It's no exaggeration to say that the automotive industry, which was founded less than 200 years ago, is currently undergoing some of the biggest changes in its history. Transition from the era of the internal combustion engine to the era of electrification. This is not an easy change. This is because the nature of human civilization will change after the Industrial Revolution, which relied entirely on fossil fuels, especially oil. An automotive company that has been operating for 100 years is at a critical juncture of life and death. Whoever looks further is the winner. February 4, 2022, marks Lincoln's 100th anniversary.
[1] The most correct thing Edelseal Ford did was to buy Lincoln
Edsell Ford, the only son of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, helped his father from an early age. No one thought he was going to leave. But he did, and if you look at his accomplishments, he was a good professional manager who followed in his father's footsteps and laid the foundation for the company. After launching the brand that bears his name, he reached a market capitalization of $3.5 million in three years. That translates to today's money, $2.4 billion.
Caption: Edsell and Eleanor Ford
In terms of diversifying ford portfolios, he incorporated the Lincoln brand into the Ford brand for $8 million. Lincoln's friendship with Ford dates back to World War I. Lincoln supplied the U.S. Air Force with V12 engines for the aircraft, and since the cylinders were made at the Ford plant, the communication between the two companies expanded beyond friendship. Edsell Ford actively persuaded his father, and eventually Lincoln became Ford's family. It was February 4, 1922.
Note: Lincoln ZEPHYR in the 1930s. Now it has become a truly exclusive electric vehicle in China.
Note: Lincoln Continental in the 1940s
In fact, driven by the energy crisis of the 1970s and the advancement of Japanese brands, brands born in the early stages of automotive history have in many cases struggled. However, while Lincoln was an acquired brand, from the outset, Lincoln had the potential to become a brand that could create luxury cars that Ford couldn't. In this sense, the 100 years of the Lincoln brand have a special meaning.
[2] A novelty beyond luxury, a symbol of the rich in The United States
For a long time, Lincoln has been carving up the U.S. luxury car market with rival Cadillac. No, one of the founders of both brands is the same person: Henry Martyn Leland.
While European brands are thinking about how to drive faster with less fuel, Lincoln is still focusing on how to get passengers to "ride" gracefully as well as "get off." So, heavy, classic, American-style cars that look a bit outdated today have been introduced.
Note: Lincoln Continental in the 1960s
Lincoln can't ignore the iconic car Lincoln Continental, a show-off capital that represented American car culture in the 1950s and 1960s. It has extra-long luxury cars, convertibles, etc. When you see these cars for the first time, you will be shocked by their size. Of course, after the 1970s, due to energy problems and changes in U.S. security laws, the design size has been reduced, but the clear sedan structure and heavy driving feel symbolize the laid-back of white Americans.
Photo note: 2017 Lincoln Continental 80th Anniversary Model
[3] Lincoln's revival began with the SUV lineup
However, Lincoln's income declined sharply in the 2000s. When environmental regulations tightened and all manufacturers were looking for a link between efficiency and performance, they redefined luxury with new looks, and young, wealthy Americans began to follow the trend. Classical style no more. At this time Lincoln introduced Lincoln City, which was smaller in size and more economical and fuel-efficient. However, it still retains the luxury and atmosphere of the American car.
Picture note: 1991 Lincoln City Car
It was the SUV lineup that reinvigorated Lincoln. Of course, the original SUV models were not without them. However, in the early 2000s, Lincoln introduced the Aviator, and Mercury also had a car on the same platform called mercury climber, although sales were not much. Later, Lincoln launched a luxurious flagship SUV navigator, which can already save some face. Of course, after reorganizing the lineup into MK, the MKX was also launched, but it cannot be called an SUV with Lincoln's own brand concept. Now, the navigator and aviator of the time, MKX, from naming to design, Lincoln has not officially unified their naming.
Photo note: Second generation Lincoln Aviator
The Navigator, the flagship of the SUV series launched in 2018 and revamped in 2021, paired with Cadillac Cared, defines the direction of the Lincoln brand and boasts overwhelming convenience features such as a 30-way perfectly positioned seat.
To find a car with all these specifications and power from European brands, the price will more than double, and the diversification of the powertrain will also play a role. Twin-turbo 3.0- and 3.5-litre Ecoboost engines feature excellent torque and unit displacement output, as well as plug-in hybrid systems combined with 3.0-litre engines, a rare combination of power in European car brands.
[4] In the future, how will the Lincoln Star shine?
In the past 100 years, Lincoln has transformed from the original luxury car brand to a luxury car + luxury SUV brand. And now is the era of electrification. There is another need for a full transition to electrification.
Lincoln by 2030, the entire model lineup will be equipped with electrification. Of course, saying such a thing seems like nonsense. Because all the car brands in the world are transitioning to electrification.
However, Lincoln's transformation is more, that is, entering the Chinese market to achieve domestic production. And at a very suitable price for Chinese consumers to buy. From the perspective of Lincoln sales in 2021, sales in the Chinese market reached 91,621 units, an increase of 48% year-on-year. Among them, the annual sales of lincoln adventurers exceeded 50,000 units for the first time, which is the main model of the current Lincoln car.
Not only that, Lincoln also built a sedan tailored for the Chinese market, ZEPHYR. Just said that it is a model of Lincoln in the 1930s, I did not expect that after so many years, it could be revived in the Chinese market with a new look.
Lincoln, which has been around for 100 years, is an old brand, but in the Chinese market and in the era of electrification, it is rejuvenating.