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Goodbye Continental


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It’s not just the cost to redesign them (though that is part of it) but also where do you build them?  Would flat rock have enough capacity to be the lone Mustang/Fusion/MkZ/Continental plant?  Without adding capacity Ford could not continue Fusion/Focus and bring us Ranger/Bronco/Bronco Sport/Maverick.  Adding capacity is risky. 

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57 minutes ago, sullynd said:

It’s not just the cost to redesign them (though that is part of it) but also where do you build them?  Would flat rock have enough capacity to be the lone Mustang/Fusion/MkZ/Continental plant?  Without adding capacity Ford could not continue Fusion/Focus and bring us Ranger/Bronco/Bronco Sport/Maverick.  Adding capacity is risky. 


Exactly.  You’d have to divert resources from other existing products and/or the new stuff still in development as well as factory resources.

 

People don’t seem to understand that it’s a zero sum game.  You can’t bring out a lot of new stuff without dropping some existing stuff.

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5 hours ago, MKZMark said:

My 2017 Z only has 35K on it and I love it, but I'm tempted to step up to a Connie. There are probably deals on them.

When i purchased the Nautilus,  the dealership had a Black Label  Continental in the Chroma Chrystal Blue with the Chalet Themed interior.  Absolutely gorgeous. 

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I have said all along that the Conti was much too conservatively styled and that it lacked road presence.   However, in my opinion, the last thing it needed was to be larger.   The back seat has cavernous leg room and I can't imagine anyone wanting more leg or hip room in the front seats.    I like plenty of leg room and we still can put a larger cooler on the floor behind the front seat so we have drinks when we travel.    Great trunk space, too.    

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19 hours ago, 92merc said:

And the Euro, Asian buyers haven't jumped whole hog into CUV's yet.  Euro buyers are getting there though...

Hyundai and Kia seem to be doubling down with a stunning amount of new nameplate CUVs recently and the much praised Kia Stinger won't be getting a second generation according to several news outlets.

 

It wouldn't surprise me that with Nissan cutting back on models if the Maxima and other sedans get pulled out of their offerings.

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18 minutes ago, MKZMark said:

 

Yes. Why can all the other makes produce sedans? What's wrong with Ford? There are new sedans all over the place. Is giving up a long-term strategy? 

 

If you haven't noticed the huge shift in the market from sedans to CUV's and SUV's the past several years, then you haven''t been paying attention.

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18 minutes ago, mackinaw said:

 

If you haven't noticed the huge shift in the market from sedans to CUV's and SUV's the past several years, then you haven''t been paying attention.

 

I've been paying attention, but you didn't answer any of my questions. 

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22 hours ago, MKZMark said:

 

Yes. Why can all the other makes produce sedans? What's wrong with Ford? There are new sedans all over the place. Is giving up a long-term strategy? 

Well, this thread is about Lincoln sedans, and the basic problem is that Lincoln doesn't sell in Europe where sedans remain popular. Audi, MB, BMW etc. have a large home market region that justified the continued development and sale of luxury sedans. Much tougher to do if your home (and almost only) market is North America. Lincoln had started to make major inroads into China, another big sedan market, and the Continental was really designed with the Chinese market in mind. But then the trade wars, the emergence of the new coronavirus out of Wuhan, the global recession, and pow.

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7 hours ago, MKX1960 said:

They seem very short in height is what I really meant to say.

 

Seems to me that if one wants a vehicle to be taller, they are more of an SUV or CUV buyer.    The MKS and Taurus were taller.   I had an MKS and still have a Taurus.   I prefer the lower seating position of the Continental.

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What does Lincoln need to do now?

I think they need to keep the new Lincoln "look", but enhance it a little here and there. The next released/updated vehicle should update the current grille to keep it fresh.

There should also be unique design features for top end models. Not just a bit of chrome or darked out bits here and there.

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14 hours ago, Trailhiker said:

What does Lincoln need to do now?

I think they need to keep the new Lincoln "look", but enhance it a little here and there. The next released/updated vehicle should update the current grille to keep it fresh.

There should also be unique design features for top end models. Not just a bit of chrome or darked out bits here and there.

