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RCSignals
03-11-2003, 12:28 AM
No mention of Grand Marquis and Marauder though


Scheele reaffirms Lincoln's N. American role

By Mark Rechtin
Automotive News / March 10, 2003


Mercury will add the Montego, an upscale sedan, to its lineup.

SEVILLE, Spain - In 2001, Ford Motor Co. was planning to make Lincoln a global brand, and Mercury was rudderless.

Today, as Ford Motor plots a revival led by product, Lincoln no longer is considered a brand with global pretensions "because the economics demonstrated that it couldn't happen," Ford COO Nick Scheele says.

Meanwhile, the company is "pulling Mercury back from being in the morgue," he said at a press event here March 1.

Mercury will remain in the Ford Motor family for the simple reason that, "Lincoln without Mercury is nonsupportable because there is no distribution network. We have to have Mercury," Scheele said in an interview at the press launch of the Jaguar XJ sedan.

"We've vacillated over whether Mercury should have front or rear drive, and whether or not the products should be all new or derivatives of Fords," Scheele said. "But we have been strongest when Mercury has taken derivatives from Ford."

Those vehicles will not be rebadged Ford vehicles.

"They will have different powertrains, interior cues, exterior cues, handling and performance," he said.

Mercury's product revival starts this year with the Mercury Monterey, a version of the re-engineered Ford Windstar.

A 2005 SUV based on the Ford Escape appears next, followed by a version of the Mazda6 sedan and a version of the larger Ford Five Hundred sedan called the Mercury Montego.

As for Lincoln, Scheele was more coy.

While he said Lincoln "needs to embrace the Town Car," it also must have smaller vehicles, four-wheel-drive SUVs and rwd cars.

Eventually, Scheele wants Lincoln to have all-wheel-drive crossover vehicles and cars. He said Chris Theodore, vice president of North American product development, has a "barnburner" of a product plan for the brand.

Also, Scheele said Ford is on track to reach its goal of cutting costs by $700 per vehicle by mid-decade. Ford had set a goal of $200 per vehicle for the end of 2002, which the automaker exceeded by $38.

Scheele also characterized CEO Bill Ford's increased involvement in the UAW negotiations as, "like all CEOs, in that he will close the deal, just like Henry Ford II and Phil Caldwell did."

While union reps from both sides will conduct the talks, Scheele said. "You can't have too many people involved. You have to close with the CEO and the head of the UAW."