One of the things Ford Motor Co. needs to rebuild the Lincoln brand is help from dealers and the automaker seems to be making some headway on that front. More than half of all Lincoln dealers in the top 130 U.S. markets have committed to upgrade their facilities, according to Ford.
"We have shared our plans about future Lincoln products, the brand going forward and the consumer experience we have envisioned, and already a majority of our dealers have said they are with us," said Ken Czubay, vice president of U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. "Ultimately, this is good news for our customers, who will see our new approach to the luxury consumer experience at every touch point," he said.
Seventy-five dealers in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago already have completed new facilities or major facility renovations, he added.
"We are reinventing every part of the business - from the vehicles to the ownership experience," said Jim Farley, group vice president for global Marketing, Sales and Service.
"We understand that to win over today's discerning luxury buyers, we need to create and deliver individualized experiences for them. This is driving us to literally rethink everything - from how many professionals you have at your beck and call when you return to us for vehicle service to how we make it easiest for you to choose the starting location of your next new vehicle test drive," noted Farley.
 Farley said Ththe dealers' commitment to Lincoln builds on the brand's product momentum.
Last month, Lincoln introduced the all-new MKZ Concept at the North American International Auto Show. The sedan concept signals a new generation of Lincolns and strongly hints at the design direction of the Lincoln MKZ arriving in dealerships later this year as a first step in the rebuilding what has been a long-neglected brand. Joseph Szczesny