Blue Oval Staff Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Click here for the article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swenson88 Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Click here for the article Why do these people rehash the same nonsense week after week? They have no new information, but somehow they publish another article that says the same crap as the last one - "alliance with X, sell brand Y, stop doing this, redesign that . . ." blah blah blah. Like it was going to happen since last week or something. Man these people love to hear themselves type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinb120 Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Its like reading all the silly articles daily on the ongoing search for the long-dead Bin Laden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 KILEY & WELCH!!! David Kiley's got a spotter again. Only one poorly contextualized statistic, and fewer hystrionic verbs. As long as he's teamed up with Welch, he seems to do a half-way decent job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemiman Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Its like reading all the silly articles daily on the ongoing search for the long-dead Bin Laden Funny you say that. As a news junky, I watch the wire service as it comes in direct. Back when we were first pushing into Afganistan a report came out of China saying that British commandos had killed Bin Laden. It lasted about 3 cycles, and was gone. I've NEVER heard anything more about it. But I'm betting this news will make it's public debut, (6 yrs after the fact), right around election time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 (edited) Let me guess: Kill Mercury, sell Jaguar, close 75% of plants, make all small cars, make all hybrids, or make only bicycles??? EDIT: To those that don't comprehend 'too good'l, I am guessing what articel says, not what I think. OK? So no howls. Edited August 24, 2006 by 630land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe771476 Posted August 24, 2006 Share Posted August 24, 2006 Some are suggesting dumping the entire Lincoln-Mercury franchise! I'm totally against that. What Ford should do is market the two brands separately. The two brands are blurred because of the advertising and the signs that appear in front of the dealerships. Everything is Lincoln-Mercury, Lincoln-Mercury. Neither brand has its own identity. The only way I can tell them apart is by the grilles! Ideally, it would be best to have the two brands in separate dealerships. But that's not going to happen, I don't think. But couldn't they keep them in separate showrooms at the same dealer? Or, if dropping the Mercury brand has to happen, could a Lincoln-Volvo or Lincoln-Jaguar-Land Rover franchise work? While platforms might be shared, the body styles should never be duplicated so that the only way to tell them apart is by the grilles! On a side note, for some reason I'm seeing a lot of Mercurys lately. Is it just me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
630land Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 "They" say 'kill L-M". OK, $1B to buy out the dealers and settle lawsuits. Then what? Years of bad PR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
156n3rd Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 (edited) GM killed of Olds and didn't have any lawsuits. If they have to kill anything off, better do it before the whole company goes bad. It is badge engineering, and the Ford brand could stand alone stronger in the long run. Edited August 25, 2006 by 156n3rd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2b2 Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 ...Some are suggesting dumping the entire Lincoln-Mercury franchise! I'm totally against that. What Ford should do is market the two brands separately. The two brands are blurred because of the advertising and the signs that appear in front of the dealerships. Everything is Lincoln-Mercury... ...Ideally, it would be best to have the two brands in separate dealerships. But that's not going to happen, I don't think. But couldn't they keep them in separate showrooms at the same dealer? Or, if dropping the Mercury brand has to happen, could a Lincoln-Volvo or Lincoln-Jaguar-Land Rover franchise work?... Lately, I've been wondering if re-bundling the dealerships might work - Mercury/Mazda and Lincoln/Volvo - seems those demographics could synergize... get the new domestic products exposed to import customers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertlane Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 Lately, I've been wondering if re-bundling the dealerships might work - Mercury/Mazda and Lincoln/Volvo - seems those demographics could synergize... get the new domestic products exposed to import customers. I like the sound of Mercury/Mazda and Lincoln/Volvo. I think the consenus in the media is that Ford simply has too many brands, however, the division is - which one(s) do they axe? Mercury is just pitiful, Jaguar can't seem to match their rivals and Lincoln is lost in the woods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swenson88 Posted August 25, 2006 Share Posted August 25, 2006 I agree that the whole "Lincoln-Mercury" nonsense has to stop. They are separate brands, treat them as such. Just because a car dealer has two different brands on the lot doesn't mean he has to mention both of them all the time. A Lincoln ad should say "come down to your local Lincoln dealer" and a Mercury had should say "come down to your local Mercury dealer". Don't combine it into one word. Allow dealers to only carry one or the other if they want. Say a dealer that sells Nissan wants to also sell Lincoln, let him. In this day in age the whole "Lincoln-Mercury" concept is dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2b2 Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 I like the sound of Mercury/Mazda and Lincoln/Volvo. I think the consenus in the media is that Ford simply has too many brands, however, the division is - which one(s) do they axe? Mercury is just pitiful, Jaguar can't seem to match their rivals and Lincoln is lost in the woods. Heck, I don't even think they should dump Jag anymore. Tho even ONE under-preforming brand is one too many... On AW there's an 'insider' who posted "...Ford employees got a good look at future product yesterday, including B cars, and if you think I was positive about Ford's future before...let's just say I wish I had more to invest in their stock now." and "...everyone at Advanced Research and PD was required. It was all about their Way-Forward, and they showed product until 2009. Good stuff. I hope you get to see it." You got any sources who owe you a favor, Robert? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgey Posted August 26, 2006 Share Posted August 26, 2006 I can't imagine Lincoln is going anywhere, especially when the entry level market is the fastest growing in the business. Ford obviously can't compete if it doesn't have a brand for that purpose. Volvo has potential to fill those shoes, but I don't think a global luxury brand can compete at the domestic level as successfully as Acura, Caddy, and Lexus. If Lincoln is here, there's no need to ditch Mercury. Ford should certainly do whatever it takes to pawn off Jaguar, even if it means losing Land Rover. No good can come from Jaguar in Ford's condition. Aston Martin is not an asset that can propel Ford forward either so this is the time to sell it as well. Volvo is the only asset worth retaining beyond Mazda. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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