Ford Motor Co. is inviting its Lincoln dealers to chalk out plans to overcome the lagging sales that have been a result of the economic downturn. This meeting will take place on October 4th, 2010 at Ford’s Dearborn, Michigan, headquarters. The people at Ford are also trying to come to an agreement with its dealers on a compensation about dropping their Mercury brand. Ford is planning to phase out Mercury due to its reducing demand. No Mercury cars will be produced in the next two months.
Ford spokesman Christian Bokich said, “It will be a Lincoln update… giving dealers a look at how Ford will now work with Lincoln as an exclusive, luxury brand.†They are also looking towards greater investments in enhancing the dealerships to make “the customer experience is better.†Most of the 1,700 mercury dealerships are paired with Ford or Lincoln. They will have to figure out how they will manage their dealerships with just Lincoln. Ford is even thinking of giving a payout to some Mercury dealers for $300,000 to $400,000.
He also said that, “Ford will use the meeting to discuss upcoming products, including versions of the MKX crossover and a hybrid MKZ sedan, and plans to build Lincoln’s image in luxury markets like New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.†Only time will tel if the Lincoln brand picks up.
Via: AmericanConsumerNews
