Report: Ford still considering sale or partnership

Ford should sell off Lincoln for that would be like GM selling Cadillac. The first step would be to get rid of the Mercury brand (as we've discussed in other posts). It's that simple FORD! Damn, I'm so sick of seeing all of their copy-and-paste products on the road.
Escape-Mariner-Tribute
Fusion-Milan-MKZ (the Mazda6 is the exception here)
f-150 - Mark LT
Expedition-Navigator
Crown Vic-Grand Marquis-Town Car
500-Montego-Freestyle/ Taurus-Sable-Taurus X
Freestar-Monterey

I wouldn't be surprised if Mercury doesn't get a version of the Mustang to add a coupe' to their line (Cougar?)

— aeyjay (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 5:05:35 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

LOL, I agree

— aeyjay (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 5:23:43 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Ford, listen to us here on autospies...

Kill Mercury

Redesign the Town Car and give it more technology than the DTS... Do not rename it just because everyone else is going alpha-numeric.

If you must make the Mark-LT, then make it look different from the f-150. Give it xenon headlamps, LED mirrors and tail lamps, monochromatic premium paint, a huge sunroof to highlight the interior... you get my drift... anyone can put a new grille and chrome on an f-150 and call it a Lincoln.

Lose the retro-style guages in all of your cars. It's not working.

So Ford, isn't that easy... Lose Mercury. Make all Lincolns have standard xenon headlamps, and for the hell of it, LED 'front' turn signals along with the rear. You must do something unique that makes a Lincoln recognizable even at night. (Just don't put the LED signals in the bumper a la' Kia Amanti... Kia copied your Town Cars design so don't repeat that)

whew, am I the only one that doesn't want to see Ford waste away?

— aeyjay (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 5:22:11 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 5   

The image of Cadillac will be up there with MB, Audi, BMW and Lexus while Lincoln and Chrysler become like GM's Buick... just old school cars for AARP members.

— aeyjay (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 5:25:42 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 4   

It would be so nice if they could revive Lincoln though, you know. Ford to Lincoln is like Chevrolet to Cadillac. Ford just needs to scrap Lincoln and Mercury for a while and bring Lincoln back in 2 years with a brand new line of cars that will make people rethink what they used to think of Lincoln.

It would be nice to see our 'Big 3' survive... Cadillac (looking good... go GM!)
Chrysler (surviving... thanks DaimlerBenz)
Lincoln (treading water)

— aeyjay (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 5:42:46 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Chrysler is on Mercedes's chopping block, though. It's being sold soon! I wonder who will buy...?

— S4cabriofoxone (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 5:53:34 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 0   

The problem with Ford is the product is only average and the quality is below average. Also, Ford has shown time and time again that it will not stand behind it's product and the customer gets stuck with a piece of crap vehicle and a car payment. I will never buy a Ford again, EVER!!!!

— stevenv1999 (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 5:46:23 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

I agree with aeyjay to keep lincoln mercury out of for a while.Create a whole new line of prducts for ford but with the same names (flex's interior is what i expect for them to compete)Then they can focus on jag and used the lincoln mercury dealerships for jags. Then once all losses are profits and they are making billions they shld bring lincoln back and make its the best ever keep pushing it and keep it in the same dealerships as the jags. Then do the same with mercury but put it with fords, but they shld be totally different not a few changes here and there.While they shld bring Volvo and Land Rover reliability to one of the highest to compare with toyota and lexus. And they shld try to fight fierce with mazda even though its doing good but it shld get bigger and be a direct competition. Most people often forget mazda its mostly toyota honda or nissan when buying a japanese car.

— jt716 (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 6:44:39 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Linoln and Jaguars should not be sold at the same dealers. It will only kill Jaguar's brand image more. The current setup of Jaguar sharing dealers with Land Rover and Volvo is much better.

— urbansouljah (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 7:20:12 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 3   

Ford, the next 4 letter word that will get a shock jock fired?

— chuck717 (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 7:35:35 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

urbansouljah i said after ford made lincoln have a come back or the cud just sell it with mazda mercury and ford

— jt716 (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 7:58:39 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

ooh i just thought of useless cool thing they can ut on a jag..how about a small spotlight underneath the leaping cat hood ornament..well just for fun

— jt716 (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 8:01:36 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

I say sell every brand except Lincoln and Land Rover. This gives them the house brand to worry about but also still have two luxury brands to keep. With the sales of all those companies they have more than enough money to revive the Ford Company.

— Agent63 (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 10:03:40 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

I have a lot to say about Ford... and not all of it is necessarily good.

IMO their recent (Ford brand) products are utterly mediocre. GM's efforts have been much better, and have proved to be fruitful. Compare, for instance, the Ford Edge to the Saturn Outlook/GMC Acadia.

The Acadia is, arguably, better-looking. Both have better interiors than Edge. Both have more powerful engines as standard (and as options). Both have more innovative standard and optional features. Both have better fuel economy in FWD versions (equal to Edge in AWD versions). Both are more versatile, with more seating options. The GM crossovers have opened to very good reviews, praising their nimble handling- the Edge is seen as simply average by most magazines. I could go on.

However, they are doing some things right: their European operations are still successful, Land Rover is doing well (thanks to BMW), Volvo is thriving and they are basing their bread-and-butter cars on sporty Mazda platforms. However, the European cars aren't coming here, Land Rovers are still extremely overweight and unreliable, and the great handling on Mazdas doesn't translate to Ford's products. Lincoln is in need, Mercury is useless, Jaguar is faltering (although there is a star of hope in their future) and Ford is losing more cash than Toyota is taking in.

There's so much to do, so much to be fixed... wow, am I glad I'm not Alan Mulally!

— S4cabriofoxone (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 10:19:49 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

I used to think that Ford was going down, but now I predict they'll make a strong comeback. I don't know why, though. Their vehicles aren't that good looking, but I'm pretty sure they're going to shock everyone and become a successful company again.

— lexusis350 (View Profile)

Posted on 4/17/2007 10:47:45 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Lincoln AND Mercury. While Lincoln may be Ford's "luxury" brand (still funny to consider ANY Ford 'luxury anything') the fact is that it doesn't sell anything. Hell, I think I may have seen like 2 lincoln cars on the road in the last 2-years. Why? probably because most people - like myself - just look at it and all it is, is an overpriced Ford. It's a brand that people might miss seeing because it's "Lincoln", but it's not a brand people would miss seeing. They could easily cut both of those and save themselves a ton.

Lastly, i agree that they need to pay the CEO way less. The amount he got was just immense considering the dying nature of the company. Gotta love Americans and how they want to do business. He probably doesn't plan to stay with the company anyway... just make a quick hundred mil and could care less if the company dies.

— WickedRabbit (View Profile)

Posted on 4/18/2007 3:38:20 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Lincoln has increased sales this year. Obviously they are doing something right.

— Westside7th (View Profile)

Posted on 4/18/2007 11:29:37 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

My main focus would be to ensure that Bill Ford had no part in any decisions made. Idiot Executive Chairman. Also I would demand that they kick Matt Millen out of running the Lions. Idiot General Manager.

— rocker (View Profile)

Posted on 4/18/2007 2:57:59 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 2   

Give us the Interceptor... not a watered down version either!

— aeyjay (View Profile)

Posted on 4/22/2007 11:59:57 PM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1   

Let's keep this one going guys...

GM and Ford need all the advice they can get.

— aeyjay (View Profile)

Posted on 4/28/2007 2:12:09 AM | reply to this comment | Votes: 1