Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Autoblog Podcast #138]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/29/autoblog-podcast-138/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/29/autoblog-podcast-138/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/07/29/autoblog-podcast-138/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


Click above for the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, RSS or listen now!

Episode #138 of the Autoblog Podcast is here. Chris, Sam, and Dan take the 'cast meta for a moment and discuss the freshly-minted Autoblog 4.0, as well as the arrival of ace scribe Jonny Lieberman to the Autoblog Team. Once we're done navel-gazing, we talk over the Wiedeking departure from Porsche, the new role for Bob Lutz, and what it might mean for General Motors' marketing, the speculation about a Lexus competitor for the A3/1-Series, an excuse for Mercury's continued existance, and the rumors of a Prius Coupe. It wraps up with a question and a comment, and that's it, nice and tidy. Thanks for all the response so far to our survey, and iTunes users can submit reviews of our work at the Autoblog Podcast iTunes page, too. We're always reachable at Podcast at Autoblog Dot Com, too. See you next week!

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #138

Autoblog Podcast #138 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autoblog 4.0autoblog podcastAutoblog4.0AutoblogPodcastbob lutz gm marketingbob lutz marketingBobLutzGmMarketingBobLutzMarketingford mercuryFordMercuryjonny liebermanJonnyLiebermanlexus 1 serieslexus a3lexus frankfurtLexus1SeriesLexusA3LexusFrankfurtlincoln mercuryLincolnMercurylutz marketingLutzMarketingmercurypodcast 138Podcast138porsche wiedekingPorscheWiedekingprius coupePriusCoupeWed, 29 Jul 2009 16:45:00 ESTAutoblog Podcast #138Autoblog.com67:00autoblog podcast, lutz, gm marketing, porsche, wiedeking, lexus a3, lexus, mercury, prius coupe, prius, lexus, autoblog 4.0, jonny lieberman, lieberman, autoblog podcast 138, autoblog, podcast<![CDATA[REPORT: Mercury Sable reaching the end of the line Thursday]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/18/mercury-sable-reaches-the-end-of-the-line-thursday/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/18/mercury-sable-reaches-the-end-of-the-line-thursday/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/18/mercury-sable-reaches-the-end-of-the-line-thursday/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


2008 Mercury Sable - Click above for high-res image gallery

Mercury's born-again Sable sedan is dead again - or, more accurately, it will be come so on Thursday. According to The Detroit News, Ford's gussied-up Taurus (itself a gussied-up Five Hundred) will expire later this week, leaving Mercury with just four models: the Milan, Mariner, Mountaineer, and Grand Marquis.

And while the Taurus is getting a brand-spanking new replacement model for 2010, a Sable stablemate is apparently not in the cards, in large measure because Ford reportedly chose to spend more money on developing and marketing its Taurus replacement.

Ford's middle-tier brand is expected to lose both the Mountaineer and Grand Marquis within the next couple of model years, and the only new product mooted for the waterfall-grille brand is a new small car that has yet-to-be confirmed.

Eerily, the Blue Oval recently tested the small car waters for its Lincoln luxury brand with its Concept C showcar that debuted at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The presence of the tidy Euro-look hatchback once again set tongues wagging that Ford may be pondering whether or not to axe the Mercury marque altogether. For its part, Blue Oval officials dismiss such plans, but there is no denying that Mercury's stable is getting smaller, and at the moment, little product appears to be in the replacement pipeline.

According to the DetNews, Ford sold just 1,158 Sables in April, a drop of nearly 40% year-over-year versus 2008.


Gallery: 2008 Mercury Sable


[Source: The Detroit News]

REPORT: Mercury Sable reaching the end of the line Thursday originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 May 2009 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Blue OvalBlueOvalDetroit NewsDetroitNewsFordFord TaurusFordTaurusLincolnLincoln MercuryLincoln-MercuryLincolnMercuryMercury sableMercurySableNAIASTaurusMon, 18 May 2009 10:29:00 EST<![CDATA[eBay Find of the Day: 1995 Lincoln Sentinel Concept]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/06/ebay-find-of-the-day-1995-lincoln-sentinel-concept/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/06/ebay-find-of-the-day-1995-lincoln-sentinel-concept/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/06/ebay-find-of-the-day-1995-lincoln-sentinel-concept/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


1995 Lincoln Sentinel Concept - Click above for image gallery

Looking like a 1961 Continental reimagined thirty years on, the Lincoln Sentinel concept caused quite a stir on the show circuit back in the mid-'90s.

