Lincoln Files Trademark Application in Europe
Photo: Lincoln
Lincoln Motor Company is working to deliver on its promise of becoming a global brand, delivering impressive sales in major markets like China and the Middle East. While the European front remains untapped, a recent trademark filing suggests that may not always be the case.
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Ford Authority reports that the American luxury brand trademarked its logo with the European Union Intellectual Property Office in early August. The application, submitted on Aug. 12, covers vehicles, parts, sales, and repair and maintenance. While Lincoln applying to trademark its logo in Europe doesn’t guarantee much, it’s an interesting turn of events.
Ford last commented on Lincoln in Europe in 2014
Outside of this filing with the EUIPO, there haven’t been any other rumblings about Lincoln offering up vehicles in Europe. In fact, seemingly the last mention of the idea was in 2014 when then-Ford CEO Alan Mulally told U.K. outlet Autocar that there were no plans in place to bring the premium brand across the Atlantic. While Lincoln has enjoyed success outside of North America in the years since, there’s nothing other than this trademark filing to suggest that Europe is in the cards.
Were Lincoln vehicles to go on sale in Europe, the move likely wouldn’t take place for some time given the current economic climate. There’s also the matter of Lincoln being in something of a state of transition. Production has halted on the Lincoln MKZ, and production will wrap on the Continental at year’s end, leaving the brand with no sedans.
While its crossover and SUV lineup is still quite new, Lincoln appears poised to drop the Nautilus after 2023 when Ford’s Oakville Assembly ends production and retools for battery-electric vehicle manufacturing. Lincoln would then replace the Nautilus with an electric crossover, which would be a more likely candidate for sales in Europe given the continent’s stricter emissions guidelines.
Does this trademark application mean Lincoln is planning to make the trip to Europe? Maybe we’ll have a firm answer in another seven years or so.
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Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.