Lincoln Continental- Grand Opening, Grand Closing

[12,000 RPM]

Only a rumor for now but it makes sense. I must say I did not see this coming.

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2018/03/death-comes-lincoln-continental/

Forget the stickshift RWD 6+ cylinder sedan.... any sedan that isn't a mainstream compact or a Camcord is on thin ice.

[Submariner]

[2o6]

People are a lot less boring than they lead on.



It sounds like Ford is just gonna stop making sedans altogether. That sounds like a clever way to meet CAFE standards.

[12,000 RPM]

Ford is smart to not make what people aren't buying. Can't call it the old developmental catch 22 either (i.e. company stops putting money into a car, people stop buying it, company says "aw shucks well we have to cancel it- no interest")- several brand new mainstreamers (Sonata, Optima, 200) have flat out bombed. People trade their old sedans in and leave the dealership in a crossover or pickup truck.

[2o6]

Ford is smart to not make what people aren't buying. Can't call it the old developmental catch 22 either (i.e. company stops putting money into a car, people stop buying it, company says "aw shucks well we have to cancel it- no interest")- several brand new mainstreamers (Sonata, Optima, 200) have flat out bombed. People trade their old sedans in and leave the dealership in a crossover or pickup truck.

Although Fusion sales have been dropping, it still sells more than 200K units every year. I'm not convinced that 200K buyers will be happy in an Escape.

But it looks like Ford will stop making anything vaguely car shaped now; Fusion, Fiesta, Focus....

[Submariner]

I bet Ford feels a bit silly right now for selling Land Rover...

[12,000 RPM]

Although Fusion sales have been dropping, it still sells more than 200K units every year. I'm not convinced that 200K buyers will be happy in an Escape.

But it looks like Ford will stop making anything vaguely car shaped now; Fusion, Fiesta, Focus....

It sold over 200K last year... and over 250K the year before that... and over 300K the year before that....

Through February it's down ~15% vs last year and 40% vs the year before.... the trend line is headed towards zero. Canceling it completely is probably not the move but Ford would be stupid to invest in it. And maybe all Fusion drivers wouldn't be happy in an Escape... but I bet some would be happy in an Edge, or an F-150, or a Focus. They sold 200K Fusions last year after losing 100K sales in 2 years... it's curtains for the Fusion.

I am just shocked the Continental is also doing bad. It's new and not bad.

[shp4man]

It's weird. Cars are going out of style and a stripper full size pickup costs $28K.
What's the world coming to?

[2o6]

It's weird. Cars are going out of style and a stripper full size pickup costs $28K.
What's the world coming to?

This is my big concern. SUV shaped things are generally more expensive than car shaped ones. I can't picture people my age shelling out $325 a month on a base Escape. AND paying on student loans.

[Rich]

I bet Ford feels a bit silly right now for selling Land Rover...

Absolutely not. Well they probably think so but Landover is happy AF. Ford would have mismanaged them into oblivion.

Everything ford was touching was turning to shit then

[veeman]

Truecar puts average transaction for a Lincoln Continental at @$50 thousand.  I did for comparison what is the average transaction for an MB E class which is @$52 thousand.

They're not really competitors or even in the same size class but which would you rather have? 

Dang shame because it's really a nice looking big luxury cruiser. 

[Submariner]

Absolutely not. Well they probably think so but Landover is happy AF. Ford would have mismanaged them into oblivion.

Everything ford was touching was turning to shit then

Under Ford's stewardship, LR introduced the Range Rover Sport and the LR3...pretty good additions to the lineup...

[Rich]

Read American Icon. You'll get a feel for how bad it was. And probably how bad it is now that Mullay is gone.

[12,000 RPM]

Truecar puts average transaction for a Lincoln Continental at @$50 thousand.  I did for comparison what is the average transaction for an MB E class which is @$52 thousand.

They're not really competitors or even in the same size class but which would you rather have? 

Dang shame because it's really a nice looking big luxury cruiser.

You are right that they are not competitors. For the same money the Continental is more roomy, powerful, refined and better equipped. That it fails while the Benz is the benchmark speaks to the irrationality of the luxury market. The Lincoln is the better car, drive wheels be damned. The best selling luxury midsizer is the Lexus ES.