 

Ahhh... you mean they should do something like this:

 

20200308_193239.jpg

Edited by CoolScoop
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On 7/4/2020 at 10:31 AM, ice-capades said:

 

The Lincoln Division has been poorly managed for decades. The last time it was distinctive was back in the '70's and '80's with the iconic waterfall grille on the Mark IV/V series and the Town Cars. They were unmistakable on the road and you could spot them a half mile away. Then they started changing the design language but never did anything that had the same impact and they kept changing the look every few years. The one thing that's been consistent is the inconsistent commitment to the Lincoln brand. In the past 10 years the company has been pouring billions of dollars into the brand to try to save/revitalize the brand and it's image. At least now all the Lincoln models have a unified appearance. The new models may be very good regarding quality, etc. The big problem is that there's nothing distinctive about a Lincoln and you can easily pass by one and not even realize it.  

 

Lincoln has indeed been neglected for a long, long time.  I spoke with someone at Ford about this four years ago and they centered it around Ford's desire to grow their Premier Auto Group (PAG), which consisted of Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo over Lincoln-Mercury.

Ford hasn't been consistent with Lincoln and never desired for it to be a global brand like Audi, Lexus, BMW, etc. are.

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The problem is that Ford has been so screwed up the last 15 years trying to rebuild itself that it can’t afford to put the kind of money into Lincoln that it needs all at once, so they’ve had to get there vehicle by vehicle.

 

imagine if we had C2 and CD6 and a new Ranger and Bronco 10 years ago.

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On 7/4/2020 at 9:06 AM, fuzzymoomoo said:


It did. Problem is the MKZ refresh came out like a week later and stole a lot buzz the Continental created. 

 

I remember they actually showed the refreshed MKZ as a surprise before they showed the Continental, and had given the MKZ the same grille, and everyone was like oh!  But it definitely took wind out of the sails of Conti.

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1 hour ago, rmc523 said:

 

I remember they actually showed the refreshed MKZ as a surprise before they showed the Continental, and had given the MKZ the same grille, and everyone was like oh!  But it definitely took wind out of the sails of Conti.


I thought it was like, the next day but either way it was a dumb move 

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On 7/4/2020 at 9:31 AM, ice-capades said:

 

The Lincoln Division has been poorly managed for decades. The last time it was distinctive was back in the '70's and '80's with the iconic waterfall grille on the Mark IV/V series and the Town Cars. They were unmistakable on the road and you could spot them a half mile away. Then they started changing the design language but never did anything that had the same impact and they kept changing the look every few years. The one thing that's been consistent is the inconsistent commitment to the Lincoln brand. In the past 10 years the company has been pouring billions of dollars into the brand to try to save/revitalize the brand and it's image. At least now all the Lincoln models have a unified appearance. The new models may be very good regarding quality, etc. The big problem is that there's nothing distinctive about a Lincoln and you can easily pass by one and not even realize it.  

Ford's lack of commitment to Lincoln dates back to Edsel's premature death. Every "success" has been a flash in the pan, whilst Ford has F-150, Mustang, and Bronco.

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On 7/10/2020 at 5:20 PM, The Handler said:

Ford's lack of commitment to Lincoln dates back to Edsel's premature death. Every "success" has been a flash in the pan, whilst Ford has F-150, Mustang, and Bronco.

I don’t disagree with you but I must say that I’ve been more than a little impressed with the most recent Lincoln vehicles—in particular the Corsair, Aviator, and Navigator.  I’m looking forward to seeing the refreshed Nautilus (whenever it comes out) with the latest Lincoln interior treatment and features (heads-up display, etc.).
 

I hope—I hope—these vehicles are evidence of a renewed commitment to the Lincoln brand by Ford’s senior leadership.  I also like Lincoln’s focus on Quiet Luxury (vs. trying to mimic German-style race-track-performance vehicles, of which there are already plenty from other manufacturers if one wants that).

 

I am currently on my 5th consecutive Lincoln (all purchased new or leased) and I look forward to seeing the new ones as I plan my next purchase in a couple years.  If Lincoln keeps designing and building winners, which is how I view the current Aviator, Corsair, and Navigator vehicles, I’ll be looking first at Lincoln’s lineup when I decide on my next vehicle.  Go Lincoln.

Edited by 1984Poke
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So I take it that Lincoln is now down to just four vehicles....Corsair, Nautilus, Aviator, and Navigator with the coming demise of MKZ and Continental. Two vehicles eliminated with no replacements announced. Lincoln badly needs more than four vehicles and hopefully will get a BEV in 18 months or so and another plugin that is good for 40 miles on electric alone. 

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My pops just ordered a Continental Reserve AWD with the 3.0L in Burgundy Velvet with Cappuccino interior.  Will be one of the last ones off the line.  He decided he needed an American Luxury sedan to go with his stable of mustangs and trucks.   Put the order in Friday and was told it was already pulled for scheduling.

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