobs of Hemi power....the 500 was a damn fine car that fell flat on its back due to the cavalcade rush to Auburn Hills to pant all over the (then) latest offering.....

 

Of course, fast forward to 2010 and the 300M is languishing on dealer lots due to its gas hog reputation, while 500s are doing quite well on the used car lots....go figure.

[sullynd]

While the new Taurus is a very good car, that name has always been associated with a midsize sedan and wagon. The replacement for Five Hundred should've been named Interceptor while the Fusion should've been called Taurus. The old Taurus and the Fusion are actually very close in size.

 

I too wished the Fusion would have been renamed Taurus - my thought was to change both at the 2010 Model. Keep 500/Fusion names until then and rename them Taurus and Galaxie (500).

 

The 500 should have never launched with those powertrains.

[suv_guy_19]

What shot the 500 down was the near simultaneous introduction of the Chrysler 300M with gobs of Hemi power

 

300, not 300M.