Bradford Wernle

Lincoln targets fastest-growing segments
As Lincoln tries to reinvent itself, Ford Motor Co.'s struggling luxury brand will target only the fastest-growing luxury segments in which it can competitively and profi ...

Desert dealer goes solar to save
In balmy Palm Springs, Calif., the desert sun shines an average of 350 days a year. So converting an auto dealership to solar energy might seem to be a no-brainer. ...

Lincoln trims free maintenance
Beginning with 2014 models, Lincoln is cutting back its complimentary maintenance program to 2 years/24,000 miles from 4 years/50,000 miles. ...

Daqi enough? In China, that's crucial The meaning's unclear, but everybody wants it
What's the secret sauce that will prove irresistible to millions of Chinese auto shoppers? With the Chinese market projected to hit 30 million units by the beginning of t ...

For China buyers, the back seat is a front-burner issue
To learn just how different the Chinese Ford Kuga compact crossover is from its North American sibling, the Ford Escape, step into the back seat. Most American car owners ...

LaNeve envisions Lincoln brand as 'warm' luxury
A decade ago, Mark LaNeve was general manager of a beleaguered brand called Cadillac, working hard on its rebirth. ...

A small(er) Ford crossover for U.S.?
Ford has developed a smaller, Fiesta-based crossover called the EcoSport in Brazil for global markets. Now executives are hinting that it may bring the EcoSport to the Un ...

Lincoln predicts a record May for MKZ, but not for brand
After a problem-plagued launch of the 2013 MKZ, Lincoln executives say the product pipeline is filling and the business is beginning to find normal levels. ...

400,000 Ford F-150 trucks probed by NHTSA for possible acceleration problem
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into possible acceleration problems that may affect 400,000 late-model Ford F-15 ...

Hinrichs: Quality is 'of the highest priority' at Ford
After three frenetic years overseeing Ford's ambitious Asia Pacific expansion plans, including the construction of nine plants, Joe Hinrichs returned to the Dearborn, Mic ...

In the Land of Many Buicks, one in particular stood out
If you were an alien from another world and your spaceship landed in Shanghai, you would immediately conclude that Buick is a planetary titan among automotive brands. ...

Ford must switch gears, tout trucks, Mustang
Ford-brand marketers face an interesting challenge. ...

China is a learning lab for Lincoln
Lincoln is studying the habits of luxury shoppers at Shanghai's luxury malls for new ideas in customer service that eventually could find their way back to U.S. dealershi ...

Marketer uses customers' voices to tell the Ford story
Toby Barlow, chief creative officer of the Team Detroit ad agency, has the job of telling the Ford brand story. Barlow and Team Detroit have relied heavily on customer te ...

Ford takes long look at launches
Ford Motor Co. is modifying its vehicle-launch procedures to catch problems earlier, said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of the Americas. ...

Ford's latest high-tech twist: Granddad's old-school knobs
Joe Hinrichs, Ford Motor Co.'s president of the Americas, won't say directly how the company plans to fix its troubled MyFord Touch control system, which has hurt Ford's ...

In China, car deliveries are reasons to celebrate
HONGQING, China -- When Xiu He Ping and his family took delivery of their shiny blue Ford Focus last month at An Fu Ford in Hongqing, China, they walked into a special co ...

First-time car buyers are driving China market growth
The thrill of new-car ownership may be largely gone in the United States, where young consumers can be enamored of smartphones and iPads. ...

Ford boosts F-150 capacity in Kansas City
Ford Motor Co. will add workers and capacity at its Kansas City Assembly Plant in Missouri to build more F-150 pickups, its best-selling vehicle. But the company remains ...

Ford to add 2,000 jobs, raise F-150 capacity at Kansas City plant
Ford plans to hire an additional 2,000 workers at its Kansas City Assembly Plant to meet increased demand for F-150 pickups and for the upcoming production of the new Tra ...

Lincoln to hike MKZ Hybrid mix; Ford volume up 18%
Ford Motor Co. will increase the production mix of Lincoln MKZ Hybrids to 30 percent for the 2014 model year, from 20 percent now, to meet increased demand, a Ford execut ...

West is best for growth in China sales, output
Automakers, urged on by China's national and local governments, are eager to expand in the markets of central and western China. ...

Ford weighs compact for China
With an eye to growth in China's booming compact car market, Ford has revived an old nameplate for a new concept car. The Ford Escort Concept is an extended-wheelbase ver ...

After late start, Ford goes full tilt on China growth
Dave Schoch, Ford Motor Co.'s recently appointed Asia Pacific chief, shrugs off critics who say the automaker is a latecomer to China. ...

Ford targets Chinese buyers with Focus-based concept
Ford Motor Co. was to have unveiled a Focus-based concept car last week at the Shanghai auto show that targets local tastes with a stretched wheelbase and larger rear doo ...