Lincoln product marketing director Andy Georgescu says the brand’s strategy is to appeal to people who want a more discreet type of luxury (read cheap), and admitting they aren't going to out-BMW BMW, let alone try for that matter. If Ford can out-Ferrari Ferrari Lincoln can certainly muster the corporate backbone to build a decent cruiser, one would hope...
Cadillac’s is the opposite, having decided to drive directly at the Germans. The ATS and CTS are positioned to smack the 3 series and 5 series, with similar pricing and similar performance. Caddy knows they can hang with the German brands on the Nurburgring.
Now for some sales data.....
Through the end of July Cadillac’s sales are up 30% this year. But Cadillac is lugging around 145 days’ worth of ATS sedans in inventory after selling just 2,905 ATS' in July. Cadillac spokesman David Caldwell says the inventory is part of an effort to guarantee plenty of ATS' to sell this fall while the Cadillac factory in Lansing, Mich. retools to build a redesigned CTS. I say hes a liar, but that's besides the point.
Lincoln had 109 days’ worth MKZ stock at the end of July after selling 2,809 MKZ's last month, Im sure that figure has lengthened closer to 130 by now. BMW sold 8,359 of its 3 series sedans in the U.S. last month, and keeps just a 43 day inventory of all BMW models.
Cadillac and Lincoln have ground to make up in other ways. Edmunds.com says 43% of Lincoln MKZ buyers are over 65 years old, while 48% of CTS buyers are Medicare eligible. The ATS fares better, with just 28% of its buyers over 65 years old, but the share of ATS buyers who are new to the brand sits at 75%.
Thats what Lincoln needs, style and spark, something, anything to drive traffic into the showroom. They have the entire Ford parts bin at thier disposal and this is the lineup they pump out year after year.
If we band together as a community we could petition Lincoln to use a lengthened Mustang platform and build a small RWD sedan to actually excite people. And while were at it we should try and sink the MKS and MKT.
Better idea, corporate coup. MKZ forum will assume control of the company through a stealth seizure of power involving swapped locks and board member coercion..... sorry drifting, just delusional that Lincoln could be this bad still. Either Lincoln needs to learn to walk again or Ford needs to shoot it.
