More than any Ford Motor Company brand, the luxury Lincoln division got caught up in the emotional and financial turmoil that gripped the company following the ouster of Jac Nasser in favor of Bill Ford as CEO.
So now the venerable brand is trying to mount a comeback with five new products in four segments aimed at a buyer that's about half as old as the traditional Lincoln lover.
First up for this hipper, younger crowd will be the 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, which is one of the endless row of cars that will use the company's versatile Mazda6 platform as its base. It should be in dealer lots this fall.
Pricing for the newest, most affordable Lincoln will be announced closer to that date.
All that being said, the new car is meant ''underscore the Lincoln philosophy of making cars, trucks and sport utilities that are elegant, exceptionally comfortable, indulgent -- and still attainable.'' Thus speaketh Phil Martens, Ford's group vice-president for product creation.
Martens further maintains that the front-drive (all-wheel-drive will follow shortly), mid-size sedan will attract new and younger customers to the Lincoln showroom. To appeal to that buyer, he adds, the Zephyr features the ''industry-exclusive next-generation THX-II Certified audio system and the most advanced Lincoln Navigation system ever.''
By bringing ''Lincoln's hallmarks of elegant design and comfort to a new generation of customers,'' Martens says, Zephyr will be ''a major element in the brand's growth strategy for the next decade by providing an additional entry point to draw customers into dealerships.''
Zephyr will be the second new Lincoln product to be introduced during 2005, following the all-new 2006 Lincoln Mark LT truck.
While other luxury brands are moving to rear-wheel-drive, Lincoln believes that Zephyr's front-drive setup will be ''a key purchase consideration for many buyers,'' and that the all-wheel-drive powertrain option that follows will cover even more ground.
The 2006 Lincoln Zephyr is said to incorporate ''elegant Lincoln design inside and out. Its classic proportions, clean lines and well-planted stance convey confidence and presence with understated elegance.''
Zephyr is designed with ''a theme of unpretentious luxury,'' says Martens, ''The interplay of sleek interior and exterior accents finished in chrome and satin nickel lend the Zephyr an air of distinction.''
This new sedan has a distinct Lincoln family resemblance with its classic waterfall grille, Martens adds, while the front is accented with standard jewel-like, quad beam halogen headlamps or optional High Intensity Discharge units.
Wide all-season tires ''enhance Zephyr's confident stance, and eight-spoke, 17-inch aluminum wheels are standard.
Zephyr's interior is primarily ''indulgent,'' says Martens, and ''every detail quietly conveys sophistication. Genuine materials, such as real maple wood or aluminum surfaces, illustrates the level of luxury Zephyr provides.''
So now the venerable brand is trying to mount a comeback with five new products in four segments aimed at a buyer that's about half as old as the traditional Lincoln lover.
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Pricing for the newest, most affordable Lincoln will be announced closer to that date.
All that being said, the new car is meant ''underscore the Lincoln philosophy of making cars, trucks and sport utilities that are elegant, exceptionally comfortable, indulgent -- and still attainable.'' Thus speaketh Phil Martens, Ford's group vice-president for product creation.
Martens further maintains that the front-drive (all-wheel-drive will follow shortly), mid-size sedan will attract new and younger customers to the Lincoln showroom. To appeal to that buyer, he adds, the Zephyr features the ''industry-exclusive next-generation THX-II Certified audio system and the most advanced Lincoln Navigation system ever.''
By bringing ''Lincoln's hallmarks of elegant design and comfort to a new generation of customers,'' Martens says, Zephyr will be ''a major element in the brand's growth strategy for the next decade by providing an additional entry point to draw customers into dealerships.''
Zephyr will be the second new Lincoln product to be introduced during 2005, following the all-new 2006 Lincoln Mark LT truck.
While other luxury brands are moving to rear-wheel-drive, Lincoln believes that Zephyr's front-drive setup will be ''a key purchase consideration for many buyers,'' and that the all-wheel-drive powertrain option that follows will cover even more ground.
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Zephyr is designed with ''a theme of unpretentious luxury,'' says Martens, ''The interplay of sleek interior and exterior accents finished in chrome and satin nickel lend the Zephyr an air of distinction.''
This new sedan has a distinct Lincoln family resemblance with its classic waterfall grille, Martens adds, while the front is accented with standard jewel-like, quad beam halogen headlamps or optional High Intensity Discharge units.
Wide all-season tires ''enhance Zephyr's confident stance, and eight-spoke, 17-inch aluminum wheels are standard.
Zephyr's interior is primarily ''indulgent,'' says Martens, and ''every detail quietly conveys sophistication. Genuine materials, such as real maple wood or aluminum surfaces, illustrates the level of luxury Zephyr provides.''