Filed under: Trends, Sedans/Saloons, Plants/Manufacturing, Ford, Lincoln
Is Ford killing the Lincoln Town Car?
With Ford's Wixom assembly plant - the only source for Lincoln cars over the past half-century - slated for closure in 2007, the assumption was that the Town Car would join its Panther platform brethren at the company's St. Thomas, Ontario plant. Ford, however, has informed the Canadian Auto Workers union that it should not expect the arrival of Lincoln's last "traditional" luxury car. Since a move to any other North American plant would require extensive retooling, it's extremely unlikely that the luxo-barge will continue production at all.
Expect the Town Car to be replaced with the MKS, which will be an AWD unibody sedan based on the same platform that underpins the Ford Five Hundred. Even if such a vehicle is successful at retaining the Town Car's elderly customer base, those in the livery business are likely wondering where to go now for a full-size body-on-frame luxury car. The Ford Crown Vic and Mercury Marquis are expected to continue production until 2010, after which the future of those big sedans is also in question.
[Source: Automotive News/Autoweek]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 9)
Mansoor 6:04PM (6/27/2006)
If Ford does this I think it will be one of their biggest mistakes of all time. Yes the Town Car isn't the most exciting car but its solid vehicle. Every one in the livery business loves it because the Town Car can take alot of punishment and abuse. If they get rid of it thats alot of money out of Lincoln's pockets. Sometimes I wonder if the people working at Ford are retarded.
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Maynardtoearth 9:45PM (1/31/2009)
I love the Town Car. Big, quiet, very comfortable -isn't that enough?
I see them everywhere. Why stop making them? Crazy.
Bill 6:19PM (6/27/2006)
Sales are down because Ford just is way to slow in updating the Town Car and all Fords/Lincolns. The Town Car really could be a great seller to retail and livery customers. But the lack of updates only makes those who want one or already have one, look else where for a more modern vehicle. I agree with #1.....are the people working at Ford just retarded?
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brian 6:35PM (6/27/2006)
It will be the end of an era in New Yorks outer boroughs
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GrowUp 7:08PM (6/27/2006)
I guess that answers the questions about the 300 (stretched) being able to find buyers in the livery biz, huh? Lincoln's gonna give in nicely wrapped box to DCX.
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Gardiner Westbound 7:09PM (6/27/2006)
It's just plain stupid to discontinue the Lincoln Town Car while its RWD platform mates production lines are humming. It couldn't cost much to keep it going. All the tooling was paid in full years ago.
The long wheel base Chrysler 300 will be available about the time Ford discontinues the Lincoln Town Car. The Germans will laugh all way to the bank while Ford wonders why they keep losing market share.
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Vinny 7:21PM (6/27/2006)
It does go with their plans to reduce fleet sales or was that GM?
Really though, I don't know anyone that drives a Lincoln or even mentions that name when considering a luxury car. Occasionally I hear someone mention a Cadillac. It's Lexus, Acura, Infinity, BMW.
It would be nice if Ford can save the brand and turn it into a contender in the lux brands.
Not counting on it.
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risingsun 7:41PM (6/27/2006)
Bring back the Marauder and make it actually kick ass this time. Or a SVT Crown Vic--source the Shelby GT500 powerplant.
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richard elsbree 8:03PM (6/27/2006)
I've said it before, Bill Ford is the most overpaid executive in the car business
and he draws no salary. Imagine what the Town Car could have been with just
a fraction of the money he has p***** away on Jaguar.
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GhostDoggy 8:09PM (6/27/2006)
What are they planning on building in Mexico if they are investing $9.1 Billion there? Ford vending machines?
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jeff 8:09PM (6/27/2006)
i'm a big fan of the panther cars, grew up on big ford wagons, and a 500 hp crown vic would be crazy cool, although a little too insane i think... But i really wonder how much money ford makes off of TC sales, considering they're all fleet sales, pretty much. It can't cost them much to build them either, but i wonder if they're even making a profit on these cars, that could explain them shutting it down. It'd be cool if they could put some money into making it a car that would be viable on the regular consumer market as well as for fleet sales. That'd be ideal.
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GOKARTN 8:44PM (6/27/2006)
Will there be Lincoln in ten years? It looks like Ford is trying to join John Wilkes Booth as a Lincoln killer.
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starlightmica 8:44PM (6/27/2006)
The Panther platform is now, what, 29 years old? FoMoCo has newer platforms out there to build the production version of the stunning Continental concept, and I thought that the original plan to built the Town Car successor on the D3 (Five Hundred) platform has been nixed.
Although Panther makes a good livery vehicle, it's ancient compared to the RWD DCX vehicles and its D3 stablemates. The fleets can have their Panther for the next few+ years, but put your best foot forward, Ford, and give the consumers something new & fresh.
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CL2 8:53PM (6/27/2006)
It's too bad that Ford isn't reconsidering more of their RWD cars. With a little effort, they could come up with some really nice RWD cars. How about the Jaguar IRS in the back of the Ford platform. DCX did it with old Mercedes parts. Why not Ford. Do some global sharing. Anyone know how to correspond directly with Bill Ford?
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Glenn A. 9:15PM (6/27/2006)
Why not adopt the Australian rear wheel drive Fords as the basis of a new (gasp!) car line to replace all of the Panther cars, and build them all in Ontario?
Nah, that just makes too much sense. Mustn't have that.
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Steve-O 9:44PM (6/27/2006)
I don't see this as bad news at all. The Town Car is long past being anything more than a glorified taxi cab. Retail sales are almost nil at this point, and I would argue that this dinosaur does more harm than good to the Lincoln brand. If they want to replace it with a modern AWD platform and new looks in the hopes of attracting actual retail sales (and not just livery), then I greet this as GOOD NEWS!
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laserwizard 10:46PM (6/27/2006)
Stupid Ford. I've owned a Town Car and would love to own a new one - yes it is an old fart's car, but it was quiet, economical to operate (got over 20 mpg combined city and highway), and was a smooth ride that I had to make no excuses for that could carry my friends in comfort. Don't do it, Ford! You made a mistake making the Town Car into the load of toad that it became - it was quite a nice car as a box on wheels.
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Glenn Laycock 11:42PM (6/27/2006)
The Stretch Chrysler 300 should fit the roll perfectly; even if Ford stretches the MKS it would not be a great replacement as it is a smaller car.
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Eddie 11:51PM (6/27/2006)
For Limos, has everyone forgotten about the Caddy DTS?
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JN 12:14AM (6/28/2006)
The major problem with the DTS is that it is front-wheel drive and is a unibody -- not what most limo manufacturers like to deal with, although they do it to maintain the "prestige" of a Cadillac.
The TC, being on a full frame, is much more amenable to stretching. In addition, it makes for a much better hearse (pardon me, funeral coach) than the Cadillac.
I'm wondering if any of the coachbuilders are looking at the 300 for coach duty ...
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