Acura, Infiniti, Caddy, Lincoln...they all have mediocre sales to varying degrees, and they also all have somewhat confusing naming schemes to different degrees.
The reason most often given for mediocre Caddy and Lincoln sales (though I don't necessarily agree with that reasoning), is not their alphabet-soup names, but that their traditionally loyal buyers (the World War II and early Baby-Boomer generations) are all dying off or simply don't drive any more. First of all, many of them DO keep driving (sometimes, unfortunately, past the time they can safely do so, as some accidents attest to). Second, although some, of course,
are in fact dying off, life expectancy is now at an all-time high because of better medical care and other factors. Third, people that age often have a lot of money to spend (yes, even on new cars) simply from the fact that they have been working and saving for a good 40-50 years since their college days and/or when they first began to work. But, no matter what the vehicle-names, they tend to be unimpressed with the smaller, firmer-riding sedans that Caddy and Lincoln are now marketing compared to past years.
Also I agree 100% mmcartalk on that previous Continental concept. I'll never understand why they released that concept roughly 10 years ago, did nothing, then recently released another Continental concept...and are now teasing that the recent concept may make it to production.
My strong guess (though this is simply a guess, not necessarily fact), is that ten years ago, the Town Car was solidly in production, and had won a large and loyal following among seniors, limo-firms, and the executive-car business. Today, of course, the Town Car is gone (as is also the Cadillac DeVille/DTS), and there is a more urgent need for both companies to come out with a suitable replacement flagship. The existing Lincoln MKS and Cadillac XTS, IMO, simply don't cut it as flagships. They
do offer more efficient drivetrains, slightly better handling, and the AWD options that their predecessors lacked (and the XTS has a richer interior than the DTS). But, as I see it, other than that, they simply lack the refinement and comfort that some Cadillac and Lincoln buyers are looking for. The new Continental and CT-6 may (hopefully) address that problem.
