agent Entrepreneur logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Ford CEO: No Plans to Move Lincoln brand

NEW YORK — Ford CEO Mark Fields said the Dearborn automaker has no plans to move its Lincoln luxury brand to New York after its domestic rival made the move, reported The Detroit News. He added that the company is committed to the revival of Lincoln. General Motors Co. in September announced it was moving ... Read More »

March 31, 2015
3 min to read


NEW YORK — Ford CEO Mark Fields said the Dearborn automaker has no plans to move its Lincoln luxury brand to New York after its domestic rival made the move, reported The Detroit News.

He added that the company is committed to the revival of Lincoln.

Ad Loading...

General Motors Co. in September announced it was moving the headquarters of its luxury Cadillac brand to New York City. Cadillac will relocate June 1 to New York. GM CEO Mary Barra cited New York’s role in setting trends.

“We like Lincoln exactly where it is,” Fields told reporters Sunday night at an event here to show off the concept Lincoln Continental that will be displayed at the New York International Auto Show.

“We’re committed to Lincoln as a world-class luxury brand. That means we all have to own this, and we all do, and I think it’s very important for us. It works well when you have the marketing folks, the product planners, the engineers all working closely together because you don’t end up throwing things over a wall — you are all doing things together as a team.”

Cadillac announced its plans to establish a global brand headquarters in New York to help the 112-year-old brand re-establish itself as a dominant global luxury player in a competitive market. The idea, Cadillac chief Johan de Nysschen explained in January, was to put distance between the rest of GM and Cadillac and do so in a city that is the epicenter of luxury and could help GM better understand target customers. Some Detroit community members and politicians were disappointed and criticized the move.

GM has redesigned the Cadillac business, which will operate as a separate business unit of GM. The automaker plans to invest $12 billion into Cadillac by the end of the decade, as it adds eight all-new vehicles, including SUVs. Cadillac’s U.S. sales fell 6.5 percent last year, but its global sales inched up 5 percent.

Ad Loading...

Ford moved its Lincoln brand to California in 1998 as part of its Premier Automotive Group and moved the brand back to Dearborn in 2002.

But Fields said that while California sets many trends, Fields thinks New York helps set trends in luxury vehicles and luxury items. That’s why Fields said Ford is showing off the Lincoln Continental concept at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday, with plans to build a production version next year.

Fields said the automaker is positioning Lincoln as “quiet luxury” as part of the “whole ownership experience.” It’s about an elegant experience with the highest quality technology, styling and materials.

“We want the brand to represent the themes around this quiet luxury … call it serene and relaxing but almost really to kind of chill when you get into the vehicle. Life becomes a little less stressful,” Fields said.

Fields also said Ford last year opted not to bid for the next generation presidential limousine. For much of the 20th century, the presidential limousine was a Lincoln — and often a Continental. But since the early 1980s, the limousine has been a Cadillac.

Ad Loading...

“One of the reasons Lincoln is held in high regard is they remember the presidential limousine, they remember the actors and actresses that drove them,” Fields said.

But a company only has so many resources and has to make choices, Fields said. “Let’s not dilute ourselves,” Fields said, explaining the decision.


More Industry

Group photo of men outside storefront.
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 28, 2026

Pennsylvania Dealership Under New Retailers

The sale of the Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram store puts a family auto group on a leaner path as first-time dealers take the helm.

Read More →
Hallway with lockered wiring and computer
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMay 28, 2026

Battery Storage Takes Priority Over EVs

U.S. automakers are prioritizing battery energy stationary storage over electric-vehicle production as the consumer demand for EVs lags the rest of the world.

Read More →
Gray-scale photo of a line of Mini cars in a dealership parking lot
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 27, 2026

Auto Dealers Feel Better But Not Great

A second-quarter Cox Automotive poll of franchised retailers and independents found better views of the current market after a good spring but anticipation of third-quarter storminess.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Closeup photo of the front of a white car
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 21, 2026

New-Vehicle Sales Picture Relative

A May forecast is complicated by last spring’s trade tariff effects on auto retail. Despite continued hard realities, many consumers took advantage of ways to bite the bullet.

Read More →
Nissan logo on front of building
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMay 21, 2026

Auto Group Acquires Third Nissan Rooftop

Iowa-based Coleman Automotive Group recently acquired its seventh dealership, McGrath Nissan, which it renamed Nissan of Elgin.

Read More →
Couple talking with auto salesman next to new car inside dealership
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 20, 2026

April Less Affordable

Based on prices, reduced incentives and slower household income growth, consumers found it more challenging to buy new last month, Cox Automotive reported.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Wooden people figures of different colors in a row, similar to board game pieces
IndustryMay 20, 2026

Building an Extraordinary F&I Agency

Work to determine your specialized talent, because that fact will determine everything about your agency’s future.

Read More →
Ingredient card, policies and procedures, fixed operations, variable operations, data security, audit
Industryby Jim GantherMay 19, 2026

Recipe for Compliance

The secret to both amazing barbecue and compliance is the same: understanding the basics and committing to a process.

Read More →
Photo of new Chevrolet Bolt parked on a beach
Industryby Hannah MitchellMay 14, 2026

EVs Getting More Attractive

A growing percentage of U.S. consumers are open to switching and fewer are adverse to the idea, according to a recently completed survey. That’s despite the end of a tax break.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Benchmark bar graph showing April 2026 EV Sales
Industryby Lauren LawrenceMay 14, 2026

EV Sales Drop in April Following Surge

North American electric-vehicle sales were down 28% year-over-year, a sharp contrast from global EV sales growth of 6%.

Read More →