Ford Motor Company to Put an End to a 71-year-old Brand

Ford Motor Company announced this week that it will discontinue the 71-year-old Mercury Brand by the end of the year.  Over the next four years, Lincoln will get seven all-new or entirely refreshed products –including its first ever C-segment vehicle. Lincoln also will get brand-exclusive powertrains and other technologies to distinguish it from Ford’s namesake Blue Oval brand and make its vehicles more competitive with offerings from rival automakers. 

Ford’s President of the Americas, Mark Fields, announced the board voted to stop production of all four Mercury models in the fourth quarter. Ford plans to send letters to Mercury dealers around the nation, offering them buyouts or the chance to merge with Ford dealers.

“Given our improving financial situation, it really allows us to absorb the short-term cost of discontinuing Mercury,” Mark Fields said, declining to reveal the expected expense. “We’re very proud of Mercury’s history, but we’re now looking forward.”

Mercury was the creation of Henry Ford’s son, Edsel and was launched in 1938 as a midmarket brand intended to bridge the gap between the mass market Ford brand and the luxury Lincoln brand. Although a novel idea, Mercury vehicles often were little more than rebadged Fords, and sales have declined steadily since 1993.

“It is a storied brand,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s global product development chief. “But what’s really important today is not the past. What’s important today is the future: the future of Ford and the future of Lincoln.”

The Ford brand has performed well over the past 18 months, benefiting from a new product lineup, but Lincoln has struggled to find its place in an increasingly crowded and competitive luxury market. Ford plans to redirect the resources invested in the Mercury brand into Lincoln. “We’ve made a lot of progress with the Ford brand,” said Ford Americas President Mark Fields. “Now’s the time to do that with Lincoln.”

Mercury now claims just eight-tenths of a percent of the U.S. car and truck market, Fields said. The Ford brand, by comparison, has gained more than twice that much share in the first four months of the year.  Fields said Ford’s recent success enabled the automaker to retire Mercury, providing the financial resources needed to wind down the brand without undermining Ford’s goal of being “solidly profitable” this year.

Ford will continue to honor warranty agreements and support Mercury owners with parts and service.

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Marc & Harriet Feigenblatt: Greg Kien Sales Testimonial

We purchased a 2010 Fusion Hybrid.  We had done a great deal of independent research before ever entering a dealership, so we had complete knowledge of the model and options we wanted.  We’ve never purchased a Ford of any kind before primarily because our research indicated that until recently, Ford products were inferior to those of other manufacturers.  Regarding the ranking of vehicle attributes, we place safety above all else, followed by reliability/durability and then by the balance of features which would include gas mileage, performance and options.  Aesthetics would be last, but a tie breaker among equals.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, we would like to offer the following testimonial regarding the sale with specific kudos to Greg Kien.

In the thirty years that we have been married, the Ford Fusion Hybrid is our ninth new automobile and our first Ford.  It was, by far, the best experience we’ve ever had when purchasing a new vehicle and we give credit to Greg Kien, our contact at Beechmont Ford.  He listened to us intently when we told him of our needs and concerns and always responded in a positive and helpful manner.  He recognized that we were educated consumers and treated us as such.  He took the time to make certain that all of our questions were answered in a clear and concise way.  He went above and beyond, even after the sales was complete.  He made the entire process not only easy, but very pleasant.

When we first stepped into Greg’s office, it was apparent that he was very knowledgeable and we appreciated his no-pressure attitude.  Although the Fusion Hybrid was a high-demand vehicle, he offered us an exceptionally competitive price and did not pressure us into purchasing any additional services or products.

Because we were uncertain about a particular exterior color, he searched for a dealership in the area that had the exact model and color in the lot so that we could view it in person rather than in a booklet.  When he discovered that no area dealerships had one, he worked with us to find one in Louisville, Kentucky, because he knew that we were traveling through that city the following week.  He had already made the sale — it would have been easy for him to just point to the colors in the Ford brochure and let us decide from that.

When we picked up our new Fusion, Greg spent a lot of time in the vehicle with us, demonstrating various features and controls.  Since this model has an extraordinary number of high-tech and complex systems, we were very appreciative that he went over them before we had a chance to read the manuals.  Within minutes of arriving home from the dealership, we even received a phone call from him asking us how our first trip in our new car went!

If we hear of anyone (friend, family, acquaintance) who is interested in purchasing a new vehicle, we will definitely send them to Beechmont Ford and especially Greg Kien.  We are always very careful about whom we recommend to others and we know for certain that anyone we refer will also find it to be their best new car sales experience.

