LI Lincoln dealers face decision over luxury brand

Some of Long Island's Lincoln dealers will have to decide in coming months whether they want to follow Ford Motor Co.'s luxury brand into the future laid out by company executives.

Ultimately, there are likely to be fewer Lincoln dealers on Long Island and in other of the nation's 130 major markets as Ford phases out its Mercury brand and tries to reconcile its dealer ranks with its shrunken share of the luxury market.

Almost 1,000 people representing about 700 of the nation's Lincoln dealers heard presentations by Ford Motor executives at the carmaker's Dearborn, Mich., headquarters on Monday and Tuesday on what the carmaker wants its dealerships to look like in coming years and how it wants customers treated. "We showed them what our plans are to make it a world-class luxury brand, said company spokesman Christian Bokich.

About 75 percent of the nation's Lincoln dealerships are physically substandard and need at least cosmetic changes for the sake of uniformity, said Bokich, and, while no dealers were asked to close, Bokich said the company expects some dealers to drop out rather than upgrade. "Every Lincoln dealer will decide in the next few months if they are interested in investing in Lincoln's future," he said. "That was how we left it."

One local dealer who says he is undecided is Carl Curcio Jr., whose family owns Bright Bay Lincoln Mercury in Bay Shore, as well as a Mazda outlet next door. "We're going to look at it closely over the next few months," said Curcio, who said his father attended the Dearborn meeting.

Dealership upgrades being sought by Ford would cost an estimated $500,000, Curcio said. "That's part of the decision-making process." The dealership has been in business for 50 years, he said, and employs about 35 people selling Lincolns and Mercurys. Bokich says Ford helps dealers with financing for such projects on a case-by-case basis.

Ford said in June that Lincoln dealers would have seven all new or significantly refreshed vehicles in their showrooms in the next four years, including a car smaller than the current MKZ.

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"The question," said Curcio, "is 'Can a guy like me hang in there for three or four years until the fresh product comes?' "

But at Valley Stream Lincoln Mercury, owner Joe Vultaggio III says he has decided to stick with Lincoln and he'll keep the Valley Stream location for service and move Lincoln sales into a building in Jamaica, Queens, now undergoing renovation.

Dealers have until fall 2011 to decide, said Bokich.

Only four Long Island dealers handle Lincoln and Mercury only. Seven others also sell Ford brand cars and trucks. Bokich said many are being asked to physically segregate Lincoln sales and service from those of Fords, to provide special VIP treatment for Lincoln customers.

Registration figures from the Michigan auto information company R.L. Polk & Co. show the Island's favorite luxury brand, Mercedes-Benz, outselling Lincoln by more than four to one in the first seven months of this year. Lincoln also was outsold locally by Cadillac, Lexus, Infiniti, Acura, Audi and BMW.