Lincoln marquee all but dead?
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RE: Lincoln marquee all but dead?
And the soon to be released Zephyr.
Wixom plant to lose Lincoln LS
Ill-fated plant may cut 250-280 employees
August 23, 2005
BY JAMIE BUTTERS
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Ford Motor Co. notified workers at the Wixom Assembly Plant on Monday that production of the Lincoln LS would end with the 2006 model year next spring or summer, company spokespeople confirmed.
The move is expected to eliminate 250 to 280 jobs and perhaps seal the fate of the plant.
This summer the large, old plant stopped making the Ford Thunderbird coupe, and by this time next year, it looks like it will be making only the Lincoln Town Car and doing a little work on the Ford GT premium sports car.
As Ford's traditional domestic brands have lost market share year after year, the company has found itself losing money on its automotive business and needing to close plants. Wixom has long been seen by analysts as a plant in danger of being closed, presumably when Ford and other locally based automakers negotiate a new national contract with the UAW in 2007.
"They're not earmarked for" new models, Joe Langley, an analyst at automotive forecaster CSM Worldwide in Farmington Hills, told Bloomberg News about the Wixom plant. The Town Car may move to a St. Thomas, Ontario, factory that produces Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis cars, he said.
All three cars are made on the same platform, or basic mechanical design.
Ford spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari said the automaker had nothing further to announce about the future of the Wixom factory, which opened in 1957.
Before ending production of the T-bird, the Wixom plant employed about 1,800 hourly and salaried workers. That move was expected to eliminate about 200 jobs, and end of LS production is expected to take away 250 to 280. So by this time next year, employment would likely be between 1,320 and 1,350.
LS never struck a chord with consumers, who saw it as neither sporty enough nor luxurious enough to compete with BMWs or other premium brands, said Karl Brauer, editor in chief of consumer Web site Edmunds.com.
"There was always a question of what exactly the car was supposed to be," he said. "It never seemed to have a real strong identity one way or the other."
Sales last year fell 20% to 28,000, and sales are down 18% so far this year despite, swelling incentives.
According to Edmunds' proprietary study of actual transaction prices, a high-end LS without options has a suggested retail price of $44,250. The invoice price paid by dealers is $40,586. But customers actually end up paying only $36,653 after all incentives and promotions, such as Ford's employee-pricing offer.
"That's painful," Brauer said. "The car never did as well as it should have."
Lincoln spokeswoman Lydia Cisaruk said the brand's lineup has been well served by the LS.
"It's helped bring a lot of new and younger customers to Lincoln," since its introduction in 1999, she said.
Starting with this model year, Lincoln will have a new car model at the low end of its range. The Zephyr, made in Mexico, will start under $30,000. Fully loaded, it will run up to $35,575.
Zephyr is fundamentally similar to the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans, which are also made in Hermosillo, Mexico.
Combined with the Mark LT luxury full-size pickup, Zephyr signals a new era for Lincoln, Cisaruk said.
"We are beginning a new chapter for Lincoln. ... You can consider it a renaissance."
And the soon to be released Zephyr.
Wixom plant to lose Lincoln LS
Ill-fated plant may cut 250-280 employees
August 23, 2005
BY JAMIE BUTTERS
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Ford Motor Co. notified workers at the Wixom Assembly Plant on Monday that production of the Lincoln LS would end with the 2006 model year next spring or summer, company spokespeople confirmed.
The move is expected to eliminate 250 to 280 jobs and perhaps seal the fate of the plant.
This summer the large, old plant stopped making the Ford Thunderbird coupe, and by this time next year, it looks like it will be making only the Lincoln Town Car and doing a little work on the Ford GT premium sports car.
As Ford's traditional domestic brands have lost market share year after year, the company has found itself losing money on its automotive business and needing to close plants. Wixom has long been seen by analysts as a plant in danger of being closed, presumably when Ford and other locally based automakers negotiate a new national contract with the UAW in 2007.
"They're not earmarked for" new models, Joe Langley, an analyst at automotive forecaster CSM Worldwide in Farmington Hills, told Bloomberg News about the Wixom plant. The Town Car may move to a St. Thomas, Ontario, factory that produces Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis cars, he said.
All three cars are made on the same platform, or basic mechanical design.
Ford spokeswoman Anne Marie Gattari said the automaker had nothing further to announce about the future of the Wixom factory, which opened in 1957.
Before ending production of the T-bird, the Wixom plant employed about 1,800 hourly and salaried workers. That move was expected to eliminate about 200 jobs, and end of LS production is expected to take away 250 to 280. So by this time next year, employment would likely be between 1,320 and 1,350.
