The marketing power of AMC’s Mad Men knows no bounds. With Mercedez-Benz recently signing the show’s star Jon Hamm (aka Don Draper) to be the voice behind their brand, Lincoln has now brought on another of the 1960s-era Madison Avenue stars, and one of it’s most dynamic personalities, John Slattery (aka Roger Sterling). Promoting Lincoln’s...
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Lincoln, Ford’s luxury brand, has a problem; too many dealers hocking not enough product. While recent Lincoln’s have been well received by critics, it’s not necessarily translating into sales. Lincoln moved 83,000 cars last year, while class leader Lexus sold about 216,000 – a pretty substantial gulf. And while Lexus only has 230 dealerships in the United...
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Ford is looking to cut another 300 dealers as part of an effort to increase profitability. The move comes as part of a move to wind down its Mercury brand, and consolidate its sales network amid decreased demand for cars. “The dealers are full partners in every decision the company makes,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s group...
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A new report detailing customer satisfaction in the auto industry has just been released, with domestic brands Lincoln-Mercury and Buick taking the top spots. The annual American Customer Satisfaction Index survey points to a slight decline overall in consumers’ satisfaction with their vehicles, but shows strong results for domestic automakers. In total, the satisfaction index...
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Porsche was the big winner for July 2010 sales, moving 75% more cars than in July 2009, with Hyundai/Kia, Jaguar/Land Rover and the Big Three all making solid gains. Japanese auto makers bore the brunt of the market, with Toyota and Honda losing a bit of market share, while Suzuki took the dubious title of...
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With relatively poor sales the Ford Edge and its hideously-styled Lincoln-MKT derivative may be phased out in 2013 after just one generation. While a response to the lack of success for each model, Ford has a larger plan for its two remaining brands, aiming to create a larger gap between Ford and Lincoln. With the...
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Lincoln‘s MKZ Hybrid will be priced identical to the least expensive V6, giving consumers a strong incentive to opt for the 2.5L four-cylinder hybrid. The hybrid retails for #35,180, the same sticker as the front-drive V6 model, and a few hundred dollars less than a Lexus HS250h. The MKZ, based on Ford’s much acclaimed Fusion...
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Five Lincoln concept cars, as well as one Mercury concept will go up for auction at RM’s Sports & Classics of Monterey on August 12th. The six concepts are being sold by Ford Motor Co. through RM Auctions, a well known auction house that regularly handles ultra high end vehicles. All vehicles, except the Lincoln...
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Lincoln is about to launch their new refreshed MKX crossover, and the most significant changes come with regards to gas mileage. Fuel economy is a class leading 19mpg city/26mpg highway, despite having a 3.7L 305 horsepower V6 under the hood. Of course, most consumers will notice the new corporate schnozz, which is much more striking...
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In a succession of perfectly timed announcements, both Cadillac and Lincoln have announced that they will offer free scheduled maintenance programs to owners of their vehicles, but the programs differ in nature. The Lincoln program is only available on new vehicles purchased between now and September 7th, ostensibly in an effort to boost sales for...
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Posting identical numbers to its sister car, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, the Lincoln MKZ has garnered an identical EPA rating of 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. This might be a snooze to some, but the MKZ Hybrid bests its nearest rival, the Lexus HS250h, by 6 mpg in the...
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Ford announced today that five of their vehicles have been selected as Top Safety Picks By The IIHS, boosting their total to 11 vehicles. The 2010 Ford Flex and Fusion, Lincoln MKZ and MKT and the Mercury Milan all scored the highest possible ratings in the IIHS’s front, side and rear impact tests as well...
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Using Google Maps to plot your route is a major convenience on a home computer, but there’s no good solution on taking them with you. Printing them is cumbersome, and inputing them onto a smartphone or PDA is just another level of distraction. Now, Ford and Google have teamed up to let you send your Google Maps...
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While Ford‘s decision to cut the Mercury brand from its lineup makes good business sense, the long term benefits come with a more immediate down side. In an increasingly competitive market, by eliminating the Mercury brand Ford is also potentially eliminating 92,299 sales. According to Edmunds.com CEO Jeremy Anwyl, Ford should keep roughly two-thirds of...
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Ford continues to work its marketing magic, directing focus away from the fact that its shutting-down the Mercury brand and putting the spotlight on a bright future for Lincoln. The Blue Oval has announced that by the end of this year production of Mercury models will cease, helping Ford reduce costs while and put more...
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Mercury, we hardly knew ye – as anything more than a place where re-badged Ford products could linger in obscurity, serving their purpose as rental cars and female-marketed A-to-B transportation. After 71 years, this model is no longer sustainable, and Automotive News reports that today, Mercury will be sent to the great garage in the...
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Mercury‘s glory days are long over, with the brand lacking anything exciting or unique since the muscle car era. With the Grand Marquis scheduled to die alongside its customer base, and every other Mercury product available right next door at the Ford showroom, the storied brand is set to be euthanized by its parent company, Ford...
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Zero Hedge, a blog more concerned with the imminent destruction of our economy than the demise of the internal combustion engine, recently obtained word that the U.S. Tresury is going to be auctioning off some serious machinery made in the U.S., Italy, France and England. Thanks to the Treasury’s asset seizure program, the property of...
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“this stuff happens all the time, I get around two calls a day on stripped cars. Some people will take anything, mirrors, headlights you name it.”
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The 2011 Ford Mustang V6 makes as much power as the 2005-2009 V8 version did, proving that six-cylinder technology is no longer for the runts of the Mustang litter. Add a couple turbochargers and direct-injection, and you get Ford’s wonderful EcoBoost motor, which has all the power you could ever want from a big V8,...
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This author has loved hip-hop music since the tender age of 3, when Digital Underground’s “The Humpty Dance” caught my attention. I didn’t really understand the lyric “I once got busy in a Burger King bathroom” but it had a fat bassline and a character from a nursery rhyme, and that was enough for me. In the...
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Ford posted a $2.1 billion profit for this quarter, beating market expectations by a full year despite a lull in the new vehicle market. Ford has undergone a series of cost-cutting measures, including plant closures and layoffs, but has also introduced a torrent of new product in nearly every segment. Ford hasn’t earned $2 billion...
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Earlier today Lincoln announced plans to introduce a hybrid version of its MKZ luxury sedan, which has now just been officially unveiled at the New York Auto Show. Based on the same platform as the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, the MKZ Hybrid also uses the same hybrid drivetrain to achieve an impressive 41/36 mpg...
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While Ford has poured a lot of money into the Lincoln brand over the past few years, with new products and designs, the Blue Oval hasn’t seen much return on its investment. Now, however, it may just have a plan that could work: It’s called the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid and it just so happens to...
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