QOTD: Should Lincoln Give up on Cars, or Tell Ford to Kiss Its Blass?

Domestically, Lincoln’s passenger car sales figures provide ample evidence of two things: Either sedans aren’t needed in the premium marque’s lineup, or something drastic need to happen to keep them alive.

We’ve covered the brand’s sedan woes before, but Ford’s decision to axe all but the Mustang in its passenger car stable adds new urgency to Lincoln’s situation. The MKZ is, well, old, albeit refreshed, and the Continental sells less often than the Cadillac CT6 — hardly a line-up-around-the-block model in its own right.

What in the name of Givenchy, Cartier, Pucci, and Blass is to be done about this?

Ford claims it’s “committed” to its current two-car lineup, but this doesn’t exactly give anyone confidence that the brand’s stable won’t go the way of the Blue Oval’s. Hell, it could be worse than that, as Ford at least plans to keep the Mustang alive.

The MKZ could hang around for as long as its Fusion platform mate, but no longer. The Continental? The future Lincoln’s flagship is the subject of much speculation, and perhaps a retro-themed design revamp could budge the sales needle, but we’re talking about a slow seller that only bowed in late 2016. Ford’s in money saving mode here.

Given its growing popularity in China, Lincoln’s passenger car space appears ripe for green vehicles — perhaps ones greener than the hybrid variants planned for all of the brand’s models by 2022. While consumer demand for premium fully electric vehicles remains to be seen in the U.S., an EV carrying the Lincoln badge would likely prove a hit in the Orient.

And what about a plug-in hybrid sports coupe or sedan? Ford’s already planning a hybrid version of the Mustang, and the coming decade could see an electric version of its perennial pony car. Enthusiasts have long called for a Mustang-based Lincoln that resurrects the “Mark” series.

If given free rein over Ford Motor Company’s product planning, where would you take the Lincoln brand? Forget about crossovers and SUVs — those are already well looked after. Your job is to plan the future of Lincoln cars. What would they be?

[Image: © 2017 Sajeev Mehta/TTAC]