Memory lane: What happened to Lincoln?

Sorting through old pictures from the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit I came across a concept I had forgotten. Cobo hall was full of spectacular vehicles on that cold and rainy day yet the Lincoln MkR was perhaps my favorite. It is positively one of the most handsome concepts to wear a Lincoln badge, ever. So why is it that in 2009 we are not seeing anything like this on the road?



Lincoln has been in a constant identity crisis since the 1970's as it has never truly settled on what kind of car brand it would like to be. Originally, it was meant to be the best of the best that the Ford Motor Company had to offer. It was supposed to mean something when you drove a Lincoln much like it does when you drive a BMW or Mercedes today. Lincoln then fell into the trap of rebadging base Ford vehicles while offering little more than its logo, grill, and trim pieces to differentiate between say its Lincoln Town Car from a Ford Crown Victoria.



Fast forward to 2007 where Lincoln made an attempt to change things by showing off what its idea of the new Lincoln would become. If every Lincoln had the attitude and passion behind the MkR the masses would surely forget the past mistakes and buy like crazy. The concept had a powerful twin turbo motor which, in credit to the Ford Motor Company, has made it under the hood of the Lincoln MkS sedan. The MkS, mind you, is presumably what the MkR was supposed to be. While the engine made it, the original and exciting exterior design seems to have been lost in translation. Sure the new Lincoln MkS looks fine and is a good performing car. Unfortunately, so is the Ford Taurus which shares the same platform and costs a lot less. If the Ford Motor Company wants me to shell the extra cash for the Lincoln logo they need to wake up and realize that the only way to achieve this is to make a better product for their "luxury" brand. GM has figured it out with Cadillac as is evident by the new CTS. Why not Lincoln?












2009 Lincoln MkS

Which would you rather drive?