Eventually, the not-quite-a-runner sedan somehow wound up in Hardeeville, South Carolina, where a dealer is now looking to unload it for $80,000. O.C. Welch Ford Lincoln-Mercury has apparently held the vehicle in its private collection, and while it's nothing more than a non-functional showpiece, there are possibilities. It would at least be a conversation piece, but one also pictures the bodywork picked up and laid atop a Panther chassis to make the best looking Town Car in ages. $80k is kind of steep for something that even lacks functioning doors (it has a half-interior beneath the smoked glass), but this was a fairly significant showcar at the time, and even now, it arguably has far more presence than anything in the Ford Motor Company's premium portfolio. Thanks for the tip, Clint!


Gallery: Sentinel Auction


[Source: eBay Motors]

eBay Find of the Day: 1995 Lincoln Sentinel Concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>concept carConceptCarebayebay findebay find of the dayebay lincoln sentinelEbayFindEbayFindOfTheDayEbayLincolnSentinelford motorFordMotorLincolnlincoln concept auctionLincoln Mercurylincoln sentinelLincolnConceptAuctionLincolnMercuryLincolnSentinelsentinel concept carsentinel ebaySentinelConceptCarSentinelEbayshow carShowCarMon, 06 Apr 2009 11:29:00 EST<![CDATA[Doing the save-money shuffle: Ford consolidates divisional marketing]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/06/doing-the-save-money-shuffle-ford-consolidates-divisional-marke/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/06/doing-the-save-money-shuffle-ford-consolidates-divisional-marke/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/06/doing-the-save-money-shuffle-ford-consolidates-divisional-marke/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Despite Ford's mostly successful efforts to yank its product line along by the earlobes, it still needs to find cost savings. To that end, the advertising arms of the Ford and Lincoln-Mercury divisions have been combined, bucking the traditional Balkanization in the marketing wing.

Ford traditionally maintained separate sales and marketing groups, though a single person did serve as brand overlord for all three. Now, the marketing and sales efforts will be by product type, rather than brand, so the Edge team will also shill the MKX, for example. To execute this change, a game of musical chairs has been going on, with Brett Wheatley moving from general manager for Lincoln-Mercury to the customer incentives group, Lincoln brand manager Tom Grill will be joining the global marketing group, while global media manager for Ford, Mark Kaline, has separated from the Blue Oval. This deck shuffling may wind up with a good marketing hand, or it could be a whole bunch of worthless cards.

[Source: AdAge]

Doing the save-money shuffle: Ford consolidates divisional marketing originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fordford executiveford lincoln mercuryford marketingford marketing departmentford marketing exeutiveFordExecutiveFordLincolnMercuryFordMarketingFordMarketingDepartmentFordMarketingExeutivelincoln mercuryLincolnMercuryWed, 06 Aug 2008 08:01:00 EST<![CDATA[We got nothin': Supplier says no more Mercury past 2012]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/10/we-got-nothin-supplier-says-no-more-mercury-past-2012/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/10/we-got-nothin-supplier-says-no-more-mercury-past-2012/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/10/we-got-nothin-supplier-says-no-more-mercury-past-2012/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Ford's mouthpiece continues to deny there's any plan to smother Mercury with its own pillow, but a Ford supplier has whispered something different in the ear of Inside Line. According to IL and its source, the last Mercury to die will likely be the handsome and likable Milan sedan, which will receive a mid-cycle refresh that shall carry the model through to 2012. The Sable will likely expire in 2010 when the new Taurus rolls out without a Mercury counterpart. Ford rhetoric, however, still holds that Mercury and Lincoln are being repositioned, with Abe's brand taking over as the volume-seller of the pair.

