Lincoln Still Maybe Possibly Completely Dropping MK Names Sometime
Tale as old as time: Lincoln might be dropping its MK nomenclature and filling out its lineup with vehicles that have, like, actual names.
The reintroduction of the Continental nameplate to the Lincoln Motor Company lineup as the de facto replacement for the MKS signaled a movement toward phasing out vehicles with the MK_ nomenclature in favor of models bearing classic names. The rumored return of the Zephyr as a replacement for the MKZ, and of the Aviator as a replacement of the MKT, would put Lincoln that much closer to eliminating its alphabet soup altogether.
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When asked by Autoblog about the prospect of going back to proper names, even if they are ultimately less prestigious and recognizable than that of the Continental, Lincoln Motor Company President Kumar Galhotra said that the idea is “something we’re having a lot of internal discussions about.”
Hypothetically, should the MKZ give way to the Zephyr and the MKT give way to the Aviator, Lincoln would be left with some less reputable back-catalog names for the MKX and MKC, as well as any additional crossovers it might put forth. Autoblog puts forth those names in no particular order: Cosmopolitan, Blackwood, Versailles, Mark IX, Capri, Future, Town Car, Galaxie, Comet, and Starliner.
There is, of course, the possibility of just creating new names for new Lincolns. Here’s one: the Lincoln McConaissance.
Why? Simple: Lincoln’s resurgence began in 2012 with its rebranding as The Lincoln Motor Company, which lines up with the canonical beginning of “the McConaissance.” The McConaissance, for the uninitiated, is the period from 2012 to today in which Matthew McConaughey broke out of his dude-bro typecasting to pursue more serious roles. This led to, among other things, his Academy Award-winning turn as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club and his Golden Globe-nominated performance as Rust Cohle in True Detective.
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It also, of course, led Lincoln to link up in a successful partnership with McConaughey in 2014. McConaughey’s first ads as Lincoln’s brand ambassador became viral sensations in 2014, spurring parodies everywhere from Ellen to Saturday Night Live. Lincoln’s sales and brand perception have been strong since—both at home and abroad in its newest market, China, where Lincoln nearly tripled its sales year-over-year in 2016.
And while not all of Lincoln’s successes of late can be attributed to the gentleman McConaughey, it would only be fitting to honor his contribution by naming an SUV after him, just as a new species would be named after its discoverer. Plus, just imagine the ads for the 2020 Lincoln McConaissance…
News Source: Autoblog
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.