Marc and Harriet Feigenblatt

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2010 Ford Transit Connect Wrapped for Your Business

The Transit Connect proves once again it is the right size for multiple companies.

If the wrong set of wheels is holding back your business, you are ready for the one-of-a-kind Transit Connect.  This all-new, right-sized business vehicle combines the room and versatility of a van with the efficient of a large car.  So it can swallow cargo, sip gas and park in a tight space, all while standing out in a crowd.

The 2010 Ford Transit Connect gets you in and out of tight spaces with agile maneuverability.  Its low vehicle heights let you slide into parking structures that keep taller trucks out on the street.  Plus, its economical size means that Transit Connect Van’s curb weight is just 3470 lbs.–almost 1500 lbs. less than a full-size van.  That’s one big reason why it gets 22 mpg city / 25 mpg highway (according to EPA-estimated small van class).

The 2-seat Transit Connect Cargo Van provides a huge cargo box with all-around access, and near-vertical sidewalls let you make the best use of all that space.  Sliding doors on both sides of the van let you load and unload the front half of the cargo area, or help position long items being loaded from the rear.  Any way you look at it, Transit Connect is wide open for business.

UHR Rents recognized these great facts about the 2010 Ford Transit Connect and recently purchased four units from us.  Below are some photos of one of the Transit Connects.

Contact Carl Ziegaus today at Beechmont Ford in Cincinnati, OH, to purchase and wrap your very own 2010 Transit Connect(s).  Carl can be reached at (888) 261-8619 or at cziegaus@lormargroup.com.

The all-new Transit Connect is engineered and tested to thrive in conditions that are harder, faster and tougher than most of its drivers will see.  Its Built Ford Tough on a rugged, commercial vehicle platform, with over 600,000 sold worldwide since 2003.

Related articles

• Ford to debut all-electric Transit Connect van (reviews.cnet.com)
• Chicago Preview: Ford rolls out production Transit Connect Electric and Taxi variants (autoblog.com)

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CarsDiva Interview

Beechmont Ford constantly strives to improve the negative impressions of the automotive industry. We feel we are one of the leaders in reversing these stereotypes. We have been in business over 15 years, 8 time winner of the Ford President’s Award for excellence in sales and customer service and supporter of numerous community events such as the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the upcoming Drive One 4 Your School event with Glen Este High School.  As a result, Brittany Iredale, online sales consultant at Beechmont Ford, recently discussed how automotive dealerships can improve working with women with Demetra Markopoulos, founder of Carsdiva.com, an online community created by, for and about women in the car business.

Brittany Iredale (BI): What is your background? Tell me a little bit about yourself and how you got into the automotive industry?

Demetra Markopoulos (DM): I went to Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, and I double-majored in International Studies & Spanish.

Upon graduating college, I didn’t know exactly what career path I wanted to pursue, but I did know that I wanted to apply my skills, talents, and education in an avenue where I wasn’t limited as to where I could go. I experimented in a few different industries, before I concluded that I wanted to run my own show. Perhaps I’m a bit stubborn, but I like to call it determination. My parents are entrepreneurs, so I guess it runs in the family!

I started working for a start-up company that did remarketing for commercial (and later rental) fleets. Initially I was doing more customer service and work on the technical side of the business, but one thing led to another, and after a few months I started working on the front end with one of the Founders of the company, doing sales and business development. I found my calling! I had never realized there were so many different facets to the industry, (and characters for that matter)…. and there’s never a dull moment.

BI: Tell me about CarsDiva.com. What were your intentions for starting the site?

DM: CarsDiva.com is a social network, created by, for, and about women and the car business. It started off as a blog, by which I could give my comments and my perspective on the world of automotive retailing. What I’ve seen and experienced first-hand working in the auto industry, which really stands out in my mind, is the “old boy” network of the business. It’s exists among car dealers, manufacturers, vendors, and so forth… Don’t misunderstand– it’s a very gracious “old boy” network that has extended a courteous and helpful hand to the once- new-kid-on-the-block insider like me many times when I needed it. I couldn’t have met a nicer group of people in any industry… HOWEVER, on that same token, this is also one of the most exclusive of groups, closed to outsiders, both male and female. And, because there are so few female insiders in the car business, (from manufacturers, to dealer retailers, etc.), it’s exceptionally closed off to women.

So the reason I started the blog, and then proceeded to expand into an entire network, stems from the above.

The purpose is to comment, observe and “demystify” this whole business- from buying to selling, servicing and vending, to exploring careers in the car business, all coming from an insider woman’s point of view. And then to go further, the goal is to help other women do the same by providing advice, connecting those in the industry with female consumers, and in essence, helping to make the whole car buying experience more transparent.