We'd buy the seemingly banal explanation a bit more if there were actually some product in the Mercury pipeline besides the Milan Hybrid, but there's no mention of anything else pending. With suppliers right now securing contracts for those programs that have Job One dates in 2010 and 2012, they might serve as a canary in the coal mine for us. Mercury can't build vehicles without any parts, and if they're not putting in orders now, it will likely be sometime in 2012 that we'll hear some real news about Mercury's future from Ford. Hey, what else are we supposed to think when the last spy shots of a Mercury were back in 2006, hiding the Montego to Sable transition? Thanks for the tip, DC.

[Source: Inside Line, Photo: Blogcrypt.com]

We got nothin': Supplier says no more Mercury past 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ford mercuryFordMercurylincoln mercuryLincolnMercurymercurymercury 2012mercury axmercury deadMercury2012MercuryAxMercuryDeadTue, 10 Jun 2008 10:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Rendered Speculation: Ford Capri reborn?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/rendered-speculation-ford-capri-reborn/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/rendered-speculation-ford-capri-reborn/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/24/rendered-speculation-ford-capri-reborn/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Well look at that, the quarter panel vent from the new Focus can look good! No need to complain yet that this is but another Ford we'll never see, as it may not happen on any continent. Auto Bild has gone to press with shots of a new Mercury Capri concept that is rumored to be the work of an extremely skilled PhotoChopper. We're also unsure if the details they cite about the car being a sub-3,000 pound 2+2 with 140-250 horsepower and a production date of 2012 are fanciful or rooted in truth, but none of that matters. This thing is off the hook to our puppy-dog enthusiastic eyes. Mercury has nothing badass in its lineup, and while it'd be weird to be proffering this car with KISS makeup next to an entire lineup of handsomized Fords, we think it might be a way for Ford to reel in some new blood to the brand. Just don't call it Cougar. Cougars drive Mercurys - though probably while smoking Capris. Call it whatever, just put it on sale.

[Source: carspyshots.net]

Rendered Speculation: Ford Capri reborn? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Mar 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>caprichopconceptconcept carConceptCarconceptualcoupefordford motor companyfordmotorfordmotorcompanylincoln mercuryLincolnMercurymercurymercury caprimercury coupeMercuryCapriMercuryCoupephotochopphotochoppedphotochopperphotochopsrenderingrenderingstwo doorTwoDoorMon, 24 Mar 2008 13:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Jim Farley gets to wear two hats at Ford]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/03/jim-farley-gets-to-wear-two-hats-at-ford/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/03/jim-farley-gets-to-wear-two-hats-at-ford/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/03/jim-farley-gets-to-wear-two-hats-at-ford/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Jim Farley will climb aboard at Ford in mid-November, after defecting from his position as Group Vice President and General Manager of Lexus. His role at Ford will be dual-fold. Farley will be heading up the effort to entice people to buy Ford vehicles as Group Vice President of Marketing and Communications. In addition to his MarCom responsibilities, Farley will also be taking on the U.S. marketing, sales, and service for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, a job most recently filled by the retired Cisco Codina. Ford needs to get North American consumers excited about their cars, and having Farley in charge of global marketing and communications as well as US sales makes us think that there will be some connection between the two efforts, keeping the messaging coherent and focused. Being able to see how sales are driven by marketing efforts, and Farley's track record at Toyota and Lexus would make it appear that he's equipped to understand and react to sales metrics. That understanding hopefully bodes well for Ford, and all the rhetoric is exceedingly positive about how everyone all around is excited for Farley to come aboard and make a miracle.

Ford's press release is after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Jim Farley gets to wear two hats at Ford

Jim Farley gets to wear two hats at Ford originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 03 Nov 2007 07:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cisco codinaCiscoCodinacommunicationsfordford lincoln mercuryFordLincolnMercuryjim farleyJimFarleylincolnlincoln mercuryLincolnMercurymarcommarketingmercurysalesSat, 03 Nov 2007 07:55:00 EST