[Xer0]

With modern, modular platforms, aren't cars like the Focus/Escape, Fusion/Edge, and Taurus/Explorer developed at the same time?  I get being concerned about lower sales, but how many extra dollars are saved by ignoring the car side of the thing entirely?

[AutobahnSHO]

irrationality of the luxury market

Glad someone else sees it. It's all about the badge & 'prestige'...

[Submariner]

Luxury cars aren't just about gadgets and the brand.  Some cars are built better, drive better, ride better, have a nicer cabin than others, etc. 

[giant_mtb]

You are right that they are not competitors. For the same money the Continental is more roomy, powerful, refined and better equipped. That it fails while the Benz is the benchmark speaks to the irrationality of the luxury market. The Lincoln is the better car, drive wheels be damned. The best selling luxury midsizer is the Lexus ES.

Says the guy who owns a Lincoln and Infiniti.

[12,000 RPM]

Says the guy who owns a Lincoln and Infiniti.

There was definitely an irrational + emotional aspect in those purchases (as is the case with most car purchases)

Me calling the luxury market irrational wasn't a dig; humans are irrational; it only makes sense that people with means have more freedom to do irrational things

Luxury cars aren't just about gadgets and the brand.  Some cars are built better, drive better, ride better, have a nicer cabin than others, etc. 

Do you really think the average Benz buyer is cross shopping with Lincolns (or anything for that matter)? I would argue that most luxury car sales are definitely driven by brand first and everything else later. Someone who trades their E class in every 3 years for a new one cannot know whether or not it rides/drives/is built/outfitted better than its competitors.

[Xer0]

https://blog.caranddriver.com/fords-future-lineup-laid-bare-heres-what-we-know-including-bronco-gt500-and-more/

Applies to this discussion.  Piggy backing along the same lines as what I was thinking earlier, there is this:

"The brand also plans to reduce its offerings to variants of just five vehicle architectures worldwide: a front-drive unibody, a rear-drive unibody, a van unibody, body-on-frame for trucks, and an electric platform. Apparently, only 30 percent of each model based off one of those platforms will be customizable—with variations limited to styling elements such as headlights and hoods. The number of vehicle combinations and trims that can be ordered will also be reduced, lowering costs and reducing build complexity."

[12,000 RPM]

Sounds like MQB and MLB. Probably the right move but the industry homogenization continues. Damn, limited headlight modules.... What will happen with the other Lincolns?

[Gotta-Qik-C7]

It's weird. Cars are going out of style and a stripper full size pickup costs $28K.
What's the world coming to?

[CaminoRacer]

I don't get the CUV love. I see too many flipped over on the freeway to like them. I'll take my low center of gravity sedan, please.

[Laconian]

I don't get the CUV love. I see too many flipped over on the freeway to like them. I'll take my low center of gravity sedan, please.

Lol what?

[CaminoRacer]

Lol what?

Welcome to Utah!

[12,000 RPM]

Last vehicle I saw flipped over was a pickup truck, but that is just statistics. They make up like 50% of the passenger vehicles here.

I love my low sedan, but for family duty something like a Cayenne or X5M sounds really nice. I'm not ashamed to admit there's definitely more status in something like that vs a minivan or even an E Class wagon.... so if I can't have the buttoned down razor sharp dynamics I desire I might as well have something that makes me feel cool. For now that's an expensive crossover

*awaits Raza & MCM hate*

[ChrisV]

I don't get the CUV love. I see too many flipped over on the freeway to like them. I'll take my low center of gravity sedan, please.

Lol wut?





I'm not saying CUVs and SUVs don't roll over. I'm saying you're lying to yourself if you think you're safe in a sedan. While the rate goes to the SUV, the total numbers of rollovers goes to sedans and sports cars.

[CaminoRacer]

Yeah, if you suck at driving on country roads and go into a ditch. But I don't think I've ever seen a sedan rolled over on the freeway, whereas I've seen 4 SUV/CUVs rolled in the past month or so.

[Raza]

Lincoln is still in business?

[68_427]

Lincoln is still in business?

They've made some decent improvement.  The Navigator is a legitimate luxury player, and dealers can't keep $100k Black Label trims on the lot