[Dequindre]

The flexible architecture of what's called the D6 will provide the mechanical base for a wide variety of sedans and crossovers starting in 2019, all designed to give Lincoln more differentiation from its Ford-branded siblings, as well as a stronger foundation on which to build more competitive luxury models to pit against the sector leaders.

•Before the first of the new D6-based models arrive, Lincoln will update most of its existing products, starting with a redesigned MKX midsize crossover in spring 2015 and a replacement for the MKS large sedan in spring 2016.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2014/10/24/ford-lincoln-investment-billions-china-long/17860227/?AID=10709313&PID=3952754&SID=1dk11osa2hbx1&siteID=je6NUbpObpQ-J4ULGjt6pj2Nfp8vSibqTg

 

[free_energy0]

Should have done this in 2010 and saved the money on the lame duck S550. Mr. Mullaly cost them huge when he sold JLR and punted on Lincoln for several money losing years. "**** or get off the pot" is one way of saying it, "penny-wise and pound foolish" is another. Management is the difference.

 

[corwaa]

Good to hear! I'd love to see Lincoln do well again instead of seeing it go the way of Mercury. This will help keep the boys over at Cadillac on their toes!

 

[Dequindre]

The whole FWD/AWD/RWD versatile platform is really interesting. That gives Lincoln a lot of flexibility when it comes to making different types of vehicles. For example, Lincoln could make a BMW 3-Series competitor and a Lexus ES competitor all on the same platform.

 

[Dequindre]

Oh, and the Reuters article makes it clear why Kumar Galholtra was hired to head Lincoln: he's an engineer who will oversee the development of this highly versatile platform:

Much of the new investment is earmarked for development and tooling of the new premium platform, known internally as D6, sources said. The development is being overseen by new Lincoln President Kumar Galhotra, an engineer.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/24/us-fordmotor-lincoln-idUSKCN0ID2FU20141024

 

[SP1966]

Should have done this in 2010 and saved the money on the lame duck S550. Mr. Mullaly cost them huge when he sold JLR and punted on Lincoln for several money losing years. "**** or get off the pot" is one way of saying it, "penny-wise and pound foolish" is another. Management is the difference.

That's easy to say, and quite obvious in hind sight. I honestly think at the time Mullaly was correct to enforce a laser focus on the Ford brand. It doesn't matter if it was Lincoln, or JLR, without the right people with a good plan doing otherwise would have been "pound foolish".

Just looking at where Lincoln is at at the moment, and what changes have been made suggests to me they would have been no better off. Lincoln has clearly grasped the dealer/service end of it and now appear to be getting the right plan together on the product end. What is the extra few years going to hurt, Lincoln couldn't really fall further.

 

[Dequindre]

That's easy to say, and quite obvious in hind sight. I honestly think at the time Mullaly was correct to enforce a laser focus on the Ford brand. It doesn't matter if it was Lincoln, or JLR, without the right people with a good plan doing otherwise would have been "pound foolish".

Just looking at where Lincoln is at at the moment, and what changes have been made suggests to me they would have been no better off. Lincoln has clearly grasped the dealer/service end of it and now appear to be getting the right plan together on the product end. What is the extra few years going to hurt, Lincoln couldn't really fall further.

Looking back, I agree with you. Ford needed to be priority #1 after bankruptcy. I'm glad that they strung Lincoln along during that time now that's obvious they're getting attention.

 

[SP1966]

Looking back, I agree with you. Ford needed to be priority #1 after bankruptcy. I'm glad that they strung Lincoln along during that time now that's obvious they're getting attention.

On the bright side, there was no bankruptcy at Ford.

 

[Neanderthal]

That's easy to say, and quite obvious in hind sight. I honestly think at the time Mullaly was correct to enforce a laser focus on the Ford brand. It doesn't matter if it was Lincoln, or JLR, without the right people with a good plan doing otherwise would have been "pound foolish".

Just looking at where Lincoln is at at the moment, and what changes have been made suggests to me they would have been no better off. Lincoln has clearly grasped the dealer/service end of it and now appear to be getting the right plan together on the product end. What is the extra few years going to hurt, Lincoln couldn't really fall further.

yA. Given the whisker-thin edge they had from going BK themselves, FoMo didn't really have a lot of margin for error or superfluous luxury.
I think Mulally made the right decision at the time. It's easy to Monday morning quarterback it all now, but the doodle was so close to hitting the fan that Job #1 was making sure the company survived.

When Mulally arrived at the Dearborn garage, he was a bit nonplussed at all the non-Ford lux brands all the execs drove. "Where are all the Fords?"

I think it helps a little to have your guys driving your own cars. Yes, they need to be familiar with the competition, but to me if your head is at Jaguar or Rover, how strong is your commitment to the base?

 

[Dequindre]

On the bright side, there was no bankruptcy at Ford.

Oops, you're right. "Restructuring" would be a better word.

 

[free_energy0]

That's easy to say, and quite obvious in hind sight. I honestly think at the time Mullaly was correct to enforce a laser focus on the Ford brand. It doesn't matter if it was Lincoln, or JLR, without the right people with a good plan doing otherwise would have been "pound foolish".

