Ford makes a certain kind of car. Practical, simple, and well suited to traditional urban driving, Ford’s vehicles appeal to a certain kind of customer. These customers are generally older, looking for simple and unadventurous styling. In order to attract a younger customer Ford re-branded it’s Lincoln subsidiary in late 2012. Lincoln used to appeal to an older luxury car driver, offering space and comfort over speed and styling. The new 2012 Lincoln offers sleek styling and speed, differentiating itself from Ford and Lincoln of the past. Coupled with this style change is a push to increase Lincoln’s international availability by moving into the Mexican and Chinese markets.
In China, Ford is struggling with luxury vehicle sales. Ford has less than five percent of the luxury market and truly cannot compete with the likes of BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Audi. With the new Lincoln brand Ford has a chance to capture a significant piece of the increasing Chinese luxury market. Ford hopes to establish a strong Lincoln presence in China in 2014, while simultaneously doubling Ford production. This push aims to establish a sales precedence in Asia in the hopes of matching strong sales in North America and Europe. Lincoln looks to match sales in China to those in the United States by 2020, and increase its market share to nine percent. Nine percent may seem like a small number, but this foothold is enough to create awareness and establish a lasting brand in the globe’s largest market. With the expansion into China, Ford hopes to increase its global sales by fifty percent by the end of the decade. A small step in China is a quite a leap in the world at large.
