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Lincoln to go global

By Matt Brogan |

Ford is considering selling its luxury Lincoln brand globally, Mark Fields says.

“Potentially, but we are focusing Lincoln here in North America for right now,” Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, said here yesterday at the auto show.

“We don’t have any plans at this point to take it global. That doesn’t mean in the future we wouldn’t look at that, but it’s very important for us to focus on North America.”

Overseas sales of the Lincoln brand would fill the void created by Ford’s shrinking luxury portfolio as well as help rebuild the brand, sales were at a 28 year low in 2009.

With the sale of Volvo Ford will lose its luxury presence in China, one of the world’s fastest growing markets. Jaguar and Land Rover were sold in 2008 also sell in China.

Lincoln unveiled a redesigned MKX crossover due to go on-sale in the middle of 2010. But will not discuss the prospects of a small car joining the line-up.


 
  • matt_b

    Only if they started developing decent cars could they hope to do well o/s.

    My suggestion to Ford is to develop Lincolns in europe and in Oz – build them wherever they can get a good build quality but keep as much of it out of the US as possible.

  • matt_b

    ps. all of the current Lincoln’s are abominable.

  • Falc

    Lincoln will share GRWD with Falcon and Mustang… it makes sense for it to go global.

  • gary

    Honestly, at the moment for Ford, “global” = “Chinese market”, there isn’t another market can take decent quantity of cars from Lincoln. However I don’t see Lincoln has the right model for asian market, what lincoln has are all large cars.

  • David T

    Anyone else see a plan emerging here?
    Falcon, Mustang & Lincoln all coming together on the new One Ford glogal RWD platform, LHD/RHD, 2 door/4 door/LWB.

    That could give Ford Australia an imported (prob from Canada) a 2 door (Mustang) and a LWB luxury (Lincoln) to sell alongside the locally built Falcon – with export oportunities.

    Maybe I’m dreaming, but that is the type of outcomes of global platforms.

  • Andrew

    What is with the 1970′s grilles? Obviously it’s what the US wants, like the Fusion..

  • Safety First

    Umm this is not a complaint, this is not a critersism, this is just rying to understand Adam’s story….
    Could he please explain where his headline comes from when he is actually quoting Mr Fields saying something Basically the opposite????
    Quote Mark Fields from above
    [“Potentially, but we are focusing Lincoln here in North America for right now,” Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, said here yesterday at the auto show.

    “We don’t have any plans at this point to take it global. That doesn’t mean in the future we wouldn’t look at that, but it’s very important for us to focus on North America.”]

    • Muse

      This is the first thing I noticed as well.

    • Baddass

      It grabbed your attention though, didn’t it? That is kinda the point of a headline…

  • Myke

    At this stage they will fail, FWD-based and V6 petrol only…

  • http://www.fordaustraliaforums.com PaulST

    Might be good to replace that photo of the MKX with the new just-revealed model. ;)

  • Wingman77

    Totally agree with Safetyfirst……the headline seems misleading. Did the author of the headline actually read the article?????????????????

  • Andronicus

    Build some better cars, take it in a new style direction that would appeal to a global market and give it a good crack. Why not hey.

  • Valet Dabess

    i didn’t even know ford owned lincon…

    • Tinman

      Since 1922.

  • Baddass

    I don’t think Ford should take Lincoln globally. It is too suited to the American market that it doesn’t meet the needs of individual markets like Europe and Asia. Ford should keep a very close eye on GM to see what they do with Cadillac.

    • Carter3310

      Buick is a very similar brand to Lincoln, and it’s become the best selling non-Chinese car brand in China, which is now a bigger car market than the United States. If Buick can do well there, I don’t see why Lincoln can’t.

      They should stay out of Europe though, no non-European manufacturer’s have done well there. Cadillac and Infiniti bombed, and Lexus is still selling dismally there after years of trying…

      I think they could do well in Australia and NZ, as long as they are well priced and well marketed.

    • Matt

      They don’t need to take it to Europe. Ford is selling lots of the top-spec versions of their cars there, don’t need to market Lincolns as upmarket versions of the cars they are are buying anyway

  • Callous Aussie

    Wow this mob are stuck in a time warp. Lincoln look outdated to me. That grill is plain butt ugly.

  • Luke Plaizier

    This is just plain deceptive reporting. The Headline is in direct contrast to what is actually said in the article.

    So much for truth in the media. Lets lie in the headlines to make ourselves some money.

    Ridiculous.

    Lukeyson