Just looking at where Lincoln is at at the moment, and what changes have been made suggests to me they would have been no better off. Lincoln has clearly grasped the dealer/service end of it and now appear to be getting the right plan together on the product end. What is the extra few years going to hurt, Lincoln couldn't really fall further.

No way man, they've been in the red for years with nothing to show for it. Now they're going to be billions in the red until these cars get market acceptance, in 2023 if ever. The bigger issue is China, where they are already late and launching just in time to tarnish their reputation with noncompetitive Ford retreads. Unless they pull off a Buick-like miracle, they'll be hemorrhaging cash for at least ten years.

The bigger issue is S550, that's just a ton of money on a 90% bespoke architecture spread across what will be 500,000 sales maybe.

 

[Dequindre]

No way man, they've been in the red for years with nothing to show for it. Now they're going to be billions in the red until these cars get market acceptance, in 2023 if ever. The bigger issue is China, where they are already late and launching just in time to tarnish their reputation with noncompetitive Ford retreads. Unless they pull off a Buick-like miracle, they'll be hemorrhaging cash for at least ten years.

The bigger issue is S550, that's just a ton of money on a 90% bespoke architecture spread across will be 500,000 sales maybe.

How do you know S550 won't underpin more Ford models?

To me, this mysterious D6 platform seems like a way to get Lincoln into the black. Just think about it, all of their cars and crossovers will be on one platform. That sounds pretty cost-effective to me.

 

[free_energy0]

How do you know S550 won't underpin more Ford models?

To me, this mysterious D6 platform seems like a way to get Lincoln into the black. Just think about it, all of their cars and crossovers will be on one platform. That sounds pretty cost-effective to me.

That would be throwing good money after bad; spend hundreds of millions to make a 2018 S550 Lincoln ATS, or save the money and get a 2020 D6 Lincoln ATS.

 

[Dequindre]

That would be throwing good money after bad; spend hundreds of millions to make a 2018 S550 Lincoln ATS, or save the money and get a 2020 D6 Lincoln ATS.

Any S550 Lincoln COULD be a stop-gap until D6 is ready. Other than that expenditure, Lincoln would be saving a ton of money by utilizing only one platform.

 

[SP1966]

No way man, they've been in the red for years with nothing to show for it. Now they're going to be billions in the red until these cars get market acceptance, in 2023 if ever. The bigger issue is China, where they are already late and launching just in time to tarnish their reputation with noncompetitive Ford retreads. Unless they pull off a Buick-like miracle, they'll be hemorrhaging cash for at least ten years.

The bigger issue is S550, that's just a ton of money on a 90% bespoke architecture spread across what will be 500,000 sales maybe.

They're losing money, though saying hemorrhaging is a reach. If things were that bad Mullaly would have pulled the plug. In the short term they continue to be moderately upgraded Fords with the engineering expense covered by Ford's volume alone.

 

[free_energy0]

They're losing money, though saying hemorrhaging is a reach. If things were that bad Mullaly would have pulled the plug. In the short term they continue to be moderately upgraded Fords with the engineering expense covered by Ford's volume alone.

I mean that if they're losing money selling 70k low-effort Ford re-skins a year, they'll be hemorrhaging cash while doing that kind of business AND spending billions a year on a new platform. That's not the right way to do the accounting however, it'll take years to see where they come out. That said, this new platform won't make money till several years in, especially with the most damaged brand in the business.

 

[Dequindre]

I mean that if they're losing money selling 70k low-effort Ford re-skins a year, they'll be hemorrhaging cash while doing that kind of business AND spending billions a year on a new platform. That's not the right way to do the accounting however, it'll take years to see where they come out. That said, this new platform won't make money till several years in, especially with the most damaged brand in the business.

What are you talking about? Lincoln will save money by using ONE platform to underpin all cars and crossovers.

 

[free_energy0]

What are you talking about? Lincoln will save money by using ONE platform to underpin all cars and crossovers.

Right, but it's one more platform than what they are getting away with now.

 

[Dovetonsils]

I love it! Nothing I would like to see on the road more than a RWD Lincoln.

 

[2b2]

That would be throwing good money after bad; spend hundreds of millions to make a 2018 S550 Lincoln ATS, or save the money and get a 2020 D6 Lincoln ATS.

Any S550 Lincoln COULD be a stop-gap until D6 is ready. Other than that expenditure, Lincoln would be saving a ton of money by utilizing only one platform.

just-imho, the LS550-LincStang will have nothing to do with larger Rwd Lincolns

more like IF there already was the nextgen Camaro, then Cadillac could've used that as a basis for the ATS
and developed one platform for CT5 and up


& [FiN-spam]

sorta-aside
it's been my experience that business-bureaucracies tend to black/white thinking - or at least very-dark-gray/very-light-gray planning...
...either they penny-pinch to the point of shooting their own (& everyone's) foot OR go rather whole-hog (frequently with the hope that they'll be retired before ever having to think of that again)

I'd much prefer a smoothly fluctuating scale of budgeting
&
see NOTHING in this so far that couldn't have been in-the-works very much like posts in FiN's Mission:Lincoln
in which
the past years of famine (&

) would have been prevented
& presumably
a number of coming years including some waste of funds would never have been necessary


anyhoo...
...interesting times ahead​