LS never struck a chord with consumers, who saw it as neither sporty enough nor luxurious enough to compete with BMWs or other premium brands, said Karl Brauer, editor in chief of consumer Web site Edmunds.com.
"There was always a question of what exactly the car was supposed to be," he said. "It never seemed to have a real strong identity one way or the other."
Sales last year fell 20% to 28,000, and sales are down 18% so far this year despite, swelling incentives.
According to Edmunds' proprietary study of actual transaction prices, a high-end LS without options has a suggested retail price of $44,250. The invoice price paid by dealers is $40,586. But customers actually end up paying only $36,653 after all incentives and promotions, such as Ford's employee-pricing offer.
"That's painful," Brauer said. "The car never did as well as it should have."
Lincoln spokeswoman Lydia Cisaruk said the brand's lineup has been well served by the LS.
"It's helped bring a lot of new and younger customers to Lincoln," since its introduction in 1999, she said.
Starting with this model year, Lincoln will have a new car model at the low end of its range. The Zephyr, made in Mexico, will start under $30,000. Fully loaded, it will run up to $35,575.
Zephyr is fundamentally similar to the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans, which are also made in Hermosillo, Mexico.
Combined with the Mark LT luxury full-size pickup, Zephyr signals a new era for Lincoln, Cisaruk said.
"We are beginning a new chapter for Lincoln. ... You can consider it a renaissance."
RE: Lincoln marquee all but dead?
"Starting with this model year, Lincoln will have a new car model at the low end of its range. The Zephyr, made in Mexico, will start under $30,000. Fully loaded, it will run up to $35,575.
Zephyr is fundamentally similar to the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans, which are also made in Hermosillo, Mexico.
Combined with the Mark LT luxury full-size pickup, Zephyr signals a new era for Lincoln, Cisaruk said.
"We are beginning a new chapter for Lincoln. ... You can consider it a renaissance.""
WTF, Lincoln needs to be a leader again and make 70k cars not under 30k POS. They are a now on par with average cars, not high end at all.
"Starting with this model year, Lincoln will have a new car model at the low end of its range. The Zephyr, made in Mexico, will start under $30,000. Fully loaded, it will run up to $35,575.
Zephyr is fundamentally similar to the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans, which are also made in Hermosillo, Mexico.
Combined with the Mark LT luxury full-size pickup, Zephyr signals a new era for Lincoln, Cisaruk said.
"We are beginning a new chapter for Lincoln. ... You can consider it a renaissance.""
WTF, Lincoln needs to be a leader again and make 70k cars not under 30k POS. They are a now on par with average cars, not high end at all.
RE: Lincoln marquee all but dead?
I agree. A modern version of this 1961 Lincoln would help rather than a Mazda 6 with a Lincoln name plate. I'm not saying a retro Lincoln but something ground breaking like that Lincoln was. Still looks good after 44 years.
I agree. A modern version of this 1961 Lincoln would help rather than a Mazda 6 with a Lincoln name plate. I'm not saying a retro Lincoln but something ground breaking like that Lincoln was. Still looks good after 44 years.
LeoC2
Registered
RE: Lincoln marquee all but dead?
This is odd, someone at Ford is wearing a blindfold. Don't they see what Cadillac and Chrysler are doing? They got it right with the Mustang but that's all. Whenever a maker of luxury goods produces something cheaper it always fails, that pertains to cars as much as to clothing or guitars. There are plenty of people out there with the $$ to buy, they want luxury they buy Caddy or Lincoln, they want economy they buy Chevy or Ford. Someone please go up to Detroit and give them a good wack in the noggin.
This is odd, someone at Ford is wearing a blindfold. Don't they see what Cadillac and Chrysler are doing? They got it right with the Mustang but that's all. Whenever a maker of luxury goods produces something cheaper it always fails, that pertains to cars as much as to clothing or guitars. There are plenty of people out there with the $$ to buy, they want luxury they buy Caddy or Lincoln, they want economy they buy Chevy or Ford. Someone please go up to Detroit and give them a good wack in the noggin.
Sierra3
Registered
RE: Lincoln marquee all but dead?
See? I told them to put the Mark VIII's exact interior into an LS (2 DOOR) 2 is underlined. Throw in the DOHC Cobra motor, keep the grille, but smooth out and sharpen the front end, and GET RID OF THE RICER tailights. Maybee a smooth wrap around the edges taillight. Keep it rear wheel drive and if they really wanna get crazy offer the 04 mustang supercharger as an upgrade option. Ohh i almost forgot. 4 1/2" 5 lug hubs with 32 spline Mustang axles. Also put a huge sliding moonroof in it like our Marks have.
