agent Entrepreneur logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Ford CEO: No Plans to Move Lincoln brand

NEW YORK — Ford CEO Mark Fields said the Dearborn automaker has no plans to move its Lincoln luxury brand to New York after its domestic rival made the move, reported The Detroit News. He added that the company is committed to the revival of Lincoln. General Motors Co. in September announced it was moving ... Read More »

March 31, 2015
3 min to read


NEW YORK — Ford CEO Mark Fields said the Dearborn automaker has no plans to move its Lincoln luxury brand to New York after its domestic rival made the move, reported The Detroit News.

He added that the company is committed to the revival of Lincoln.

Ad Loading...

General Motors Co. in September announced it was moving the headquarters of its luxury Cadillac brand to New York City. Cadillac will relocate June 1 to New York. GM CEO Mary Barra cited New York’s role in setting trends.

“We like Lincoln exactly where it is,” Fields told reporters Sunday night at an event here to show off the concept Lincoln Continental that will be displayed at the New York International Auto Show.

“We’re committed to Lincoln as a world-class luxury brand. That means we all have to own this, and we all do, and I think it’s very important for us. It works well when you have the marketing folks, the product planners, the engineers all working closely together because you don’t end up throwing things over a wall — you are all doing things together as a team.”

Cadillac announced its plans to establish a global brand headquarters in New York to help the 112-year-old brand re-establish itself as a dominant global luxury player in a competitive market. The idea, Cadillac chief Johan de Nysschen explained in January, was to put distance between the rest of GM and Cadillac and do so in a city that is the epicenter of luxury and could help GM better understand target customers. Some Detroit community members and politicians were disappointed and criticized the move.

GM has redesigned the Cadillac business, which will operate as a separate business unit of GM. The automaker plans to invest $12 billion into Cadillac by the end of the decade, as it adds eight all-new vehicles, including SUVs. Cadillac’s U.S. sales fell 6.5 percent last year, but its global sales inched up 5 percent.

Ad Loading...

Ford moved its Lincoln brand to California in 1998 as part of its Premier Automotive Group and moved the brand back to Dearborn in 2002.

But Fields said that while California sets many trends, Fields thinks New York helps set trends in luxury vehicles and luxury items. That’s why Fields said Ford is showing off the Lincoln Continental concept at the New York International Auto Show on Wednesday, with plans to build a production version next year.

Fields said the automaker is positioning Lincoln as “quiet luxury” as part of the “whole ownership experience.” It’s about an elegant experience with the highest quality technology, styling and materials.

“We want the brand to represent the themes around this quiet luxury … call it serene and relaxing but almost really to kind of chill when you get into the vehicle. Life becomes a little less stressful,” Fields said.

Fields also said Ford last year opted not to bid for the next generation presidential limousine. For much of the 20th century, the presidential limousine was a Lincoln — and often a Continental. But since the early 1980s, the limousine has been a Cadillac.

Ad Loading...

“One of the reasons Lincoln is held in high regard is they remember the presidential limousine, they remember the actors and actresses that drove them,” Fields said.

But a company only has so many resources and has to make choices, Fields said. “Let’s not dilute ourselves,” Fields said, explaining the decision.


More Industry

F&Iby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 27, 2026

Price Driving Insurance Churn

Over half of insurance holders ages 18 to 29 reported to be 'somewhat' likely to change providers in the next 90 days, according to CivicScience, which found that interest was lower among older age groups.

Read More →
Industryby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 26, 2026

AI Drives Dealer Website Traffic

Total visits to dealer websites from generative artificial intelligence platforms grew more than 15 times year-over-year, signaling a shift in how many consumers shop for cars online.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellFebruary 26, 2026

Automakers Tops in Fuel Economy

In the U.S., Honda has the most efficient gas-electrified combo lineup while Tesla beats all automakers in annual EPA ranking as brands built their alternative-fuel offerings.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
F&Iby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 25, 2026

Report Finds Year-End F&I Strength

Deal volume ebbed and flowed throughout 2025, but product performance remained steady, according to automotive technology and data intelligence solutions provider StoneEagle.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellFebruary 24, 2026

Overall Consumer Confidence Up

Americans’ view of present business conditions, the labor market and family finances, though, are still in the dumps, and if they plan to buy cars, many target used units.

Read More →
Auto Financeby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 23, 2026

Auto Loan Forecast Bucks Market Trend

Auto loan originations rose over 6% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025, but TransUnion predicts a slight decline in auto loan growth this year, making it an outlier in the company's overall lending forecast.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
F&Iby Hannah MitchellFebruary 23, 2026

Some Auto Brands Cheaper to Insure

A new top 10 list ranks the least expensive for average full insurance coverage on a clean driving record and high driver credit scores.

Read More →
Industryby StaffFebruary 20, 2026

Learn to Manage the Mayhem at Agent Summit

Rob Mancuso – president of Mancuso Automotive – will present a Keynote at the 2026 event.

Read More →
Fixed Opsby Hannah MitchellFebruary 20, 2026

Auto Recalls Sank Last Year

2025 Sedgwick data indicate that the number of vehicles affected fell to its lowest point in more than a decade.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Industryby Lauren LawrenceFebruary 19, 2026

Affordability Leads Top-Rated List

Edmunds’ editorial team tested 300-plus vehicles to help determine the Top Rated Awards for 2026, and one brand stood out with multiple rankings, including Best of the Best.

Read More →