Ford Aims to Breathe Life Into Lincoln

Now that Ford Motor Co. has escaped from the grip of recession and projects a doubling of vehicle sales by mid-decade, the second-largest U.S. auto maker is making a revival of its ailing Lincoln luxury brand its top priority.

Later this year, Ford will begin a sweeping make-over of the 96-year-old brand, to give staid Lincoln a new identity as a producer of high-tech, understated luxury cars, Ford executives said.

The first look at Lincoln's future will come in November when Ford unveils redesigned versions of its MKS sedan and MKT sport-utility vehicle, the first of seven new or redesigned Lincolns. The MKS will feature a sleeker design, self-tuning suspension system and hands-free controls and entertainment system, reported The Wall Street Journal.

Whizzy technologies that the auto maker is counting on to turn heads: retractable, all-glass roofs and computerized sound-reduction technology, similar to noise-cancelling headphones, to block road noise and make Lincoln interiors ultra quiet.

"Lincoln will give [customers] opportunities to tell a story about what is unique in their vehicle," said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's head of global product development, in an interview. "You think of BMW as engaging to drive; you can think of Lexus as refined. Bring them together and it is a new experience no customer has ever had."

Lincoln will be aimed at technology-loving, upscale consumers that Ford believes make up an increasing portion of the luxury-car market, Mr. Kuzak said. Affluent professionals who tend to value experiences, such as exotic vacations, over the bling of big-name luxury goods can be lured away from other luxury car brands to Lincoln, Mr. Kuzak said.

It won't be easy. A little more than a decade ago, Lincoln was the top-selling luxury brand in the U.S. Lincoln limousines were preferred by U.S. presidents and Hollywood directors. Every president from Calvin Coolidge through George H.W. Bush rode in a Lincoln limousine.

But as German luxury brands BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz expanded their lines and introduced new technologies, Ford chose to stock the Lincoln brand mainly with upgraded versions of the same cars it sells as Fords. The MKS sedan shares many parts with the Ford Taurus, for example. The Lincoln MKX crossover is nearly identical to the Ford Edge.

Tim Sanders, a pharmaceutical sales representative in Cleveland, Ohio, purchased Lincolns in the past but the last car he bought was a BMW. Lincolns "just aren't exciting to me anymore," he said.

Last year Ford also killed off its Mercury brand, which used to be paired with Lincoln in dealerships. But without Mercury, many Lincoln stores have seen customer traffic plunge. The brand also struggles to attract young customers. The average age of a Lincoln buyer is 62 years old, compared to just 54 for Lexus and 49 for BMW.

"We are still living with that perception that my grandfather and my grandmother drive a Lincoln," said Andy Czajkowski, owner of Statewide Ford-Lincoln in Van Wert, Ohio. "They have to bring out products faster." With Lincoln's current line, Mr. Czajkowski says he is fighting an uphill battle. In May he sold just three Lincolns.

In the first five months of the year, U.S. auto sales have increased 14 percent over a year ago, but Lincoln's sales are down 7.5 percent. In May, Lincoln sold just 7,399 vehicles in the U.S., about the same number as Volvo, a brand that Ford sold in 2010. Volvo's current owner Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co. is aiming to recast the brand to include luxury cars.

General Motors Co.'s two upscale brands, Cadillac and Buick, did much better, selling 11,623 and 15,579 vehicles, respectively. BMW, the luxury leader, sold more than twice as many cars in the U.S. as Lincoln, 20,651.

A strong luxury brand is a key to most successful car makers. Lexus and Acura help Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. improve economies of scale and earns thicker margins than their mainstream models. GM counts on Cadillac to cast a marketing halo over its other makes. Luxury brands also help attract and retain customers who tend to be more loyal and less price-conscious than mainstream car-buyers.

BMW is actually targeting the very same consumers as Lincoln aspires to in a current marketing campaign that focuses on the joy it believes customers get from driving its vehicles. One print ad uses the tagline "Joy is Maternal," a departure from past promotions that emphasized handling and acceleration.

Mr. Kuzak concedes the seven new Lincolns in the pipeline will still share parts with Ford models, but he promised they will have unique exterior panels, headlamps and other touches to give them a distinct look.

The new Lincolns also will have some technology that won't appear in Fords. Most of the seven new vehicles will have computer-controlled steering and suspensions systems that adjust on the fly to provide a sporty or comfy ride, depending on how the car is being driven.

For now, Lincoln enthusiasts will have to have the patience that comes with age. The refreshed MKS and MKT will arrive in the first half of 2012, followed by an all new MKZ in late 2012. The four remaining vehicles won't be launched until 2013 or 2014.