Call it a Luxury car with a severe attitude problem. Have a commercial that shows a western desert with sounds of the DOHC reving in stages...as the options slide up in white type overlay on screen, as music slowly gets louder. Then show it busting through the side of a corragated sheetmetal factory out the back door with dust flying and into a long wide smoking dust slider with Iron Madien playing "Run to the Hills" with Lightning drilling holes into the horizion...and I'll be driving it head banging away in front of the sissy Caddilac STS Led Zepplin machine. haha Ok OK so i got carried away...Yep they dropped the ball alright....ARRRRR
See? I told them to put the Mark VIII's exact interior into an LS (2 DOOR) 2 is underlined. Throw in the DOHC Cobra motor, keep the grille, but smooth out and sharpen the front end, and GET RID OF THE RICER tailights. Maybee a smooth wrap around the edges taillight. Keep it rear wheel drive and if they really wanna get crazy offer the 04 mustang supercharger as an upgrade option. Ohh i almost forgot. 4 1/2" 5 lug hubs with 32 spline Mustang axles. Also put a huge sliding moonroof in it like our Marks have.
Call it a Luxury car with a severe attitude problem. Have a commercial that shows a western desert with sounds of the DOHC reving in stages...as the options slide up in white type overlay on screen, as music slowly gets louder. Then show it busting through the side of a corragated sheetmetal factory out the back door with dust flying and into a long wide smoking dust slider with Iron Madien playing "Run to the Hills" with Lightning drilling holes into the horizion...and I'll be driving it head banging away in front of the sissy Caddilac STS Led Zepplin machine. haha Ok OK so i got carried away...Yep they dropped the ball alright....ARRRRR
Sierra3
Registered
RE: Lincoln marquee all but dead?
Yeah, you have nothing but your imagination out here with sand and rocks to look at. Only 20 more days or so! and I won't have to walk down the street to the latrines in the middle of the night anymore. When I get back the car is going straight back to JMS Racing again for another Dyno tune and SCT reflash for the new tranny.
Yeah, you have nothing but your imagination out here with sand and rocks to look at. Only 20 more days or so! and I won't have to walk down the street to the latrines in the middle of the night anymore. When I get back the car is going straight back to JMS Racing again for another Dyno tune and SCT reflash for the new tranny.
GRAND_LS 400
Registered
RE: Lincoln marquee all but dead?
WHY, WHY discontinue the LS?!! It is a trend now to start, and discontinue a car every 8 years?
So now foreign companies are building more and more plants in the US, while domestic brands move out.
WHY, WHY discontinue the LS?!! It is a trend now to start, and discontinue a car every 8 years?
So now foreign companies are building more and more plants in the US, while domestic brands move out.
RE: Lincoln marquee all but dead?
I agree. Instead of discontinuing it make it desirable. And I never quite got the name LS. There must be 10 LS's around made by different car companies only they are just option package names. Even Buick makes an LS.
Give the car a real name. And when you decide on a name and a car to put the name on, make both of them worthy of keeping for 25 plus years. Don't discontinue the brand and make another similar with a different name. That makes it look like you're ashamed of the discontinued product line.
I agree. Instead of discontinuing it make it desirable. And I never quite got the name LS. There must be 10 LS's around made by different car companies only they are just option package names. Even Buick makes an LS.
Give the car a real name. And when you decide on a name and a car to put the name on, make both of them worthy of keeping for 25 plus years. Don't discontinue the brand and make another similar with a different name. That makes it look like you're ashamed of the discontinued product line.
RE: Lincoln marquee all but dead?
[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]
... Give the car a real name. And when you decide on a name and a car to put the name on, make both of them worthy of keeping for 25 plus years. Don't discontinue the brand and make another similar with a different name. That makes it look like you're ashamed of the discontinued product line.
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Yeah, and don't rape a name by giving it to a truck, no matter how nice the Mark LT is!
[div class="dcquote"][strong]Quote[/strong]
... Give the car a real name. And when you decide on a name and a car to put the name on, make both of them worthy of keeping for 25 plus years. Don't discontinue the brand and make another similar with a different name. That makes it look like you're ashamed of the discontinued product line.
[/div]
Yeah, and don't rape a name by giving it to a truck, no matter how nice the Mark LT is!
scotty96lsc
Registered
RE: Lincoln marquee all but dead?
And I was so looking forward to buying a town car after my Mark.;(
And I was so looking forward to buying a town car after my Mark.;(