Posts Tagged ‘Lincoln sales’

MKZ Back on Track – But Lincoln Still Has Problems

New sedan gains momentum – even as the rest of the line-up slips.

by on May.31, 2013

Jim Farley, Lincoln's brand boss and the global marketing chief for parent Ford Motor Co.

It’s the classic good news/bad news situation for Lincoln this month.

On the positive side, after a painfully slow start due to production snags, the luxury marque’s new MKZ is finally gaining momentum and should set a record for the nameplate when May’s final numbers are tallied. The bad news?  As Lincoln gains ground, the rest of the luxury brand’s line-up has been slipping.

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“We’ll have the best month ever with the MKZ,” predicted Jim Farley, head of the Lincoln brand and the global marketing chief for its parent Ford Motor Co.

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Lincoln: Code Blue

Is there a doctor in the house? Enter Mark LaNeve.

by on Apr.11, 2013

Lincoln's marketing mishaps - and production delays -- have left the brand in even worse shape than skeptics had anticipated.

The reintroduction of the Lincoln Motor Company via the new MKZ model is now officially comatose. A code blue alert has brought in an auto marketing turnaround specialist, the 54-year-old Mark LeNeve, to assume command of Lincoln’s almost new “luxury-oriented boutique agency” and continue as COO of Team Detroit, the Ford brand’s ad agency.

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The former Academic All-American linebacker at the University of Virginia is faced with a helluva marketing mess. The factory quality issues contributing to this situation are not unique to the introduction of a new model but the marketing blunders, gaffes, mistakes and eff-ups are unprecedented.  Unless one has a memory long enough to reach back to the legendary Edsel debacle.

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Cadillac, Lincoln Stuck in Neutral

Domestic luxury brands gain little traction in 2012.

by on Jan.04, 2013

Cadillac is hoping to see the ATS win North American Car of the Year honors, which could put its sales push back into gear.

The long-promised revival of Detroit’s two main luxury brands failed to materialize in 2012 despite the launch of some major new products that generated largely positive reviews.

Both Ford Motor Co.’s Lincoln and General Motors’ Cadillac wound up losing market share last year – 4.1% and 1.7% respectively — despite the makers’ anticipated improvements . Only the near-luxury GM brand Buick posted a modest, 1.6% gain for the year, though company officials insist the real test will come in 2013.

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That’s quite likely the case, says David Sullivan, of AutoPacific, Inc. “Looking back at 2012, I would say they were semi-disappointing and if we didn’t know there was promising new product in the pipeline it would be pretty bleak.”

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Ford Motor Sales Flat in November

Modest gains for cars at Volvo and Ford brands canceled by the ongoing collapse of trucks and SUVs, and a 20% drop at Lincoln.

by on Dec.01, 2009

A basic family car is a winner for Ford.

A basic family car is a winner for Ford.

Ford Motor Company reported today that November sales were even when compared with 2008. While car sales were up 14% and crossovers were up 26% for the month, total sales of 118,536, equaled year-ago levels.

Significant drops averaging -20% in sport utility, truck and van segments, where Ford is still heavily invested, essentially canceled the crossover and car increases.

In bright spots, Ford Fusion set a full year sales record, year-to-date 2009 sales are 161,819. The previous full-year record, set in 2007, was 149,552.

Other Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars posting increases included Ford Focus (+24%) and Mercury Milan (+40%).

However, Lincoln sales dropped 20% from year ago levels, led by a stunning decrease of 69% for the aging Town Car to 454 vehicles compared with 1,454. The MKS was off 27% and the Navigator dropped 20% compared to what were already depressed levels a year ago.

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