In my experiences thus far, I think there may be place for an independent, slightly (or maybe not so slightly) irreverent car industry woman to comment, observe, and answer questions on the automotive industry. Not only in general terms, but even more specifically on car retailing, in an effort to move the needle forward– to educate a bit, provide exposure to, and bring to light a new perspective from the usual “company speak” or “legal department reviewed” thoughts on this always regulated but rarely “revealed” car business. My goal is not only to tackle certain issues, but to help.

BI: What is your favorite Ford vehicle and why is this your favorite vehicle?

DM: My favorite Ford vehicle would have to be the Mustang— and even more specifically, the Shelby GT500. To put it plainly, I like sports cars. Not only are the design, style, and performance top-rate, but also the impressive in-car communications and entertainment system not offered in other sports car- i.e. the Ford SYNC system. I also had the opportunity to meet Carroll Shelby and was inspired by his talent and success, and found that I have a newfound affinity to the track.

BI: Please give me some helpful suggestions on what dealerships should be doing in order to effectively employ women in the industry and how to effectively serve a female customer?

DM: First and foremost, they have to take into consideration that men and women are different, and once they come to terms with this reality, they’ll have successfully taken the first step. Men and women operate differently, so when it comes to employing a female, just as other industries recognize this simple fact, dealerships must do the same.

Women tend to gravitate toward female sales consultants because they often feel more comfortable, in that they can better relate to them- i.e. another female understands their needs and wants, particularly when it comes to a high-ticket item like an automobile. They want to be taken seriously, and they don’t want to be pressured into something too quickly, especially if they aren’t sure or ready at the moment. They like to take their time and look at the details. When shopping for vehicles, they have different needs and wants than men do, and sales consultants need to keep this in mind.

BI: Do you feel automotive dealerships are making progress in employing more women?

DM: Yes- slowly, but it’s still a male-dominated industry. In all honesty, when visiting dealerships, although I am starting to see more female employees, the vast majority- particularly the sales consultants, are male. By neglecting women, they are ignoring over half of the population. That being said, they still have long way to go…

BI: What has been your greatest challenge with implementing change to what is a male dominant industry and how did you or how are you planning to overcome it?

DM: I find that the greatest challenge in the auto industry is that too many individuals are stuck in their ways, and are reluctant to welcome change (referring back to the “old boy” network.) The auto industry overall faces a great challenge with the current economic climate—those who ride the wave and accept the fact that change is necessary to move the needle forward, will succeed. Those who do not will be left behind. It is a known fact that women purchase over 50% and influence the purchase of over 80% of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. The key to overcoming the challenges facing the auto industry today is to recognize that change is necessary—not only in regards to females, but overall, and to take the first steps forward rather than simply standing still. Those who ignore the facts and hope that the problems will solve themselves will not survive.

To speak on yet a broader level, determination is the key to success- everyone falls (some more than others) but those who succeed are the ones who can get back up and keep going full-speed ahead - to paraphrase an old Japanese proverb, success defined as getting knocked down ten times and getting up eleven…

_________________________________________________________

Advice to Females Navigating the Auto Industry from the CarsDiva:

Do your research and be confident. The Internet is a powerful tool that virtually places information at our fingertips—so use it to your advantage. It’s important to remember that you are in control of the situation- whether you’re purchasing a new car or getting your vehicle serviced.

BI: What advice would you provide to women who want to get involved in the auto industry?

DM: Go for it! The industry needs more savvy and intelligent females. It’s important to remember that confidence, intelligence, and at times a thick skin, are essential to be successful.

BI: Name one piece of work—novel, painting, movie, etc.—that really influenced/motivated you. Explain how/why.

DM: My mom- she is a real piece of work! I’ve learned to appreciate my talents and my differences, and she’s taught me that hard work and perseverance are the keys to success, in all aspects of life. She’s shown me that to really be content you have to follow your intuition, regardless of what everyone around you has to say. And in the end, respect yourself and your decisions, and others will do the same. She’s the toughest cookie I know!

BI: What is the biggest challenge/obstacle you have encountered thus far?

DM: Working in a traditionally male-dominated industry (and working to change that reality). But hey, I love a good challenge—you just have to learn how to make it work for you, rather than against you, to change what will be the future. …And so far it’s been an interesting and worthwhile experience!

BI: What is your biggest regret?

DM: Divas have no regrets… I try to make the most/best out of any situation. As the Duce, Henry Ford II said, “Never Complain, Never Explain” (he was actually quoting Benjamin Disraeli who said it first, but as Disraeli wasn’t a “car guy” I thought I’d quote “el Duce”)

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