Cars and Drivers

Ford's Lincoln Continues to Struggle

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: July 8, 2023 10:15 am

Lincoln has gone from a luxury car sales leader to an also-ran in the U.S. Its sales sit well behind those of Lexus, BMW, Mercedes, and Audi. It must also contend with Porsche, Acura, Infiniti, Cadillac, Land Rover, and Jaguar. Lincoln’s problems continue to get worse. In the second quarter of the year, unit sales dropped 15.2% to 20,124.

Lincoln’s primary problem is that Ford has decided not to invest in a large line-up, essential to substantial sales. BMW has 19 models. Mercedes has over 20. Lexus does as well. (These are 20 cars that have been completely redesigned for 2023.)

Lincoln offers four models, all of which are crossovers or SUVs. Sales for two of these were disastrous last quarter. Sales of the Corsair dropped 20.9% to 5,608. The Corsair, the lowest-priced Lincoln, is critical to bringing in new, younger customers who can eventually trade up to the more expensive vehicles Lincoln sells. Salves of the Aviator plunged 50.2% to 2,977.

Lincoln’s results were not much worse because of the ultra-high-end Navigotor, the sales of which rose 20.1% to 4,688. Because of its price, which can top $100,000, it will never make up for the Lincoln sales disappointment.

Ford is at a crossroads with Lincoln in the U.S., which it has been for years. It will not invest the necessary billions of dollars to build a complete model line. Without a complete model line, it will continue to take a beating from rivals. Ford has decided to make its bet on the future with EVs. Lincoln will continue to be starved for oxygen.

Lincoln sales in China do well. Perhaps this is enough to justify the brand’s survival. It is a shame, however, that Ford may be the only huge car company in the world that does not have a viable high-end brand. (These are the best-built car in America.)