Like Cadillac, Lincoln came to a fork in the road during the late 90's. Lincoln's answer was platform sharing (Navigator/Expedition, LS/S-type) and a few new models. It was the easy answer, with the most potential for short-term gains. Initially, it worked. The Navigator was a smash success. The LS was praised as "the American BMW" by the perennially gullible U.S. auto media (press release journalism).
Cadillac chose a long-term solution with a view to securing the future of the brand.
-A shared visual signature for all Cadillac models
-The future of the brand would ride on the Sigma platform, which would debut with Caddy.
-All-around improvements in quality/interiors/powertrains
-New manufacturing facilities
-Billions of dollars to make it happen
When I saw the Mark IX a few years ago, I really thought that Lincoln had finally got its act together. I really thought that this was their Evoq- a shocking flagship on which to rebuild a brand.
Unfortunately, this opportunity was wasted, and now Ford is making the same mistake it made in the first go-around. Heavy-handed platform sharing has already failed with the Aviator, and now they are preparing to make the same mistake with the Mazda 6. And an F-150 clone. All of their recent investment has gone into a new Navigator. Now, we hear that an upcoming Lincoln flagship, possibly with a V-12, will be built on the Crown Victoria platform. Ford should have learned during the first failure that isolated model introductions, underinvestment, and poorly-executed platform sharing are a recipe for decline.
