Nicely, that only took 10 years. In an interview with Automotive News, a Ford top executive has acknowledged that Lincoln’s MK-based naming structure is confusing and that the overwhelmingly constructive reaction to the Continental name’s revival may have the company rethinking its naming policy. From our point of view, MKC, MKT, MKZ, MKS, and MKX are difficult to inform apart, and we’d welcome the shift. It’s also fairly noteworthy, because the business as a whole is nevertheless tumbling down the rabbit hole of meaningless and typically mind-boggling nomenclature.
Compare Lincoln’s past nameplates—such as Zephyr, Town Vehicle, Aviator, and Navigator (oh wait, Lincoln nonetheless makes use of that 1)—to MK-what ever and it’s no contest. When Lincoln very first introduced its MK naming scheme in 2006, the models have been to be referred to phonetically as “Mark X,” “Mark Z,” “Mark T,” and so on. That thought seemingly collapsed in on itself within weeks of the announcement, resulting in Lincoln’s present “em-kay” setup.
The reality that Lincoln appears to be making definitive steps toward anything sensical has us excited at the comments that Joe Hinrichs, Ford Motor Company’s president of the Americas, produced to Automotive News. He told the outlet: “Without divulging the future . . . we’re extremely excited about the Continental name and the interest it’s gotten,” ahead of adding that “another way Lincoln could distinguish itself is to leverage its heritage. So I’ll leave it at that.”
We contacted Lincoln and have been told that Hinrichs’s comments might not indicate that Lincoln truly will revert back to its historical names, only that the brand is “leaving the door open for future solution.” It sounds as if any name considerations will be taken on a model-by-model basis, not brand-wide, as the Lincoln rep stated that it probably wouldn’t be “a one-size-fits-all technique.”
1 aspect of a prospective nomenclature shift that we particularly like is that it is not as rigid as, say, Cadillac’s, which buckets vehicles into CT- and XT- designations depending on physique style (only the mega-selling Escalade was granted an exemption). And obtaining a actual, evocative name on at least 2 cars in the lineup—Continental and Navigator—builds on the momentum following Lincoln’s rebranding itself as the “Lincoln Motor Business.” Stir in Lincoln’s pampering new Black Label ownership experience and car-customization plan, and the brand could be on its way to altering its reputation as simply a purveyor of nice Fords.
Sincere Abe: Lincoln Could Ditch MK Nomenclature, Bring Back Actual Names
